Turn the other cheek. Thou shalt not kill. Love and pray for your enemies. First century Christians opposed military service. There are those who refuse to serve in the military today because of religious convictions. So what about those who do serve? Who is right?

1.The Bible says “Thou shalt not kill”.  Participation in the military supports death and killing.

In the King James version, Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17, say thou shall not “kill”. Most other translations, including the New KJV, translate those passages to condemn “murder”. That Hebrew word is used 47 times in the Old Testament and nearly every other time, even the King James Version translates it as “murder”.

Is there a difference between killing and murder? Most certainly! In the Old Testament, if a man murdered another, God demanded the murderer be put to death. If there was no difference between killing and murder then executing an offender, which is what God commanded, would be committing another murder. Clearly, Exodus and Deuteronomy are referring to murder, not all killing.

C.S. Lewis explained that all killing is no more murder than all sexual intimacies are adultery. God promotes, even commands, proper sexual relationships but condemns adultery. Likewise, God commands some killing but condemns murder.

2. What about “turn the other cheek”? 
But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.  – – Matthew 5:39

Notice this was a commandment Jesus gave to the individual – “I tell you”. He was not changing the law or how a government is instructed to treat wrongdoers. Imagine the anarchy if this command applied to governments or government representatives. A government must still fulfill its God-given reason for existence – to punish and reward. It cannot “turn the other cheek” on crime or chaos would ensue.

Representatives of the government (military, police, and others who bear a “sword” ) must still fulfill their role as representatives of the government sent by God to protect society and punish evil. Stopping or punishing evil sometimes requires killing the offender.

3. Ministers of God
God established governments to punish those who do wrong and reward those who do right (1 Peter 2:14).  Government officials are said to be “…God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.”  (Romans 13:4)

Government officials who “bear a sword” are called “God’s servant, an agent of wrath” to carry out God’s plan.  The “sword” they bear is an instrument of God’s wrath.

4. What did Jesus say?
John the Baptist and Jesus both spoke to soldiers in an army that was oppressing God’s people. If it is wrong to serve in the military, it would certainly be extra wrong to serve in an army oppressing God’s people. Neither John nor Jesus suggested the soldiers should seek to leave the military. In fact, soldiers specifically asked John what they should do to show they had repented of their sins.
Luke 3:14 – Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely — be content with your pay.”

5. God uses soldiers to break through a racial barrier.
When God wanted to introduce the Holy Spirit to the Gentile world (Acts 10) He specifically chose a soldier, a “devout and God-fearing” man who “prayed to God regularly.” Cornelius sent “a devout soldier” with other servants to find Peter. Surely the Lord would have addressed the need for Cornelius to change his profession if God was opposed to military service. Neither the angel nor Peter said they should get out of the military if they wanted to serve the Lord.

6. But first-century Christians opposed military service.
It is significant that many early Christian writers condemned military service. But we also know there were thousands of believers in the Roman army. Some of the early martyrs were military men – The Theban Legion – an entire legion  (over 6600 men) who were all believers and all died rather than deny Christ. The 40 Martyrs of Sevaste. One writer said no group, other than the clergy, did more to spread the gospel to the ends of the first-century world than the Christians soldiers of Rome.

Apparently, this has been a divisive issue since the early days of the church.

7. Are you a pacifist by conviction or just preference?
When our country had a draft it was possible to avoid military service if you could prove you were a pacifist. A question they used to determine your stance was, “If someone was raping your mother, sister or wife, would you defend them?” If you would, you are not a pacifist by conviction. You are willing to fight to defend your loved ones, you just aren’t willing to fight to defend the loved ones of others.

So, is it right for a Christian to serve in the military?
As strange as it seems, in Romans 14 Paul makes it clear that even well-meaning Christians can disagree on certain “disputable matters” and both be right! In matters not directly addressed in Scripture one may feel a conviction a certain activity is wrong while another person has liberty in that area. To the one who feels something is wrong, it is wrong.  To the one who feels no conviction, he is free to participate. “Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” (Romans 14:5)

There is no direct command in Scripture prohibiting military service so this is a “disputable matter”. In that case, Paul directs that one person should not “look down on” the other nor reject him “for God has accepted him.”  (Romans 14:3)