Sources for: What is the difference between Christian nonresistance and pacifism?

Nonresistance - Nonresistance Matthew 5:38-42

TERTULLIAN: Tertullian. What difference is there between the one who provokes and the one who is provoked, except that the first is found to be earlier in doing evil and the second later? Still, each one is blamed for hurting a person in the eyes of the Lord. The Lord both forbids and condemns every kind of wickedness. When it comes to doing evil, no one counts who went first, and position does not separate what their similarity joins together. The command is absolute: evil must not be repaid with evil. COMMODIANUS: there are many kinds of martyrdom that happen without shedding blood. Do not desire other people's goods; want to receive the benefit of martyrdom. Hold back your tongue. You ought to make yourself humble. Do not willingly use force. Do not return force that is used against you. Have a patient mind. Understand that you are a martyr. ORIGEN: or OREGEN. The Savior said, "I say to you, do not resist evil." And when He gives certain other commands, He means nothing else than this: it is in our own power to obey what is commanded. Therefore, we are rightly held responsible and liable to condemnation if we break those commandments that we are able to keep.

Nonresistance - Nonresistance Matthew 5:38-42

ORIGEN: or Aegen. Celsus, a pagan critic, pulls from the Gospel the command, "To him who strikes you once, offer yourself to be struck again," even though he does not give any passage from the Old Testament that he thinks is against it. On the one hand, we know that "It was said to them in old time, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." And on the other hand, we have read, "I say to you, whoever shall smite you on the one cheek, turn to him the other also." But there is reason to believe that Celsus brings up objections he has heard from those who want to make a difference between the God of the Gospel and the God of the Law. So we must answer that this command, "Whoever shall strike you on the one cheek, turn to him the other," is not unknown in the older scriptures. For this is what is said in the Lamentations of Jeremiah: "It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth; he sits alone and keeps silence because he has borne it upon him; he gives his cheek to him that smites him; he is filled full with reproach." So there is no disagreement between the God of the Gospel and the God of the Law, even when we take the command about being struck on the face in a literal way. So then, we conclude that neither Jesus nor Moses has taught falsely. The Father, in sending Jesus, did not forget the commands which He had given to Moses. He did not change His mind, condemn...

Nonresistance - Nonresistance Matthew 5:38-42

TERTULLIAN: Tertullian, listen to what is predicted in Zechariah. The Lord of hosts will protect them. They will devour them and subdue them with slingstones. They will drink their blood like wine. They will fill the bowls, as if they were the bowls of the altar. And the Lord will save them in that day, even His people, like sheep. Because, like sacred stones they roll, chapter 3, verse 1, and so on, so that you will not think these predictions are about the kind of suffering that waits for them because of so many wars with foreigners. Think about what the suffering is like. If a prophecy is about wars that will be fought with proper weapons, no one would think it would list stones as weapons. Stones are better known in common crowds and unarmed riots. No one measures the large streams of blood that flow in war by bullfulls. No one limits it to what is poured out on a single altar. No one calls people sheep when they fall in battle with weapons in their hands, while they fight back with force against force. People are called sheep only when they are killed while they give themselves up in their place of duty, with patience instead of fighting to defend themselves. TERTULLIAN: Tertullian, if someone tries to stir you up by using physical violence, the Lord's warning is ready. To him, he says, "Who hits you on the face, turn the other cheek also." Let their outrageous behavior g...

Nonresistance - Nonresistance Matthew 5:38-42

TERTULLIAN: Tertullian. Long ago, people were used to demanding eye for eye and tooth for tooth, and paying back evil with evil, with interest. This was because, at that time, patience was not on earth, because faith was not either. TERTULLIAN: Tertullian. In the same way, eye for eye and tooth for tooth has now grown old ever since Let No One Repay Evil for Evil grew young. ORIGEN: or Aegen. Celsus, a pagan critic, pulls from the Gospel the command, "To him who strikes you once, offer yourself to be struck again," even though he does not give any passage from the Old Testament that he thinks is against it. On the one hand, we know that "It was said to them in old time, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." And on the other hand, we have read, "I say to you, whoever shall smite you on the one cheek, turn to him the other also." But there is reason to believe that Celsus brings up objections he has heard from those who want to make a difference between the God of the Gospel and the God of the Law. So we must answer that this command, "Whoever shall strike you on the one cheek, turn to him the other," is not unknown in the older scriptures. For this is what is said in the Lamentations of Jeremiah: "It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth; he sits alone and keeps silence because he has borne it upon him; he gives his cheek to him that smites him; he is fill...

The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles - Chapter 1. The Two Ways; The First Commandment

There are two ways: one of life and one of death. There is a great difference between these two ways. The way of life is this. First, you shall love God who made you. Second, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. And whatever you would not want to happen to you, do not do to another. And the teaching of these words is this: Bless those who curse you, and pray for your enemies, and fast for those who persecute you. For what reward is there if you love those who love you? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? But love those who hate you, and you will not have an enemy. Keep away from fleshly and worldly desires. If someone strikes your right cheek, turn the other cheek to him also, and you will be perfect. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. If someone takes away your cloak, give him your coat also. If someone takes what is yours, do not ask for it back, for you are not able to do so. Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask for it back. For the Father wills that everyone should be given something from our own free gifts. Happy is the one who gives according to the commandment, for he is guiltless. Woe to the one who receives. If a person receives because he has need, he is guiltless. But the one who receives without need will pay the penalty for why he received and for what purpose. And when he comes into straits, that is, confinement, he will be exa...

Nonresistance - Nonresistance Matthew 5:38-42

ATHENAGORAS: When they know that we cannot stand even to watch a man be put to death even if it is done justly, who among them can accuse us of murder or cannibalism? Who does not count the contests of gladiators and wild beasts among the most interesting things, especially the ones that are put on by you? But we believe that watching a man be put to death is almost the same as killing him. So we have turned away from those shows. How then, when we do not even watch, so that we will not take on guilt and pollution, can we put people to death? TEACHING: you have heard that it was said, "Eye for eye and tooth for tooth." But I say to you, do not fight back against an evil person; instead, whoever hits you on your right cheek, turn the other cheek to him also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your wrapper also; and whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. And to the one who asks you, give; and to the one who wants to borrow from you, do not refuse him; and do not prosecute the one who takes your property; and just as you want people to do to you, do the same to them. TERTULLIAN: Tertullian. Therefore, who else is meant but us? We have been fully taught by the new law, and we follow these practices. The old law has been wiped away. The action itself of beating swords into ploughs shows that its ending was coming. Under the old law,...

Nonresistance - Nonresistance Matthew 5:38-42

POLYCARP: Paulycarp. But the one who raised him from the dead will also raise us if we do his will. We must walk in his commandments and love what he loved. We must keep ourselves from all unrighteousness, covetousness, love of money, evil speaking, and false witness. We must be not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing, or blow for blow, or cursing for cursing. Instead, we must remember what the Lord said in his teaching. JUSTIN MARTYR: Martyr: We will not ask you to punish our accusers; they are already punished enough by their present wickedness and by not knowing what is right. JUSTIN MARTYR: Martyr. And about our being patient when we are hurt, and being ready to serve everyone, and being free from anger, this is what he said: "To the one who hits you on one cheek, offer the other also; and the one who takes away your cloak or coat, do not stop him; and whoever is angry is in danger of the fire; and everyone who forces you to go with him one mile, go with him two, and let your good works shine before people, so that they, seeing them, may glorify your Father who is in heaven." For we should not fight; he has not wanted us to copy wicked people; instead, he has urged us to lead all people, by patience and gentleness, away from shame and the love of evil. This is clearly shown in the case of many who once thought the way you do but have changed their violent and t...

Nonresistance - Nonresistance Matthew 5:38-42

…ese practices. The old law has been wiped away. The action itself of beating swords into ploughs shows that its ending was coming. Under the old law, the custom was to take revenge with the sword. It was to demand eye for eye. It was to pay back injury with the same kind of harm. But under the new law, the custom was to point people to mercy. It was to turn the old wildness of swords and lances into peace. It was to reshape the old practice of war against the rivals and enemies of the law into the peaceful work of ploughing and tilling the land. TERTULLIAN: Tertullian, Christ clearly teaches a new kind of patience. He actually forbids the payback that the Creator allowed when He required: an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Instead, Christ tells us the opposite: to him who strikes us on the one cheek, to offer the other also, and to give up our coat to him that takes away our cloak. No doubt these are extra teachings added by Christ, but they fit well with what the Creator teaches. So this question must be settled right away: does the Creator command the discipline of patience? When, through Zechariah, He commanded, "Let none of you imagine evil against his brother," He did not clearly include "neighbor." But in another place He says, "Let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor." The one who advised that an injury should be forgotten was even more...

Nonresistance - Nonresistance Matthew 5:38-42

ORIGEN: or OREGEN. The Savior said, "I say to you, do not resist evil." And when He gives certain other commands, He means nothing else than this: it is in our own power to obey what is commanded. Therefore, we are rightly held responsible and liable to condemnation if we break those commandments that we are able to keep. ORIGEN: Or igen. Neither Celsus, a pagan critic, nor those who agree with him can point to any act by Christians that smells like rebellion. And yet, if a revolt had led to the forming of the Christian community so that it got its start this way from the Jews, who were allowed to take up arms to defend their family members and to kill their enemies, then the Christian lawgiver would not have completely forbidden putting people to death. And yet he never teaches that it is right for his own disciples to use violence against anyone, no matter how wicked that person is. He did not think it fit, with laws like his that came from a divine source, to allow the killing of any person at all. And if Christians had owed their beginning to a rebellion, they would not have adopted laws so extremely gentle that, when it was their fate to be killed like sheep, they were not allowed, on any occasion, to resist their persecutors. Because Christians were taught not to take revenge on their enemies, and so they have kept laws that are gentle and loving toward others, and becau...

Nonresistance - Nonresistance Matthew 5:38-42

JUSTIN MARTYR: Martyr. And about our being patient when we are hurt, and being ready to serve everyone, and being free from anger, this is what he said: "To the one who hits you on one cheek, offer the other also; and the one who takes away your cloak or coat, do not stop him; and whoever is angry is in danger of the fire; and everyone who forces you to go with him one mile, go with him two, and let your good works shine before people, so that they, seeing them, may glorify your Father who is in heaven." For we should not fight; he has not wanted us to copy wicked people; instead, he has urged us to lead all people, by patience and gentleness, away from shame and the love of evil. This is clearly shown in the case of many who once thought the way you do but have changed their violent and tyrannical attitude. They were won over either by the steady faithfulness they have seen in the lives of their Christian neighbors, or by the unusual patience they have noticed in their fellow travelers when they were cheated, or by the honesty of those they have done business with. IRENAEUS: Jesus commanded His disciples not only to not strike others but also, when they themselves were struck, to offer the other cheek to those who mistreated them. He commanded them not only to not refuse to give up the property of others but also, if their own property was taken away, to not demand it back fr...

Nonresistance - Nonresistance Matthew 5:38-42

CYPRIAN: Cyprian. That no one should be denied alms. Also in the same place, give to everyone who asks you, and from the one who wants to borrow from you, do not turn away. Also in the same place, if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments. He says, "Which?" Jesus said to him, "Do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself." The young man said to him, "All these things I have observed, what do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go and sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

Nonresistance - Nonresistance Matthew 5:38-42

IRENAEUS: Irenaeus, the Gnostics claim that he suffered only in appearance, because if he did not truly suffer, then we owe him no thanks since there was no suffering at all. And when we actually begin to suffer, he will seem to be leading us astray. He tells us to endure being hit and to turn the other cheek. But if he himself did not really suffer the same things before us, then his words would mislead us. Just as he misled them by seeming to them to be what he was not, so he would also mislead us. He would be telling us to endure what he did not endure himself. In that case, we would be even above the master because we suffer and put up with what our master never carried or endured. But our Lord alone is truly master. In the same way, the Son of God is truly good and patient. The Word of God, the Father, was made the Son of Man, because he fought and conquered. He was a man struggling for the fathers, and through obedience, he completely did away with disobedience. He tied up the strong man and set the weak free. He gave his own handiwork salvation by destroying sin, because he is a most holy and merciful Lord, and he loves the human race. IRENAEUS: Irenaeus. The law of liberty, that is, the word of God, preached by the apostles who went out from Jerusalem across all the earth, caused such a change in how things were. These nations did form their swords and war lances into...

Love Your Enemies - Love Your Enemies Matthew 5:43-48

…Father, which is in heaven, is perfect. ORIGEN: or Igen. Celsus, a pagan critic, asks: how could he command them through Moses to gather wealth, to extend their dominion, to fill the earth, to put their enemies of every age to the sword, and to destroy them completely? This is what he himself did, as Moses says. He also threatened them that if they did not obey his commands, he would treat them as his openly declared enemies. But on the other hand, his son, the man of Nazareth, announced laws that were very different from these. He declared that no one can come to the Father who loves power, or riches, or glory. He said that people should not be more careful about getting food than the ravens are. He said they should be less concerned about their clothing than the lilies are. He said that to the one who has struck them once, they should offer to receive another blow. So which is it, Moses or Jesus, who teaches falsely? Did the Father, when he sent Jesus, forget the commands that he had given to Moses? Or did he change his mind, condemn his own laws, and send out a messenger with opposite instructions? Origen, or Egen's response. However, if we must briefly point to the difference between the way of life and laws that were given long ago to the Jews by Moses, and the way of life and laws that Christians, under the direction of Christ's teaching, now want to establish, we would...

Love Your Enemies - Love Your Enemies Matthew 5:43-48

TERTULLIAN: Tertullian. Isaiah announces, in the words that follow, that a new law will come out of this house of the God of Jacob. He says, "For from Zion shall go out a law, and the word of the Lord out of Jerusalem, and shall judge among the nations," that is, among us, who have been called out of the nations. He also says, "And they shall join to beat their swords into plows, and their spears into sickles; and nations shall not take up sword against nation, and they shall no more learn to fight." Who else, therefore, is meant but us? We have been fully taught by the new law, and we follow these practices. The old law has been wiped away. The action itself shows that its wiping away was coming. The way of the old law was to take revenge by the sword. It was to pull out eye for eye and to pay back injury with equal revenge. But the way of the new law was to point people to mercy. It was to turn the earlier fierceness of swords and spears into calm. It was to reshape the earlier practice of war against the rivals and enemies of the law into peaceful actions like plowing and tilling the land. Therefore, just as we have shown above that the coming end of the old law and of physical circumcision was announced, so also the keeping of the new law and spiritual circumcision has clearly appeared in the willing obedience of peace. TERTULLIAN: Tertullian. Isaiah says, "And it shall co...

War

It would seem that war falls into this same category. For example, Jesus told His followers, "You have heard that it has been said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth," which is right out of the Old Testament. "But I say unto you that you do not resist evil, but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also." And again, He went on to say, "You have heard that it has been said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." It's from the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:38-44.

Chapter 4, The God of the Bible

How could I explain the life example and teaching of Christ? Jesus' radical call to non-resistance, loving our enemies, and even doing good to those who mistreat us seemed diametrically to contradict the idea of God being a warrior. If God in the Old Testament said, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth," then how could Jesus now say, "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth? But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other." How could I reconcile the differences? God cannot change.

The Paradigm Reversal - From The Beginning It Was Not So - Bill Shiley

He says this, "It may be supposed that God could not authorize warfare because in latter times it was said by the Lord Jesus Christ, 'I say unto you that you resist not evil. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the left also.'" However, you might think that Jesus said, "No, don't go to war, don't fight." But really, the answer is what is required here is not a bodily action, but an inward disposition. So you can go ahead and kill the barbarians or the other Christians that don't agree with you as long as you love them in your heart. And that's just completely turned upside down what Jesus and the apostles taught, that if we love someone in our heart, it comes out in our actions and we're willing to suffer. It goes against the life of Jesus and how he lived and demonstrated us how to live.

Who is Right? Catholics and Orthodox? Protestants? Someone Else? - Lynn Martin

So our nationality is with the kingdom of God first, rather than with um rather than with a kingdom of this world. Now, I think that a kingdom that comes from heaven will have different values than a kingdom that comes from the earth. When Jesus taught his disciples, those were the values he was teaching them. And one of these values is to renounce violence and force. Jesus said, "I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." And I think that's fairly clear.

"How to Answer Catholic and Orthodox Claims – part 2" by Lynn Martin

But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well." And later he says, "I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." So a lot of ink has been spilled over these verses while a lot of both good and bad interpretations of these verses abound out there. But let's just go through and see what is being said by this text. First, Jesus explicitly replaces the Old Testament law on this point. He says, "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil." So just because violence was permitted in the Old Testament doesn't mean that it is permitted in the New Testament.