Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 9
Nathan appeals to John the Baptist telling soldiers, “Do violence to no man,” noting John didn’t denounce Rome or demand soldiers quit; how does that example shape (or unsettle) expectations many evangelicals have about political denunciation, culture-war language, and what “prophetic witness” should sound like?
Another way to ask: John the Baptist told soldiers, “Do violence to no man,” but he didn’t attack Rome or demand they quit. How does that shape—or challenge—what you think “prophetic witness” should sound like in politics and culture-war talk?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
According to the transcript, John the Baptist models a form of “prophetic witness” that addresses personal moral behavior without turning into political denunciation of the empire. This can unsettle culture-war expectations by suggesting the Christian focus should be calling individuals to holiness rather than attacking governments as “the evil empire.”
- Nathan uses John as an example: “Do like John the Baptist and say, ‘Do violence to no man.’”
- He emphasizes what John did not do: “He doesn’t tell the soldiers… ‘Get out of the military.’”
- Also: John doesn’t say, “Rome is the evil empire.”
- Nathan ties this to Anabaptist consistency: “We focus on the individual, calling them to repentance… without getting involved in the governments of this world.”
- He previously cites 1 Corinthians 5: “we’re not called to judge this world,” reinforcing a less culture-war posture.