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The Historic Faith
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Question 6
The chapter argues the early Christians rejected war not mainly due to idolatry concerns but because they literally obeyed “love your enemies” and “turn the other cheek”; how does that expose what they believed about God’s character (especially His justice and mercy), and what parts of that belief feel unrealistic—or threatening—to you?
Another way to ask: The chapter says early Christians rejected war mainly because they took “love your enemies” and “turn the other cheek” literally. What does that show about how they saw God’s justice and mercy, and what about that feels unrealistic or even scary to you?

Direct Answer According to Bercot, the early Christians’ rejection of war shows they believed God’s way of justice is not carried out through personal vengeance or killing enemies, but through mercy, suffering wrong, and obedience to Christ—even when it looks naïve to the world.

Support from Transcript:

  • Bercot corrects a common claim: they refused military service not mainly to avoid idolatry, but because they “literally followed Jesus’ commandment to love your enemies and to turn the other cheek.”
  • He says “They viewed war as morally wrong.”
  • Justin Martyr: “We who formerly murdered one another now refrain from making war upon our enemies.”
  • Origen: Jesus taught it is not right “to offer violence to anyone,” and “the killing of any individual” is “against His laws.”
  • Arnobius: “evil should not be repaid with evil…better to suffer wrong than to inflict it…our own blood should be shed rather than to stain our hands.”
  • Bercot notes modern Christians may call this “unrealistic,” but early Christians called it “trust.”
Discussion Follow-ups The transcript pushes a personal question without answering it for you: do you believe God can protect and vindicate without your violence? Which feels more threatening—enemy-love, or leaving vengeance to God?

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