I hesitated to write this post because I’m concerned you’ll think my point is so obvious it’s not worth stating, but I sometimes get at things sort of backwards.
Rather than jump right in and address how the kingdom of God progresses on the earth, it seemed more fundamental to start by stating one way in which it does not generally grow, and that is by means of military force, or in metaphoric terms, by means of the sword. I suspect this is obvious to most modern Christians, but it has not been obvious to Christians throughout history. It’s an important point. I think there are a number of ways to demonstrate this point from the Bible.
What Jesus Said Regarding Use of the Sword
On the night Jesus was betrayed, He told His disciples to grab two swords (Luke 22:35-38). Then when Peter attempted to use one of the swords offensively Jesus rebuked him (John 18:10-11). But hadn’t Jesus just told them to grab two swords? Yes, but the sword was to be used defensively, not offensively. The sword was for their protection, not their promotion.
How the Kingdom Prevailed against the Roman Empire
When Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, He knew the Jews were expecting Him to be a military leader who would overthrow Roman rule. Jesus’ response was to weep over Jerusalem, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace!” (Luke 19:41-42). Jesus was indeed interested in seeing the kingdom of God prevail over the Roman Empire, but not in the way the Jews expected. Jesus knew that in a little under three hundred years, the kingdom of God would prevail over the Romans, but that it would do so peacefully, without a sword being drawn by Christians against their oppressors.
Distinguishing Pacifism and Just War
If it sounds like I am advocating pacifism, I am not. It is more nuanced than that. There are times when taking up arms is justified. Medieval theologians like Augustine and Aquinas laid out the criteria of a just war, an exploration which is for a different post. Suffice it to say that most wars do not fit the definition of a just war.
One example of the use of military force that could meet the just war criteria–and the subject of my law school thesis–is humanitarian intervention. Humanitarian intervention is the use of military intervention inside another country’s borders with the primary aim of preventing or stopping widespread suffering, genocide, or other mass atrocities. Such interventions though are rare because most war is self-interested.
Another example of just war is a defensive one. The United States was justified in defending itself against the Japaneses in World War II just as the European Allies were in defending themselves against Nazi aggression.
Kingdom Advance is Sometimes a Consequence of Military Conflict
Having said all that, there are plenty of examples of the kingdom of God being advanced as a result of military conflict, sometimes intended and sometimes unintended. One example is Charlemagne’s war against the Saxons; another is King Stephen I’s use of military force against the pagan Magyars in what is today Hungary to unify his Christian rule after his conversion. Of course what is expedient is not necessarily ethical, and just because something works doesn’t mean it’s right.
The Kingdom Approach: A Bias Toward Restraint and Sacrifice
Where all this should leave us with regard to a Kingdom view of military action is with a bias toward restraint and sacrifice. Most wars are not just, and just war reasons are usually nothing more than pretexts for self-interest. Those wars that are more likely to be justified are those that are truly sacrificial, i.e., wars fought in defense of others who are the victims of mass atrocities and unable to defend themselves.
How the Kingdom of God Spreads
The growth of the kingdom is intended to occur peacefully, through the transformation of men’s hearts, not militarily through threats against their bodies, or it occurs, like it did in the Roman Empire, through the blood of martyrs who choose to respond peacefully to the aggression of their pagan oppressors. GS