耶穌都撐持槍權！Jesus is Pro-Second Amendment! By Chapman Chen

摘要：耶穌照計會捍衛美國憲法第二修正案：藏有武器的權利。耶穌話：我帶來的係刀劍，而非和平（馬太福音10:34）。釘十字架之前，耶穌指示門徒為未來傳教買長刀自衛（路加福音22：35-38）。偽教牧常引耶穌以下兩段話，告訴基督徒不應武裝自衛。首先，耶穌登山寶訓似乎叫信眾「擰埋另一邊臉俾人打」。但該處重點是：有人侮辱你時，勿以侮辱回應。再者，當猶大帶一班武裝人員來逮捕耶穌時，彼得拔刀反抗，但耶穌命他收刀入鞘，「事關持劍者必死於劍下」（馬太福音26：52）。其實，耶穌甘心被捕，係要實現聖經預言，而且擔心彼得寡不敵眾，會有生命危險。另一方面，舊約期望每個以色列人都擁有自己的武器，以保家衛國家，而殺死入侵家宅的竊匪並不算犯罪。

耶穌係持鎗權支持者

《美國憲法》第二修正案規定：不得侵犯國民保留及攜帶武器的權利。

根據保守派領袖兼Wall Builders創始人David Barton的講法，美國立國先賢撰寫《第二修正案》時的初衷是要保障公民「合乎聖經的自衛權」。前州長莎拉·帕蓮Sarah Palin（阿拉斯加）一五年十一月二十日在面書寫道：「耶穌會為我們的第二修正案而戰，就算上帝都叫你擰起武器，保護自己，保衛無辜。」帕蓮是零八年共和黨副總統候選人。她隨後引用聖經捍衛受憲法保護的持槍權。 「不信我嗎？ 查下路加福音22:36吧，足證耶穌是持槍權的支持者。」　　

耶穌曾經命門徒買刀

根據路加福音22章的記載，耶穌上十字架前，指示教徒買武器自衛。 借用Mary Fairchild（2018）的話，「他正幫他們準備應付未來傳教時，將要面臨的極端反對和迫害」：

耶穌又同他們講： 我差你們出去時， 無銀包，無袋無鞋，你們有無缺甚麼 ？ 他 們答： 無。 耶穌話： 但如今有銀包可以帶埋， 有袋的亦可以帶埋，無刀的要 就要賣褸買刀。我同你們講：經上寫住： 他列在罪犯之中。此話必應驗在我身上……他們道：主啊！這裡有兩把刀。耶穌話：夠啦 。（路加福音22：35-38；曾焯文譯））

吾帶來刀劍 而非和平

其實耶穌話：勿以為我下凡志在帶來和平；我帶來的係刀劍，而非和平。（馬太福音10:34；曾焯文譯）。

一些敵基督教牧常欲說服信眾放棄武力抵抗惡勢力和獨裁政權，他們扭曲耶穌著名的話：收刀入鞘；俾埋另一邊面人打 。以下一勞永逸拆穿他們的神話。

收刀入鞘 非棄掉刀劍

當猶大帶一大班武裝官兵來逮捕耶穌時，彼得拔刀劈落大祭司右耳。 耶穌就同彼得講：「收埋你把刀入鞘。天父畀我的那杯苦酒，我可以不飲嗎？」（約翰福音18：3-12；曾焯文譯），「持劍者必死於劍下」（馬太福音26：52；曾焯文譯）。但請注意，耶穌叫彼得將劍放返原位，而非掉棄。該命令至少有兩層意義：

一，耶穌接受逮捕死亡，以實現聖經的預言（馬太福音26:35；Kopel 2017）。

二，耶穌警告彼得勿與成班武裝官兵作戰，以免被殺（Barnes聖經註釋）。

左臉予人打指勿以辱還辱

偽傳道人常扭曲馬太福音5：38-42耶穌的話，幫信徒洗腦，令信徒向極權政權屈服。

38 你們聽見話 ：以眼還 眼，以牙還牙。39 但我同你們講， 勿與惡人作對。有人 打你右邊面， 你連左邊面都擰過來俾佢打；40 有人要告你，要攞你件衫，你連大褸都由得佢擰走；41 有人逼你行一里路 ， 你就同佢行夠兩里；42 有人求你， 你就畀佢； 有人問你借錢， 不可推辭。（曾焯文譯）

耶穌在馬太福音5：38-42，根本並非在談論危及生命安全的肉身襲攻擊。否則，他會用另一個例，而不會以摑面為例。Albert Barne馬太福音聖經註解寫道：「基督無意教導我們眼白白睇住家人被殺，又或自己被殺，而不反抗……所有自然法和神聖法都支持自衛求生。其實此處耶穌在談論侮辱和誹謗。既然大多數人都右拗，則如果他們站在你面前，又怎會打你右邊面呢？」（見Ben Giselbach 2014；曾焯文譯）。第39節描述的是人家用手背打你右邊面，這是種古老的屈辱（對照約伯記16:10；馬太26:67；約翰18:22；林前11:20）。摑面志在羞辱人（Crain n.d.:183）。

關鍵是：當有人侮辱您時，不要以侮辱回應。為自私目的之訴訟（第40節），麻煩的請求（第41節）以及江湖求急，疏財仗義（第42節）亦如是。

新約強調武裝自衛

加華里禮拜堂聖彼得堡Calvary Chapel St. Petersburg長老Mike Wilsbach曾提醒Mary Fairchild（2018年）：《舊約》話：以色列人應擁有自己的武器。當民族遇到外敵，人人都會奉召動武。 他們不會派海軍陸戰隊；國民自己保衛自己。　

人人擸刀！

撒母耳記下25:13寫明：

大衛對手下道：人人綁好刀！” 他們人人都綁好刀； 大衛都綁好刀。約四百人追隨大衛，其餘兩百照顧行李。 （撒母耳記25:13 ）因此，人人都有把刀，必要時使用。 此外，大衛在詩篇144：1寫道：讚美主，我的磐石，訓練我對手打仗，我的手指作戰……

上帝甚至親自召集基甸、以笏、耶彿他、參孫和狄波拉等領袖，武裝推翻暴政。 《士師記》《希伯來書》 11:32都盛讚這些領袖。以笏暗殺壓迫以色列的摩押王伊格隆，戛（拮/㓤）穿其大肚腩，尤其勇武。。

上帝御准自衛

除戰爭手段外，聖經中尚記載義人用武器自衛，上帝完全無話禁止。 舉例如下：

「賊佬闖入私人樓宇斷正，其間被人打死，則殺人者無罪。」 （出埃及記22：2）（曾焯文翻譯）

Former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) said Thursday that Jesus Christ is a defender of the right to bear arms.

“Jesus would fight for our Second Amendment,” she wrote on her Facebook page.

 “Taking concrete defense measures (i.e. arming ourselves) away from the good guys?” she asked. “Yeah…that…we don’t want that.

“Shoot, even the Lord said to take up arms and defend yourself and protect the innocent,” added Palin, who was a GOP vice presidential candidate in 2008.

“We’re expected to take responsibility to defend ourselves and to protect the innocent, certainly not relying on fallible leaders to do it for us.”

Palin then referenced Biblical scripture in defense of her position on gun rights protected by the Constitution.

“Don’t believe me?” she asked. “Look it up – Luke 22:36. Proof that Jesus is a proponent of carrying.”

Luke 22:36 depicts Jesus speaking with his disciples before his eventual crucifixion and resurrection as believed by Christians.

“[Jesus] said to them, ‘But now let the one who has the money bag take it, and likewise a knapsack,’” according to the English Standard Bible.

According to the passage, Jesus commands: “And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that the Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’

“For what is written about me has fulfillment,’” the English Standard Bible added of Jesus’s words. “And [the disciples] said, ‘Look, Lord, here are two swords.’ And he said to them, ‘It is enough.’”

Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34 KJV).

When Judas took “a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees” with “torches and weapons” to arrest Jesus, Simon Peter drew his sword and “smote the high priest, and cut off his right ear”. Jesus, however, said “unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?” (John 18:3-12 KJV), “for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword”(Matthew 26: 52) . Many anti-Christ pastors and ministers make use of this line to persuade Christians to refrain from valorous or militant resistance against evil forces and dictatorships. Nonetheless, note that Jesus told Peter to put the sword back in its place rather than get rid of it. And the command has at least 2 significations.  

1. Jesus was accepting arrest and death so that biblical prophecies could be

fulfilled (Matthew 26:35; Kopel 2017).

2. Jesus was warning Peter against fighting the whole band of armed officers alone lest that he would get killed (Barnes’ Bible Commentary).

And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me… And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.” (Luke 22:35-38, ESV)

In fact, while delivering his farewell speech to the disciples before going to the cross, he instructed the apostles to purchase weapons to carry for self-defense. To borrow the words of Mary Fairchild (2018), “He was preparing them for the extreme opposition and persecution they would face in future missions”:

And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me… And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.” (Luke 22:35-38, ESV) 

Jesus also said, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword” (Matt. 10:34 KJV).

And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. Then said he unto them, But now… he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end. And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough. (Luke 22:35-38 KJV)

People frequently argue that it is wrong for Christians to exercise self-defense by referencing Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:38-42

³⁸ Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: ³⁹ 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. ⁴⁰ And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. ⁴¹ And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. ⁴² Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

“However, to argue that it is wrong to defend yourself and others – even when it involves lethal force – is an abuse of this text and actually cheapens Christ’s words,” as stressed by Ben Giselbach (2014).

Here, Jesus is not speaking in terms of physical assault in Matthew 5:38-42, wherein one’s life or safety is jeopardized. Otherwise He would have used a different instance than a mere slap on the cheek. “Rather, Jesus is talking about insult and slander. Since most people are right-handed, how does one slap you on your right cheek if they are standing in front of you?” (Ben Giselbach 2014).  What we find in verse 39 is imagery of someone striking your right cheek with the back of their hand, which was an ancient humiliation (cf. Job 16:10; Lam. 3:30; Matt. 26:67; John 18:22; 2 Cor. 11:20). A smack on the face was demeaning and dishonoring (Crain n.d.:183). The point is this: when someone insults you, do not respond by insulting in return. The same is true for lawsuits for the purpose of selfish gain (v. 40), requests that are inconvenient to carry out (v. 41), and property rights when others have proper need (v. 42). Jesus, in Matthew 5:38-42, was simply not talking about self-defense. Albert Barnes wrote in his Matthew Bible Commentary, “Christ did not intend to teach that we are to see our families murdered, or be murdered ourselves, rather than to make resistance…all laws, human and divine, justify self-defense when life is in danger.”

The Old Testament endorses armed self-defense even more emphatically than the New Testament. 

Calvary Chapel St. Petersburg elder Mike Wilsbach reminded Mary Fairchild (2018) that in the Old Testament, “the Israelites were expected to have their own personal weapons. Every man would be summoned to arms when the nation confronted an enemy. They didn’t send in the Marines. The people defended themselves.”

We see this unmistakably in passages like 1 Samuel 25:13:

And David said to his men, “Every man strap on his sword!” And every man of them strapped on his sword. David also strapped on his sword. And about four hundred men went up after David, while two hundred remained with the baggage. (  1 Samuel 25:13 ESV)

So, each man had a sword ready to be holstered and used when necessary.

Besides in Psalm 144:1, David wrote: “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle…”

Apart from instruments of warfare, weapons were used in the Bible for the purpose of self-defense; nowhere in Scripture is this forbidden.

In the Old Testament, we find this example of God sanctioning self-defense:

“If a thief is caught in the act of breaking into a house and is struck and killed in the process, the person who killed the thief is not guilty of murder.” (Exodus 22:2, NLT)

God Himself even raised up leaders such as Gideon, Ehud, Jepthah, Samson, and Deborah to throw off with weapons and armed forces tyrannical governments. These leaders are well praised in the Book of Judges and Hebrews 11: 32. Ehud actually assassinated King Eglon of Moab, who oppressed Israel.

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