Paris. San Bernadino. Two cities gut-punched by terrorist bullets. Across this continent, Americans are saying “not us, not here.” Many are holstering pistols to enforce that refrain. A new cultural conversation about guns is emerging across America; and it is reaching a decibel level unprecedented in recent years.
The topic got me to thinking about Christians, the Church, and guns. I know a lot of Christians who own guns. So many, in fact, that a Christian without a gun seems almost un-Christian.
Why do so many Bible believers own guns? I think many would say they are enjoying their second amendment right.
Fine. That’s a good reason for an American to own a gun. But what about a Christian? The US Constitution and Christianity are not synonymous. After all, the Supreme Court currently allows abortion as a constitutional right, yet most Christians reject that interpretation.
Most Christians use the Bible as the final foundation to govern their behavior and decision-making. Other foundations exist depending on your flavor of Christianity, but for the purposes of this post, I’m going to focus on Scripture.
I begin with the assumption that handguns are symbols of power. It’s important to note here that I don’t agree with the idea that guns symbolize violence. For sure, they have been used in violent situations. But a gun properly used does not always include violence. Handguns can be used in non-violent activities like sport, target practice, and collecting. But guns do offer a feeling of power to the shooter. They kick and spit when fired, and need the shooter to exercise control. Guns cause the carrier to feel safe and protected. A handgun can offer a sense of power without ever pointing at a living thing.
With this assumption in mind, here are five thoughts on handguns in the hand of a Christian:
1. Christians are Called to Gentleness
The Bible calls Christians to a life of gentleness. 1 Timothy 3:3, Titus 3:2, and Galatians 6:1 all direct believers to pursue lives of compassion and proper harmony. But gentleness is not in contradiction with power. In other words, a powerful person could also be a gentle person. For example, a 250lb hulk-of-a-man can gently hold his newborn baby without ever laying down his strength. In the same instance he is both gentle and powerful. The two concepts are neither opposite nor in contradiction to the other.
A Christian’s possession of a firearm does not imply a violation of the call to gentleness.
2. Christians are Cautioned against Revenge
Most people are familiar with the phrase “vengeance is mine, saith the Lord.” This phrase comes from Romans 12. Hebrews 10:30 goes on to reaffirm this truth: The role of a Christian is to offer forgiveness, not revenge. But, I would offer that revenge can prove a subtle and quick emotion.
I think most Christians have no problem avoiding a pre-mediated plan for vengeance. The real problem lies not in the forethought of evil, but in the immediate reaction of momentary emotion. Hurt and embarrassment can quickly become anger. When we become angry, finding a place of power becomes a natural instinct.
For example, when one child calls another child a name, the natural tendency of the name-called one is to fire back with a zinger. They do so because the emotions of hurt, anger, and embarrassment are taunting them. To level the playing field, the child finds power in returning the name-call. This is a subtle form of revenge. Adults behave similarly, though usually with more nuance and potency.
This is where the Christian can go amiss with a gun. Since it’s very nature is a symbol of power, a Christian who senses a lack of power may be tempted to regain it through the gun. I don’t mean they would fire the gun at someone. Instead, they might pull their shirt tighter to expose the offender to the underlying bulge. Maybe they simply place their hand on the gun to feel better about themselves, or even remind themselves it is there. I think each of these cases is a search for power and a form of vengeance. The believer who participates in them is violating the call of God on their souls and living contrary to the Biblical standard. But a Christian can still carry a gun and not live vengefully.
A Christian’s possession of a firearm does not imply a drift toward vengeance.
3. The Bible Provides a Source for Power
The desire for power is not intrinsically bad. In fact, the Bible provides a way for believers to gain power. In Acts 2, Jesus tells his disciples to wait patiently in Jerusalem. He promises that, through the Holy Spirit, they will find power for witnessing. Sure enough, when the Holy Spirit comes, the disciples become empowered. Therefore, any Christian who uses a gun as a substitute for the power of the Holy Spirit is misguided. But a Christian can have their power rightly found and still carry a gun.
A Christian’s possession of a firearm does not imply a misplaced source of power.
4. Self-preservation Does Not Violate Cheek-Turning
A common argument that Guns & Christians are contradictory ideals is found in Jesus’ command to turn the other cheek. Matthew 5:39-40 says, “But 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.”
For this passage to make sense, it’s important to note what Jesus is doing in the Sermon on the Mount. He is providing clarity for the relationship between God and man. The Israelites were consumed with the Old Testament law, fully believing they could connect with God by simply obeying the law. Jesus is demonstrating that obedience to law is not the gateway to heaven. He is showing them how a person could fulfill the legal technicalities of Old Testament law and still violate its heart. The Sermon on the Mount is not a new set of commands, but a restatement of problems that always existed, of which humanity was never capable of fulfilling, and whose perfect solution was Jesus. In fact, Jesus finishes the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7 by positioning himself as the relational gateway to God.
With this idea in mind we can make sense of Jesus command in Luke 22:36, which says, “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.'”
I think its interesting that in Matthew Jesus tells the disciples to give the enemy your coat, while in Luke he says to sell your coat and get a sword. But these passages do not contradict one another when you realize that He is speaking about theological connection in Matthew and practical protection in Luke.
A Christian’s possession of a firearm does not violate Jesus’ command to turn the other cheek.
5. The Disciples Carried Weapons
Three of the Gospels describe a famous episode in which Peter cuts off a soldier’s ear. While misguided and rebuked by Jesus, the fact remains Peter was walking around next to Jesus with a sword. In Luke 22, the disciples misinterpret what Jesus is telling them and pull out two swords to show Him they are packing. They miss Jesus’ point, but the passage still indicates they had ready-access to weapons. The disciples practiced open-carry.
A Christian’s possession of a firearm does not violate a Christ-follower’s behavior.
Each of these topics have much more substance available for addressing, but my post has already become too wordy. The point I wish to make is that a Christian can own a firearm without violating the heart of living as a Christ-follower. I would also add that a Christian can own a firearm and stand in complete opposition of what it is to live as a Christ-follower. Owning a firearm is not the variable of Christianity.
But I have not yet answered this blog title’s question, have I? Would Jesus carry a Glock? I do not believe Jesus would have carried a Glock, or a Smith and Wesson, or a Sig, or a sword. Jesus came as a sacrifice for mankind. He came to offer the solution for the problem of separation. A weapon was pointless for Jesus because he could walk through onerous crowds. He had other means for dealing with trouble.
Ultimately a gun will not provide the solution for terrorism. Neither will gun control provide the solution for violence. For our real problem lies not in the actions of terrorists or the fanaticism of gun collectors, but in our utter separation from God, a soul sickness from complete isolation, and a disdain of the divine solution.