Peace and War
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
It is the duty of Christians to seek peace with all men on principles of righteousness. In accordance with the spirit and teachings of Christ they should do all in their power to put an end to war.
The true remedy for the war spirit is the gospel of our Lord. The supreme need of the world is the acceptance of His teachings in all the affairs of men and nations, and the practical application of His law of love. Christian people throughout the world should pray for the reign of the Prince of Peace.
The Baptist Faith and Message, Article VXI
History of the Article
History of the Article
1925: First Appearance
1925: First Appearance
1925 was the year that the first edition of the Baptist Faith and Message was published.
A Peace and War article was included, because WWI has just ended less than a decade ago.
There was genuine reflection in the Convention happening regarding Christian participation in war, conscientious objection, and the church's role in peacemaking.
Post-millenialism is the flavor!
Post-millenialism is the flavor!
Many Baptists in the late 1800s and early 1900s were Postmillenialists (Charles Spurgeon is an example).
This End Times theology that says the Church must Christianize the world.
As the Gospel spreads and people are saved, entire nations become Christian.
Once all the nations of the earth are Christian, the Millennial Reign of Christ has been achieved.
Then Jesus returns to rule the Christian world.
There are a number of reasons I reject this theology.
But for tonight, just understand that this was an optimistic theology popularized in the Western world during a time of relative peace.
It was a time where a British man or an American woman might be tempted to think, “The world is becoming the sort of place Christ can return to!”
World War I blew all that up.
Postmillennialism began to fade as a popular perspective because world events had made it seem less plausible.
However, the people who wrote the Baptist Faith and Message were still very influenced by it.
And if you think about it—it makes sense that they would present an Article that is mostly pacifist
If you want a peaceful world to usher in the 2nd Coming, the idea of “Just War” isn’t something you are much interested in
You want a world without war as soon as possiblef
1963: Second Revision
1963: Second Revision
The 1963 revision updated the article in the aftermath of WWII and amid Cold War tensions.
The Peace and War article was retained with some refinement.
2000: Final Revision
2000: Final Revision
The 2000 revision added the language at the end about Christian people praying for the reign of the Prince of Peace
The Peace and War article was not among the more contested revisions (those centered on Scripture, the family, and the priesthood of the believer).
With all of that history and context in place—here is our outline for tonight.
Outline
Outline
1. Seek peace with all men.
1. Seek peace with all men.
2. Seek the reign of the Prince of Peace.
2. Seek the reign of the Prince of Peace.
1. Seek peace with all men.
1. Seek peace with all men.
Human conflict and confrontation between nations has been a part of the human experience ever since sin and death came into the world.
You see it right away in Genesis 4.
Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
You see it at the end of the Bible in Revelation 6.
Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.
There are four horses revealed in the opening of the first four seals in Revelation 6.
The first one represents conquest.
This is God letting us know that until Christ returns, there will be nations looking to conquer other nations.
They will go out into battle with plundering in mind.
The other horses shows what follows conquest.
Red Horse = Bloodshed in War
Black Horse = Famine and Plague
Pale Horse = Death
Understanding these things, we know that war is a reality that will be with each generation of humanity until the end of the age.
It is pretty much a constant in this world.
The times of peace and tranquility are the outliers.
At the end of 2024, there were over 120 armed conflicts going on in the world.
By 2025, 13 of them were classified as wars because over 1000 human lives had been lost in the conflicts.
Russia/Ukraine
Israel/Gaza
Civil War in Sudan
Civil War in Myanmar
We could go on.
There are way more wars than a lot of us hear about or are even aware of.
And yet—in the midst of all of this, here we are as Christians.
People who should want to be known as peacemakers.
People who follow after the Prince of Peace.
So what do we do?
We should seek peace with all men on principles of righteousness.
We should seek peace with all men on principles of righteousness.
That is what the Baptist Faith and Message declares.
There is a personal dimension to seeking peace.
There is a personal dimension to seeking peace.
Christians should be peacemakers.
Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
Christians will be happy in the Lord if they are peacemakers.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Christians should seek to have peace with everyone, not exacting revenge—leaving injustices done to us in the hands of the Lord.
If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Along these lines, Christ has famously taught us to turn the other cheek in moments of offense and being wronged in Matthew 5:39.
Christians should even pray in their worship services for those in high places, so that they would lead well and we can lead a peaceful and quiet life.
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
There is a societal dimension to seeking peace.
There is a societal dimension to seeking peace.
And this is the dimension that this article is certainly focused on.
So let’s talk through this “Societal Dimension” in Four Movements.
Movement 1: Be careful with the far ends of the spectrum.
Movement 1: Be careful with the far ends of the spectrum.
As people who seek peace, working out a position on war has been a challenge for believers throughout the years.
Some believers have drifted to completely opposite ends of the spectrum:
Pacifism
The War-Spirit
Pacifism: the belief that any violence, including war, is unjustifiable under any circumstances, and that all disputes should be settled by peaceful means.
Most Christians are not strict pacifists.
They hate war, but they see it as sometimes being a necessity.
As we will see in just a moment—this has been the thought process of deep Christian thinkers for centuries
Some will say, “The early church were pacifists and we should be too.”
They base this on the fact that most of the early church would not serve in the military.
However, this is a very simplistic view of history that doesn’t hold up.
In truth, there were likely a minority of Christians in the military—especially Gentile converts like Cornelius in Acts 10
But for those who did not and would not serve, it was less about the principle of “serving in no militaries,” and more about not serving in the “Roman military” in particular.
This is because there were certain requirements for Roman servicemen that would have been hard for Christians to abide by.
For example—Roman soldiers were required to sacrifice to pagan gods.
This was not something a Christian could participate in.
So yes—few early Christians were in the military, but it was more about the context than an overarching law.
The War-Spirit: Being drawn to aggression, violence and conflict as a way of life
The Lord is opposed to the War-Spirit
The Lord tests the righteous,
but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.
You destroy those who speak lies;
the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
Christians should not love war or long for it.
We should not be found with a War-Spirit in our hearts.
Not in how we deal with others
Not in how we look at the world
If someone is caught up in a “war-spirit,” there is only one way out.
Bloodlust is put to death by the blood of Christ.
The true remedy for the war spirit is the gospel of our Lord.
The Baptist Faith and Message, Article XVI
The Spirit of God is the Spirit of peace.
If you have been born again by the Spirit, then your new life in Christ will be marked by peace.
This is how the war-spirit is brought to surrender.
It is overcome by the peace of Christ, which surpasses all understanding.
It is overcome by the peace commanded in the Scriptures.
It is overcome by the peace that is maintained within the Church.
The Gospel of Christ brings peace to those who believe it
That peace will turn a lover of violence into a lover of people.
Furthermore, Christians should not view any physical war as a “Christian” war because Paul has defined Christian warfare for us in his letter to the Ephesians.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
We see nothing in the Scripture that calls New Testament believers to fight with earthly weapons.
We see nothing in the Scriptures that calls New Testament believers to seek to achieve earthly goals through the means of violence.
So those are the two ends of the spectrum.
So those are the two ends of the spectrum.
But I don’t think they are equals, though opposites either.
Pacifism may not be something many of us would agree with for a number of reasons, but there are certainly ways to be a pacifist and remain completely faithful to Jesus Christ.
The War-Spirit is always sinful.
Lust for blood is never a good passion for a Christian to engage with.
Some of us may not count full on pacifism to be wise, but we ALL must count the War-Spirit to be depraved and sinful.
Movement 2: Consider the principles of “Just-War.”
Movement 2: Consider the principles of “Just-War.”
If you would say that you are not a pacifist and you are certainly opposed to the War-Spirit, then you probably are a believer that believes some version of the “Just War Theory,” even if you aren’t aware of it.
The Just War Theory is about 1600 years old, dating back to the time of Augustine.
It was then carried forward around 800 years later by Thomas Aquinas.
Augustine was the first Christian to write about justified wars from a Christian perspective.
In many ways, he gave us the principles and Aquinas gave those principles a system and a structure.
Here are the basics of the Just War Theory
Going to War
Going to War
There must be Just Cause : defending against aggression, protecting the innocent
The act of war must come from a Legitimate authority: declared by proper governing authority, not individual citizens
When individual citizens create acts of war, we call that terrorism
There must be Right Intention: pursuing peace and justice, not simply revenge or conquest
It must be the Last Resort: all reasonable alternatives exhausted
There must be a Reasonable Chance of Success: not sending people to die uselessly
There must be Proportionality: the anticipated good must outweigh anticipated harm
Conducting a War
There must be Discrimination: distinguishing combatants from civilians
There must be Proportionality in Conduct: force used must match military necessity
There cannot be Intrinsically Evil Means: torture, genocide, etc. prohibited regardless of outcome
And in the case of Aquinas, he rooted this in Natural Law.
Natural Law: Moral good can be known apart from an immediate appeal to special revelation (Andrew Walker)
In other words—God has written some moral truth into the fabric of creation itself.
For example—basic principles of justice
Murder is wrong
Stealing is wrong
These things are even understood by fallen men and women with unredeemed consciences.
Certain truths are intrinsic to Creation itself.
Aquinas said that the “Just War” principles would fall into this category.
That means that this is for more than just Christians.
The whole world should be able to recognize that “Just War” is right.
Applying the Principles
Applying the Principles
So with all of that stated, let’s think through applying these principles to see what it looks like.
Let’s use the American involvement in World War II as an example.
Just Cause?
Responding to direct attack (Pearl Harbor), defending against Nazi aggression and genocide
Legitimate Authority?
There was a Congressional declaration of war
Right Intention?
Liberation of occupied peoples, not territorial expansion
Last Resort?
Diplomatic options had been exhausted; appeasement had failed
Proportionality?
Broadly met
Though we must admit that the bombs dropped on Hiroshima/Nagasaki remain debated even within just war frameworks
But over all, WWI is widely considered the clearest modern example of a justifiable war.
You can see why.
What would not be acceptable examples?
Preemptive wars based on suspicion alone
Wars purely for conquest—territorial gain or economic gain
Terrorism—individuals committing war acts with no authority
Revenge Wars—retaliating disproportionately after a conflict is already over
Any sort of genocide
Private militia’s taking action outside of governmental authority
What about the conquest of Joshua?
One of the main critiques that Augustine and Aquinas’ work receive is that their theory does not hold up when it is applied to the conquest of Joshua and the Israelites
Would we say that Joshua and the Israelites engaged in an unjust war with the inhabitants of Canaan?
Well, let’s think through that:
Legitimate Authority? Commanded by God
Just Cause? The Canaanites sin was gross.
They offered children up to false gods in child sacrifice
Archaeological digs have proven this to be true
Prostitution would have been rife—even connected to their religious rituals
They practiced divination and communication with the dead and witchcraft
“When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you.
Right Intention? It was not about ethnic hatred. It was about obedient to the Lord God and being a tool of justice in His hands.
Proportionality and Discrimination?
In terms of proportion, the policy of conquest was not “kill everything and everyone.”
Cities inside the Promised Land were devoted to destruction for their sin
But cities outside the Promised Land were to be offered peace first.
“When you draw near to a city to fight against it, offer terms of peace to it.
In terms of discrimination, Rahab is spared due to her faith and her cooperation, so it is clear that it was no indiscriminate slaughter
And finally, we would say that Israel’s conquest was UNIQUE and UNREPEATABLE.
It was unique in the sense that it happened during a certain time, in the context of God’s Old Covenant people, that biblical promises could be FORESHADOWED and FULFILLED.
It is unrepeatable because those commands belong to the theocratic nation of Israel at that time.
Christians should not look at the holy wars of Joshua’s generation and expect to see the same sort of holy wars in their generation.
In fact, I think it is wrong and dangerous for believers to do this.
Now—the Baptist Faith and Message really has nothing to say about the Just War Theory.
Why is that?
Probably because it can get sticky when you start trying to make doctrine out of a theory.
I believe the Just War Theory provides a helpful framework of principles for us as we think about Peace and War.
However, I also think it’s a theory that can struggle to keep up with the times.
Could Augustine or Aquinas foresee a world where wars can be fought with guns? Missiles?
Could they imagine war in a globalized world where we are all so connected by technology?
Could they even imagine a world where one could fly to the other side of the planet and drop society-ending bombs in a matter of hours?
The answer is OF COURSE NOT.
In light of that, it can get sticky if you try to turn theory to doctrine because the theory itself doesn’t always cut clean.
This is why I think the BFM is probably better off just saying what it says.
Because nothing it says is made untrue by Just War Theory.
No matter what—
It is the duty of Christians to seek peace with all men on principles of righteousness. In accordance with the spirit and teachings of Christ they should do all in their power to put an end to war.
Movement 3: Understand the Soldier’s occupation.
Movement 3: Understand the Soldier’s occupation.
Now, before we go to the final point, we have one more movement.
One might wonder, “What about the man in the Navy? What about the servant of this nation in the Coast Guard? What about our military men and women in the US Army? What about our sailors and our airmen?”
Well this is where we remember what our Bibles say about government.
for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.
When a member of the military obeys commands to serve the Servant of God (government) to carry out wrath on the wrongdoer, they are not guilty of NOT seeking peace with all men.
It is so important that we say this and we make this distinction.
Explain about the guy I evangelized at VCU who said he couldn’t be forgiven because he had taken life in the 2nd Gulf War.
I reminded him what John the Baptist said in Luke 3
Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
When telling soldiers to live lives that bear the fruit of repentance, the Baptist did not say, “Resign your position.”
Instead, he said, “Resign your heart to do your job with integrity!”
Clearly, in God’s eyes, there is a way to serve a nation, serve God and not see one conflict with the other.
I would not want men and women in this local church who have served this country faithfully to read this Article and feel they have failed or fallen.
Serving the One who bears the Sword and seeking peace with all men are not mutually exclusive.
So many of you in this room are the living proof of that. We are thankful and grateful for you!
Movement #4: Proclaim the Gospel
Movement #4: Proclaim the Gospel
We have already seen that the war-spirit is defeated by the Gospel.
If we understand that then we know what the world needs:
The supreme need of the world is the acceptance of His teachings in all the affairs of men and nations, and the practical application of His law of love.
The Baptist Faith and Message, Article XVI
Burt Bacharach once sang, “What the world needs now, is love, sweet love...”
In a sense, he is right—just not sure he was talking about the right love.
The world needs the sweet love of Christ in the Gospel of God.
They need His Cross.
They need His unoccupied Grave.
They need His salvation.
They need His teaching.
They need His baptism.
They need His Supper Table.
More than our politics.
More than our opinions about war.
More than our man-made ideas on how to fix the world.
THEY NEED CHRIST! HE IS BRINGER OF PEACE!
PROCLAIM HIM!
_____________________________________________________________________________
So then, closing up point 1—-
Peace-seeking and peacemaking is something we do in our individual lives.
It is something we do societally.
Understanding the positions and principles we have talked about help us think through that 2nd part well.
But above all—proclaim the Gospel to the war-torn world
2. Seek the Reign of the Prince of Peace.
2. Seek the Reign of the Prince of Peace.
Sinfulness, War/Victory, Peace
Sinfulness, War/Victory, Peace
Our final point is straight from the text of Article 16:
Christian people throughout the world should pray for the reign of the Prince of Peace.
People say World War I started over the assassination of an Australian archduke
People say the Gulf Wars started over terrorism and oil economics
People say that African tribes war with each other over long-standing biases
But at the end of the day, Christians know what lies at the root of every war:
Human sinfulness.
What this means is that the reality of war reminds of why Christ came to die in the first place—the world is broken and sinful.
And we know that the only way true peace will come to this world is when God’s Son comes an vanquishes all sin and all of His wicked enemies.
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.
In Revelation 6 we have a white horse making war that brings about blood, famine and death.
In Revelation 19, you have a white horse making war that will bring about righteousness and peace.
And on that horse, you find that One promised by Isaiah:
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Christ is the Returning Prince who will being Peace to this world.
It will not come by a peace treaty.
It will not come by geopolitical negotiations.
It will not come by the hand of an American President or any other world leader.
It will come by the victorious reign of Jesus:
They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”
Christ will conquer. The end will come. Then there will be peace.
The prophets foresaw the Day!
He shall judge between the nations,
and shall decide disputes for many peoples;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore.
He shall judge between many peoples,
and shall decide disputes for strong nations far away;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore;
but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree,
and no one shall make them afraid,
for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.
For all the peoples walk
each in the name of its god,
but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God
forever and ever.
The weapons of war that bring famine will be beaten into the tools of the farm that bring fruit.
The learning of war will be done.
The lifting of swords will be done.
No more tanks.
No more bombs.
No. More. Wars.
Listen to these lyrics from the great Andrew Peterson
'Cause after the last plan fails
After the last siren wails
After the last young husband
Sails off to join the war
There is love
Love, love, love
There is love
Andrew Peterson, After the Last Tear Falls
That is how it will be.
At some point, the final tear shed over war will be shed.
And then there will just be the Loving Reign of the Peaceful Son of God.
This is What You Seek
This is What You Seek
So Christian—you seek this day.
You pray for this day of peace.
You pray and long for the day of Christ’s return.
Every Fox News cutaway to a war-torn street...
Every time you hear a soldier talk about their PTSD that plagues them...
Every time you take a tour through Gettysburg...
...Stop and pray the final words of the Bible to your God.
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
And until He does—seek peace with all men as Gospel people and as good Southern Baptists.
