A number of reports have it that during the World-War, certain preachers testified to officials of exemption boards that the church of Christ teaches no such doctrine as that a Christian must not go to war. The question is therefore in order as to what the teaching of the church of Christ on this subject really is.

      The church of Christ has no authority or doctrine of her own. The Roman church lays claim to the power of delivering authoritative and even infallible dictums, and infallible interpretations of scripture: and her hierarchy frames the official statement of the church's belief. But the church of the New Testament has no doctrines of her own. The authority is all vested in Jesus, her Head and Lord. The church teaches nothing of herself, makes no laws, and neither originates any truth, nor by her endorsement authorizes any doctrines. In this the true church of Christ differs from all the human-creed organizations. Her one appeal is to the word of God; her one creed the apostles' doctrine. What she is to believe and to promulgate is not hers to decide; it is already laid down for her in the unalterable gospel (Gal. 1:8, 9), in the authoritative teaching of the Lord's inspired ambassadors. She can only accept it. The members of the church may now and then differ as to the import of the apostles' teaching; some may pervert it, some may ignore it and disobey it; yea, even a majority might be thus guilty, without in the least affecting the Standard, or altering the true doctrine. The question then resolves itself into this: not "what does this or that preacher say about the position of the church of Christ" (for that settles nothing); but, "What has Christ and His apostles taught the church to do in regard to engaging in carnal warfare?" As we read on the railroad tickets that "the employees of this road have no authority to alter these regulations"; the members of the church, individually or collectively, have no right or power to alter "the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints." (Jude 3). Even the apostles themselves had no such power. (Gal. 1:8; 2 Cor. 1:24.)

      What then is the church's teaching concerning carnal warfare? For lack of space we cannot quote, but must content ourselves with these citations, which the interested can and will look up: Matt. 5:38-48; 7:12; 10:16; 26:51, 52; Luke 6:32-36; 9:54, 55; John 18:36; Rom. 12:17-21; 1 Cor. 6:7; 1 Cor. 13; Gal. 6:10; 1 Thess. 5:15; Heb. 12:14; 1 Pet. 2:20-24; 3:9-12; 1 John 3:16; Rev. 13:10. Any member of the church of Christ who in the light of these words of God yet engages in carnal warfare and violence, and teaches [1] men so, must do it upon his own responsibility: for we shall each of us give ail account of ourselves before God; but let him not presume to speak for the church of Christ!

      If then we are asked whether we "belong to all organization whose creed or principles forbid our participation in war," the answer of the Christian must be given in accord with the inspired words above cited, which stand written in our one and only Creed. If we are asked when this organization to which we belong adopted this creed the answer must be, When Jesus through His apostles committed it to His church. The same divine Creed will safeguard the obedient Christian's attitude toward the government; for he is taught therein that it is not his province to pass judgment upon the course and policy of the powers that be, to criticise the government tinder which he lives, but to show due honor and respect, to pay taxes, to render service, to conform to the laws, and, under God, to obey the government in all things. That is where the church of Christ stands.

      The Christian is a man of peace, for his Lord is the Prince of peace. He loves peace, prays for peace, follows after peace; and on His part ("as much as in you lieth") he lives peaceably with all men. But he is not what is called a Pacifist. If be understands his place and his calling he will not think of trying to dictate to the world and its governments what policy and course to pursue. That does not belong to his province. Moreover, he is apt to be clear-headed enough to perceive that for the people of the world, the "dwellers on the earth," as the Bible calls them, Pacifism is a vain dream, a mirage of the desert, absolutely impossible of attainment. "Whence come wars and whence come fightings among you?" asks James of the fleshly-minded; "come they not hence, even of your pleasures that war in your members?" The way of fleshly human nature evermore and inevitably issues in strife. It is only the fruit of the Spirit, which is "love, joy, peace," that brings assured peace with it; and this Spirit is the one thing "the world cannot receive." The kingdoms of the earth are composed of men in tile flesh; and the aggregate is no better than the individual, but rather intensifies the individual's characteristics. Only those are "not in the flesh" in whom the Holy Spirit dwells; and only those who are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh. (Rom. 8:9; Gal. 5:24.) As for the men and the kingdoms of the world, when the lion no longer stalks after prey; when the eagle foregoes his flight; when the fish of the sea shall be converted from swimming; when grapes are gathered from thorns or figs from thistles, then also, and not until then, will the natural man live in peace. For he is of his own nature. "The way of peace have they not known." (Rom. 3:17.)

      Moreover, under the circumstances it cannot be. The worldly kingdom that wants to have and hold a place in the sun, and enjoy the control of the earth, must fight to obtain and to defend the coveted advantage. The kingdoms of the earth--in blood are they born, ill blood-shed they go down. The Lord Jesus Himself [2] declared this as the inevitable rule for the kingdoms of the world: "If my kingdom were of this world," he said, "then would my servants fight . . ." (John 18:36.) It could not be otherwise. In the prophetic symbology the world-kingdoms are represented as wild beasts (Dan.). If some idealistic nation should endeavor to maintain itself without armament or conflict, it would, like a lamb among wolves, but make itself it prey for others. If Jesus Himself had a kingdom of this world, His servants would have to fight. But now is His kingdom not from hence.

      On what principle could we bind upon the kingdoms of the world the code of conduct outlined in the Sermon on the Mount and elsewhere in the New Testament, which is applicable, not to the fallen fleshly man, but to men who are regenerated, who are born of God, who have the Spirit, who are made partakers of the Divine nature? But the position of the Pacifist who is in the world and of the world, and wants the enjoyment of the world's blood-won privilege and power without war, is the most unreasonable. The governments are quite right in this--the Pacifist benefits in no wise the government's hand, but only weakens it.

      "It is folly," says Booth-Clibborn, "to ask any creatures, human or non-human, to submit themselves to any other laws than those which naturally belong to their sphere, the 'world' in which they live. It would be folly to ask worldlings to adopt Christian peace principles while living in a state of sin, rebellion, and war against God . . . . False remedies only increase the disease by setting up fresh irritation, and multiplied fears. False peace invariably engenders real war. The temporary suppression or compression of sin only causes an increase of its explosive force. Sin can never be its own remedy. Corruption can never be its own cure. The drowning man cannot save himself by taking hold of his own hair. The drunken man cannot wheel himself home in a barrow." By which he means, not only that war belongs inevitably to the world and the flesh, but also that "peace on earth, good will to men" can never be born out of the carnal carnage of worldly conflicts.

      Christians are not pacifists. Their refusal to participate in war rests upon one ground only: they belong to the kingdom of Christ. Their Lord personally owns them; to His orders alone are they subject. They are not of the world even as He is not of the world. They are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, for they have "put off the body of the flesh"; have been buried to the old life and standing; have been raised as new creatures in Christ, unto a life in the Spirit, for the Spirit dwells in them. They cannot, must not, engage in that which is contrary to God's Spirit, will, and teaching. On the other hand, they claim no abiding city here: "They look for one to come." On the earth they hold in principle, and often in actual fact, the position of "strangers and pilgrims." Of the governments of the earth they (as in Paul's example) ask only the protection, which in its own interest any government feels bound [3] to give, for law and order's sake, even to strangers. To the government (whatever government he is under) the son of God renders obedience "for the Lord's sake" in every ordinance and requirement--always with this proviso, of course, that he cannot fall down before Nebuchadnezzar's image (Dan. 3) or worship Cæsar, or do anything at his government's demand that his Lord has forbidden him, though he be cast into the fiery furnace (Dan. 3.). But he will render all righteous service, pay taxes, tolls, customs, tribute; show honor and respect to those who are in office; be quiet, law-abiding, faithful. But his citizenship is in heaven. From thence (not from any development here below) he looks for that better Day, and the coming of his Savior, and the Reign of Peace, when the kingdom of this world shall become the kingdom of the Lord and of His Christ (Rev. 11:15), and the knowledge of Jehovah shall cover the earth as waters cover the sea. This is the position and this is the spirit of the Christianity set forth in the New Testament.

      "First of all," the apostle writes, "I exhort . . . that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made for all men; for kings and all that are in high place. . . ." (1 Tim. 2:1, 2.) In order to do this effectively before God we must "pray . . . lifting up holy hands, without wrath and disputings." (1 Tim. 2:8.) Now God is He who holds the world in the hollow of His hand. He is the One who determines the fall and rise of the nations and marks out the boundaries of their habitations. (Acts 17:26.) He brings the plottings of the nations to naught, and makes the counsels of the peoples to be of none effect. If then He has Himself arranged that certain ones should have access to His throne for the special purpose of interceding with Him, that He might lend His ear to their plea, and be entreated of them--how exceeding great is this function and privilege--how important beyond all power of man to estimate! Shall we not enter into our high responsibility? We love our country. The liberty and protection it has afforded to its people has been a precious boon to us. Shall our nation come to harm and loss for the failure of those who have blood-bought access to God? Shall we not pray that she may, in God's mercy, be preserved safely through the storm; that her people may recognize God and be turned to repentance, that so God may preserve her? Ye are the salt of the earth. For this very cause we keep our hands unstained from blood, undefiled from evil, that we may lift them up holy unto God. He is the champion-slacker in any day of need who, being in the position of a Christian, fails through unbelief to exercise his privilege of intercession, or forfeits that right by unholy living.

[CCW 1-4]

      The electronic version of R. H. Boll's Concerning Carnal Warfare (Louisville, KY: Word and Work, [1939]) has been produced from a copy of the tract in a contributor's collection. The essay was first published in The Word and Work 33 (October 1939): 221-224. It is a revised version of "Words in Season" published in The Word and Work 7 (April 1918): 122-127, and the tract published as What the Church of Christ Teaches (Louisville, KY: The Word and Work, 1918).

      Pagination in the electronic version has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page. Inconsistencies in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and typography have been retained; however, corrections have been offered for misspellings and other accidental corruptions. Emendations are as follows:

            Printed Text [ Electronic Text
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 p. 1:      heirarchy [ hierarchy
            10:16: [ 10:16;
 p. 2:      "They way [ "The way
 

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 5 February 2002.
Updated 20 June 2003.