Quote:
Originally Posted by Disciple
It is clear in the OT that not everyone in Israel was required to be in the Army. It is also clear in Ephesians, that the Church is to be the Army of God.
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Isn't this an over-simplification? Is it not more in keeping with the text of Ephesians to state that the Church has an aspect of being an army? Or that the metaphor of an army is a good way to describe some aspect of the church?
I would suggest that there are parallels. But the bulk of the NT does not describe an army. Rather, it describes the changing of lives and the propagation of the gospel that changes those lives. In focusing on the goals, an army may be a good metaphor. But the way that the church actually goes about accomplishing its goals is mostly un-army-like. So if you read Ephesians and you come away with "the Church is to be the Army of God" then I believe that you missed the point. Especially if you think that the goal of that army is to set out and do battle with the earthly rulers and force God's justice upon them.
God can "do" his justice very well without out us.
And did you catch the equivocation above? I first used "justice" the way we use it when we get on political discussions. I used it as the term for the judging and meting out of punishment of a court (kangaroo or otherwise). But in the Bible, justice is mostly used in a very different way. There is a connection. But it is not about discovering, accusing, and punishing. It is about changing our being such that we recognize how society has outcast God's children (in the sense that mankind is all God's children) and reach out to bring them back into the fold.
Yes, as Christians we like to include the preaching of the gospel with that effort. But it is not always the immediate need. And if you realize that your changed life reaching out to a marginalized person is part of the gospel, then you realize that you do not always need to say anything to have preached at least part of the gospel. Just plant a seed with your actions. Or water the seed that another has left behind. God will make it grow.
Where is the "army" in that? Maybe in the fact that we are all in agreement about it. And all engaged in some way in it. But not in the way of "marching to war." The government is not our enemy. That may be easier to say in the US than in some other places. But even if the government is an enemy, no government is the kingdom, or a theocracy (at least not relative to the One True God). And in terms of the mission of the kingdom and the gospel, the government is not the enemy. Satan is. The snares that bind people from hearing and seeing the truth are the enemy. You may argue that the allowances of government assist this. And that may be true.
But we are not fighting against people. And that is what you do when you fight the government. You fight against people. Even against your own kind (Christian). Note that at least one among us who is clearly Christian has admitted to not being a Reagan Republican. If you are simply fighting liberals, then you fight your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Just like the arguments on this forum, we are free to differ and discuss. We can disagree with our brothers and sisters on matters of politics. And we should be willing to accept that it is just the way it is. And discuss our different opinions and thoughts. Try to persuade. Do not always think that you will be the one persuading and the others will be the persuaded.
How do you think I came to this kind of conclusion? It was not by being so certain that what I already thought was perfectly right and sticking to my guns and shouting at everyone else. If that was the case, maybe I should have stuck with the Assemblies of God. Or after moving to the LRC, sticking with that.
And maybe I would have made a great far-right, Tea Party conservative. Not any more. I'm still far from anything truly liberal. But the Tea Party guys think I've gone there. It's all black and white to them.