I affirm:
That I will not be counted with those who shed innocent blood, I will not hate my Brother, because as the bible states:
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
-1 John 3:15
I was forced to make this oath because church history records numerous instances of persecution of Christians by other Christians. This has and will always be wrong to do and the same as Cain’s sin against his brother Abel (1 John 3:11-15). The act of persecuting other Believers was wrong for those who dared to do so in the past and is wrong for those who do so today.
As the bible make clear, persecuting other Christians is a definite sign that there is no saving faith in a person, at least until they repent (1 John 3:15-18). This is enhanced by the fact these verses refer to not helping those Brothers and Sisters who are in need, let alone the evil represented by those who would murder or persecute a Brother or Sister.
However, there are numerous church leaders and theologians throughout history who have persecuted other believers and did not, as far as we know, ever repent of this.
Usually those persecuted were a theological minority who disagreed with the will of the majority of Christians. From the Donatists, who declared that only morally pure church leaders had valid sacraments and prayers, to the Anabaptists, who declared that Baptism should be for actual believers in Jesus Christ instead of infants, there has been a train of persecution against Brothers and Sisters over theology, when there is never a reason to persecute Christians.
Now, I must state that according to the bible Christians can be rightfully kicked out of a church without this being a form of persecution. This is allowed when a Christian is sinning boldly without repentance (1 Corinthians 5:9-13) or when a Christian is a false teacher (2 John 8-11). In both cases, this is not persecution but is instead church discipline.
Now, the question arises as to whether we should still in some way revere those Christians who persecuted other Believers in their life. Our first instinct would seem to be to consider their good works righteous and good to emulate and their bad acts bad and to be avoided. However, the bible does not tell us to do this. Instead Jesus gives us a hard teaching on what to do with Believers who reveal an evil heart. Matthew 7:15-20 tells us:
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
I must give full disclosure though. One thing does trouble on this teaching that I must figure out. That is that one thing could be asked at this point: Are these church leaders caught in sinful behavior like the good kings in the Old Testament that do evil later in their lives? That is, is there anything positive to learn from them at all? The problem here seems to be that those kings were typically righteous but could sin boldly on occasion, and they and their descendants suffered for it every time. It may just be I don’t fully understand the New Covenant under Jesus to the old one under the Law.
That I will not be counted with those who shed innocent blood, I will not hate my Brother, because as the bible states:
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
-1 John 3:15
I was forced to make this oath because church history records numerous instances of persecution of Christians by other Christians. This has and will always be wrong to do and the same as Cain’s sin against his brother Abel (1 John 3:11-15). The act of persecuting other Believers was wrong for those who dared to do so in the past and is wrong for those who do so today.
As the bible make clear, persecuting other Christians is a definite sign that there is no saving faith in a person, at least until they repent (1 John 3:15-18). This is enhanced by the fact these verses refer to not helping those Brothers and Sisters who are in need, let alone the evil represented by those who would murder or persecute a Brother or Sister.
However, there are numerous church leaders and theologians throughout history who have persecuted other believers and did not, as far as we know, ever repent of this.
Usually those persecuted were a theological minority who disagreed with the will of the majority of Christians. From the Donatists, who declared that only morally pure church leaders had valid sacraments and prayers, to the Anabaptists, who declared that Baptism should be for actual believers in Jesus Christ instead of infants, there has been a train of persecution against Brothers and Sisters over theology, when there is never a reason to persecute Christians.
Now, I must state that according to the bible Christians can be rightfully kicked out of a church without this being a form of persecution. This is allowed when a Christian is sinning boldly without repentance (1 Corinthians 5:9-13) or when a Christian is a false teacher (2 John 8-11). In both cases, this is not persecution but is instead church discipline.
Now, the question arises as to whether we should still in some way revere those Christians who persecuted other Believers in their life. Our first instinct would seem to be to consider their good works righteous and good to emulate and their bad acts bad and to be avoided. However, the bible does not tell us to do this. Instead Jesus gives us a hard teaching on what to do with Believers who reveal an evil heart. Matthew 7:15-20 tells us:
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
I must give full disclosure though. One thing does trouble on this teaching that I must figure out. That is that one thing could be asked at this point: Are these church leaders caught in sinful behavior like the good kings in the Old Testament that do evil later in their lives? That is, is there anything positive to learn from them at all? The problem here seems to be that those kings were typically righteous but could sin boldly on occasion, and they and their descendants suffered for it every time. It may just be I don’t fully understand the New Covenant under Jesus to the old one under the Law.
... Brother Glen
