Hi ChristIsKing,If you can not justify fighting in defense of Jesus Christ, how could you justify fighting in the defense of country, self, wife, child???But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. (I Timothy 5) It would seem in the case of wife and child at least (and other family members) that security must be somewhere on the list of 'provisions' that those of ones own house would in fact need. 26"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.I want to look at perhaps what appears on the surface to be the most radical passage of scripture in all of the Bible- Luke 14:26; If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. The Greek word here for ‘hate’ is miseo and it carries a meaning that spans from the deepest “detestation” to a simple “loved less.” Now, as a point of reference Jesus also told us to to love our enemies (Matthew 5:43). John the Revelator told us that a person who hates his brother is in darkness (I John 2:9) a murderer (v.11a) and we know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him (II John 2:11b). It would make no sense for our Lord to tell us to ‘detest’ our family and love our enemies. This is proven in the fact that the Prodigal Son has not repented until he came to himself and reunited with his family. So we see right off, that repentance for some will mean reconciliation with father, mother, sister, brother, etc. While others whose family would force them to choose between Christ and the family- they would have to choose Christ. This was the case with many families in the first century as hostilities grew against Christians until they were even being cursed by fellow Jews in the synagogues (birkat ha minim). This is not a matter of leaving home because of a conflict in personality or even a basic disagreement in religion. Jews who turn to Christ to this day often do it knowing their family will render them dead and perform a funeral for them. We see then that the context determines whether our Lord means to “detest” or to “love less.” Let me give you two basic hermeneutical rules to always go by before we move on: 1) allow scripture to interpret scripture 2) a text without a context is a pretext. Vines dictionary of New Testament Greek words gives us some insight into the full gamut of the meaning of ‘hate’. He also speaks specifically to its meaning in Luke 14:26. He writes that miseo is used to indicate a relative preference for one thing over another, by way of expressing either aversion from, or disregard for, the claims of one person or thing relatively to those of another. In Matthew 6:24, and Luke 16:13 it demonstrates the impossibility of serving two masters. In Luke 14:26, as to the claims of parents relatively to those of Christ. In John 12:25 it speaks of disregard for one's life relatively to the claims of Christ. We can simplify this by comparing two passages: He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. (Matthew 10:37) If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26)Notice Matthew 10:37 is saying essentially the same thing as Luke 14:26. In one passage we are told if we “love family more” we cannot be a disciple and in the other passage we are told if we don’t “love family less” we cannot be a disciple. This essentially means that you love everything less than Christ. It does not mean you ‘detest’ your family. An example of this is seen by comparing two more passages:Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? (Matthew 19:27) ‘Forsaken’ here is the Greek word afieemi and it essentially means “to let go.” It is translated as ‘forgive’ in some passages to indicate that the transgression was allowed ‘to drop.’ If we interpret the passage as thus it is seen how the next passage can be equally true without contradiction:Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? (I Corinthians 9:5) We see here that the same Peter (Cephas) had a wife that he ‘lead about.’ The Greek word for ‘lead about’ meant that he took her with him whereever he went. This is not forsaken in the sense of leaving behind, but is afieemi or ‘letting go’ in the sense that he did not consider her a possession to be grasped (Philippians 2:6). He lived his life as though he had no wife, etc. (I Corinthians 7:29). To have forsaken his family in the sense of abandonment would have meant he denied the faith and become worse than an infidel. (I Timothy 5:8) Moreover we are told to Honor our father and mother which is the first commandment with promise, that it may be well with thee and thou may live long upon the earth (Ephesians 5:29). If any curse his father or mother let them die the death. (Matthew 15:4; Mark 7:10) Detesting the family also does not square with Paul telling the men to love their wives as Christ loved the Church. (Ephesians 5:25)So what did our Lord mean in these passages on hating family? He meant that we must love them less than we love Him and if it comes down to following Him or them- we follow Him. This does not mean we seek an occasion to be rude to our parents or leave our wives, but are to win them over as they behold our chaste conduct coupled with reverence (I Peter 3:2). We are to serve and provide for them as much as is possible to fill their needs. Submission would be the most likely way to win those disobedient and unbelieving parents and family members who had rejected the word, or who attended to no other evidence of the truth of it than what they saw in the prudent, peaceable, and exemplary conversation of the child. Preach not so much with the precept of the mouth, but with the practice of reverential servanthood. Use not your liberty in Christ as a cloak of maliciousness. As it is written; As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:. (I Peter 3:16-23) You, as a believer, have an obligation to your family to provide for their needs as much as is possible when they are unable and respect them all their days. I'll leave off for comments...
