What the Bible Has to Say About
Peace and Conflict
The Bible gives us pictures of both peace and conflict. Ge ne s is , C h a p t e rs 12–50; B o o k o f J o shua
This section of the Old Testament tells the story of a people given land by God, but only if they take it by force. The Israelites believe God has promised them a special land “flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 33:3), and obtaining this leads them to conclude that God has given them success. J udg e s , C ha p t e r s 13–16
The story of the cycle of revenge: All conflict is escalated. All parties end up dead. The end. The triumphalist theology is superseded by the arrival of Jesus, Prince of Peace, and his new commandment: “Love one another” (John 13:34). M at t he w 5 :9 – 1 2
Peacemakers can expect to be blessed. It is a holy activity. But note verses 10–12: persecution, false accusation, and insults seem to be the “normal” human responses to “righteousness.” M at t he w 5 :3 8 – 4 8
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us to avoid thinking thoughts of revenge and to practice love for enemies. M at t he w 2 6 :4 7 – 56
Jesus rebukes those who came to arrest him by force, because they could have done it peaceably and in the open. Then he rebukes his own disciples for using violence to defend him.
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Ga l at ia ns 5 :1 3 – 26
The sinful nature and the Spirit are permanently in conflict with each other. But peace is one of the fruits of the Spirit. E p he s ia ns 6 :1 0 – 1 8
Paul talks about life as a spiritual battle and suggests appropriate spiritual armor. R e v e l at io n 2 1 :1 –8
Some day wars and battles will cease.
Scripture text taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2008 by World Vision Resources, Mail Stop 321, P.O. Box 9716, Federal Way, WA 98063-9716, 253-815-3320, wvresources@worldvision.org. All rights reserved.
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About World Vision W o rld V i s i o n i s a Christian relief, development, and advocacy organization dedicated to helping children and their families break free from poverty. Our work is motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ. We see a world where each child experiences “fullness of life” as described in John 10:10. And we know this can be achieved only by addressing the problems of poverty and injustice in a holistic way. That’s how World Vision is unique: We bring nearly sixty years of experience in three key areas needed to help children and families thrive: emergency relief, long-term development, and advocacy. And we bring all of our skills across many areas of expertise to each community we work in, enabling us to care for children’s physical, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being. W o rld V i s i o n R es o u r c e s educates Christians about global poverty, inspires them to social justice, and equips them with innovative resources to make a difference in the world. By developing biblically-based materials for educators and ministry leaders on the causes and consequences of global poverty, World Vision Resources supports the organizational mandate to move the church in the United States to more fully embrace its biblical responsibility to serve the poor.
For more information about our resources, contact: World Vision Resources www.worldvision.org wvresources@worldvision.org
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