This post has been significantly updated from its original format.
I’m proposing a novel theory to answer vital questions of “war and politics” in Christian life, one that realizes our identity as Kingdom citizens. I’m doing this because I believe the dominant theories of “Just-War” and “Pacifism” have failed to advance Jesus’ answers to these vital questions.
Jean-Michel Hornus summarized Jerome’s view on these questions in this way: “Nevertheless, amidst the unleashing of all this violence the Christian remained a passive agent. He was a witness, not a warrior. He accepted the wrath of God [even] upon himself; he discerned it in the history of others. He warned and admonished. He did not himself administer the punishment.” Jerome simultaneously recognized God’s active work in judging the nations, even via war, while calling Christians to remain outside the administration of this judgment as functionaries of peace via the sacrifice of the cross. Christians function as God’s witnesses in the midst of such conflicts. We are, essentially, God’s agents for peace working alongside his judgment, which is carried out by the agents of his wrath (i.e. human government).
Where “Just-War” fails by calling Christians away from their peace-mission, “Pacifism” fails by forbidding their witness to the active agencies of God’s vengeance. My view attempts to succeed here by constructing a paradigm that maintains the Christian’s peace-mission while preserving their active role as witnesses to God’s agencies of vengeance. Now more than ever Christians need to understand how to navigate the challenges posed by “war and politics” by the testimony of Jesus’ good news.
“Vengeance is Mine“
My proposition begins with the premise that Jesus is Lord. And because he is Lord, there is but one authority over all to whom we must answer. This naturally means that vengeance belongs to God alone.
So let’s look more closely at vengeance:
Romans 12:19 (CSB) — 19 Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.
Vengeance is forbidden to Christians because it belongs to God. He alone possesses the divine prerogative to punish the wicked. It’s his right as Lord. And it’s his duty as sole possessor of “all authority“.
Paul goes into detail about how Christians are meant to “not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good” (Romans 12:21, CSB) in verses 9-21, which we’ll look at in more detail in our upcoming principles, but, our present interest is in God’s vengeance. If vengeance belongs to God in such a way that Christians are forbidden it, then how does God execute his vengeance in the world?
Paul explains this very thing in the illustrative movement (i.e. 13:1-7) of this discourse (i.e. 12:9-13:10):
Romans 13:4 (CSB) — 4 For it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For it is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong.
Government is God’s active agency of wrath. We must not make the mistake of thinking that this makes government inherently noble, nor should we make the mistake of thinking that this means we are meant to Christianize government. Both of these conclusions are thoroughly dispelled by history, which demonstrates both the innately corrupt nature of human government and the adulterating effect it has upon the Church when Christians seek political power. Nor should we err in thinking that government serves God in the positive sense of the Church; government naturally rebels against God and corrupts justice for its own ends. Instead, this means that God exercises his vengeance by his sovereign authority through government, often in ways that we cannot comprehend or perceive in the moment. We can, as Jerome taught, sometimes recognize God’s justice retrospectively as we discern what God has done after-the-fact by its fruit. But we do not know what God is doing in the moment. This is the major flaw of the Just-War theory; it requires that we discern God’s hidden intent and workings ahead of time in order to know who God has ordained his wrath fall upon and participate in administering his wrath. Again, history demonstrates that Christians who adhere to this theory inevitably see their nation’s cause as the just-cause, and are led by this theory to “share in the sins” of their nation (See Revelation 18:4).
What Paul means to teach is that Christians can entrust vengeance to God because he’s not without an active agency for his wrath on earth. Because “all authority” belongs to Jesus (See Matthew 28:18), he can move the nations according to his will (See Proverbs 21:1). This is not to say that all ruling authorities on earth are just, nor to say that they carry out God’s justice with perfect measure. In fact, they don’t (See Psalm 2), which is why Christians are called to bring the Lord’s testimony to the world’s ruling powers (See Mark 13:11; Philippians 1:12). We bear witness to these powers in the same way as our Lord; tied-up, falsely accused, and innocent. But, by our innocence we demonstrate the way of justice in such an irrefutable manner that speaks to the very core of the human conscience (See Romans 13:5; 2 Corinthians 5:11).
We can see God’s sovereign authority over the nations illustrated throughout Scripture:
Babylon and Judah: God used Babylon, a wicked nation, to punish Judah for their sins. In Jeremiah 25:8-11, God says, “Because you have not obeyed my words, I am going to send for all the families of the north’—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘and send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will bring them against this land, against its residents, and against all these surrounding nations, and I will completely destroy them and make them an example of horror and scorn, and ruins forever.” Despite Babylon’s own wickedness, God refers to Nebuchadnezzar as “my servant,” demonstrating his control over the situation.
Persia and the Return from Exile: God used Cyrus, the king of Persia, to allow the Israelites to return from exile and rebuild Jerusalem. In Isaiah 45:1-4, God says, “The Lord says this to Cyrus, his anointed, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him and disarm kings, to open doors before him, and even city gates will not be shut: “I will go before you and level the uneven places; I will shatter the bronze doors and cut the iron bars in two. I will give you the treasures of darkness and riches from secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord. I am the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. I call you by your name, for the sake of my servant Jacob and Israel my chosen one. I give a name to you, though you do not know me.” Although Cyrus was an idolater who did not follow God, his rule was characterized by benevolence and justice, and he was used by God to fulfill God’s purposes.
Pharaoh and the Exodus: God hardened Pharaoh’s heart to demonstrate His power and deliver Israel from slavery in Egypt. In Exodus 9:16, God says, “However, I have let you live for this purpose: to show you my power and to make my name known on the whole earth.” Even though Pharaoh was unjust, and brutalized God’s own people, God used his wickedness as the context to display his power when he delivered them from their bondage.
The Cross and the Roman Empire: God used the Roman Empire and its unjust leaders to accomplish the crucifixion of Jesus, which was central to His plan of salvation. In Acts 2:23, Peter says, “Though he was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used lawless people to nail Him to a cross and kill Him.” The Romans and Jewish leaders acted unjustly, but their actions were used by God to fulfill His redemptive plan.
These stories tell us how Pharoah functioned in opposition to God, and yet served to demonstrate God’s mighty power. Nebuchadnezzar refused to acknowledge God, and so was punished (See Daniel 4:24-26), but yet, was God’s servant in punishing Israel’s wickedness. Cyrus was a benevolent and fair ruler whom God used to fulfill his promise in returning his people to their land even though Cyrus was an idolater. And Jesus was crucified unjustly, but yet, God worked through their injustice to justify the wicked and accomplish salvation for the world for as many as would believe in him!
In upcoming principles we’ll deal with whether or not it would’ve been good for God’s people to serve in Pharaoh’s armies or Jesus’ execution squad, and we’ll balance that discussion with how Daniel and Nehemiah served in Babylonian and Persian courts. I’ll also argue the failures of both Just-War and Pacifism in these examples. But our interest here is in what these passages tell us about God’s vengeance. And they show us God’s mysterious working through corrupt human systems to punish evil and accomplish his purposes of deliverance and ultimate salvation.
Christians are meant to entrust vengeance to God, knowing that God has agencies by which he is able to vindicate justice for his people. But we’re also meant to understand that such work is often imperceptible to us at the time. God’s people would’ve never known how he was working had it not been for his prophets. In fact, we see this in both Babylon and Rome: the prophets of Jeremiah’s time opposed him precisely because it was inconceivable to them how God could use their captivity in a pagan nation to accomplish his purposes, and even Jesus’ chosen apostles rebuked him sharply for describing how he would die upon the cross. When God’s people try to reason out his justice, they often end up opposing his plan! But yet, God does work for justice even within corrupt human systems.
Principle Stated
Now we must formulate and state our principle:
Step one – clearly state the core idea:
Our core idea is that “Christians are meant to entrust vengeance to God.“
Step two – define the scope:
God’s vengeance is exercised through “the agency of human authorities on earth to whom Christians submit in view of God’s sovereign authority.“
Step three – justify the idea:
We must entrust vengeance to God and his sovereign agency over human authorities “because all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus.”
Step four – formulate the principle:
Putting these together, we state our principle: “Christians are meant to entrust vengeance to God, which is exercised through the agency of human authorities on earth, to whom Christians submit because all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus.”
So, what are your thoughts?
Share below!
A Dedicated Faith 
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