THE GOSPEL & SELF-DEFENSE

Every Christian has special considerations when it comes to self-defense.  We must all find a balance between Christlike living and defending ourselves and our families.  In Matthew 5:39 we learn that Christ taught us to, "resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." In contrast, we learn in Luke 22:36 that, "he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one". 

What we may be missing is simply a little context.  We have to remember that "eye for an eye" could not reasonably be interpreted literally.  Similarly, "turning the other cheek" must also be understood to be anecdotal.  Culturally, we see things in the Scriptures that refer to things like "shaking the dust off your feet" and "smiting of the cheeks", which are most closely related to insults common to the culture. 

In Exodus 21:12, we read that, "He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall surely be put to death."  Clearly there is a distinction between "smiting" for insult and smiting to cause injury or death.  This is comparable to modern day escalations of force found in self-defense laws and the use of deadly force.  Clearly, there is room for Christians in self-defense!

In our Gospel & Self-Defense course, we teach the laws and principles of self-defense with Christian values in mind.  Before a person is capable of defending themselves, they must first reconcile their own belief systems with the law. If that is a consideration for you, this is the CCW course for you.