Conscientious Objectors?
What Does the Bible Say?

by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2014, all rights reserved.

Chapter 1

In the United States military, we have had some military personnel that were Conscientious Objectors.  

What is a Conscientious Objector?

That's a person who says, "It would go against my conscience to be ordered into battle where I would be expected to kill the enemy, even though they're trying to kill us."  

That military person is probably aware that one of the Ten Commandments in the Bible (Exodus chapter 20) is "You shall not kill."  

But consider 2 Tim 2:15--
"Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that doesn't need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

The Apostle Paul writes that we should rightly divide the word of truth.  

So a good question at this point is, "Are the conscientious objectors rightly dividing the word of truth?"

I think that they are not.  

But now if that soldier is exhibiting behavior consistent with someone who is God-fearing.  He is not a whoremonger.  He is not an alcoholic.  He doesn't get into fights every time he goes into town.  

O.K. I'm willing to accept that he honestly believes that God doesn't want him to go into battle and shoot the enemy.  

Of course, if the man is a whoremonger, an alcoholic, and a brawler, then it's a little hard to accept that he is a religious man.  

Someone has to man the radio.  Someone has to deal with the food for the soldiers.  There are legitimate non-combat jobs.  

But I still believe that conscientious objector is wrongly dividing the word of truth.  

It's true that one of the Ten Commandments is "You shall not kill."  But that commandment means, "You shall not commit murder."

Haven't you read in the Old Testament where the Lord sent the Children of Israel into battle against the enemy?  

The Children of Israel were given the promised land, but it was necessary to take it by force, because those people living there didn't see the need to just abandon their cities for Israel.  

But how could the Lord send Israel into battle against the enemy if it were sin to kill a soldier in the opposing army?  He couldn't.  The Lord is never going to tell someone to commit sin.  

Therefore, it is not a sin for a soldier to kill a soldier of the opposing army when he has been sent into battle by his superior officers.  He is only doing his job.  

It is unfortunate that we have to have wars.  

But there are some bad people in this world.  Like the terrorists that destroyed the twin towers of the World Trade Center on Sept 11, 2001.  

They seemed to have headquarters in Afghanistan.  We told Afghanistan to turn over the bad guys to us.  They didn't, so we went to war in Afghanistan.  

What were we supposed to do, just turn the other cheek after they blew up the two buildings, killing three thousand people?  

Now, I know Jesus talked about turning the other cheek, but I believe he meant as individual Christians.  As a nation, I believe it was appropriate to take action against those terrorists and their organization who came to our nation and murdered our citizens.  

And also the Bible teaches that murderers must be executed in Numbers 35:33

I served in the U.S. Navy, and later in the U.S. Army.  As it happened, I was never ordered into combat.  

But had I been ordered into combat, I would have obeyed those orders.  

The Bible says that the powers that be are ordained by God.  If we had been at war, it wouldn't have been my decision as a member of the Navy or Army to have gone to war.  That would have come from higher authority.

I was not a conscientious objector because I believe like Ecclesiastes 3:8, "There's a time for war, and a time for peace."  

If my nation had sent me to war, I would have fought the enemy.  

But at the time I was in the military, I wasn't sent to war. 

Chapter 2 

In 1 Samuel chapter 14, Israel was at war with the Philistines.  Saul's son, Jonathan, and his armor bearer went against the Philistines, and killed a bunch of them.

Jonathan was a mighty, valiant man.  He fought for his nation.  He knew that "You shall not kill" was not talking about the duties of a soldier, but was talking about killing your next door neighbor because you have a disagreement with him.  

Here are some of the exploits of Jonathan--

___1_Samuel chapter 14
 1 Now one day, Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man that carried his armor, "Come, and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison, that is on the other side."  But he didn't tell his father.
 2 And Saul waited in the farthest part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree that is in Migron, and the people that were with him were about six hundred men,
 3 And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord's priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod.  And the people didn't know that Jonathan was gone.
 4 And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side, and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.
 5 The front of the one was situated northward opposite Michmash, and the other southward opposite Gibeah.
 6 And Jonathan said to the young man that carried his armor, "Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised, it may be that the Lord will work for us, for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few."
 7 And his armor bearer said to him, "Do all that is in your heart, turn, see, I am with you according to your heart."
 8 Then said Jonathan, "See, we will pass over to these men, and we will expose our presence to them.
 9 If they say thus to us, Wait until we come to you, then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up to them.
 10 But if they say thus, Come up to us, then we will go up, for the Lord has delivered them into our hand, and this shall be a sign to us."
 11 And both of them revealed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines, and the Philistines said see, the Hebrews come out of the holes where they had hid themselves.
 12 And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor bearer, and said, "Come up to us, and we will show you a thing."  And Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "Come up after me, for the Lord has delivered them into the hand of Israel."
 13 And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and on his feet, and his armor bearer after him, and they fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer killed after him.
 14 And that first slaughter, that Jonathan and his armor bearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were a half acre of land, that a yoke of oxen might plow.
 15 And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people, the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked, so it was a very great trembling.
 16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and see, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down each other.
 17 Then Saul said to the people that were with him, "Number now, and see who has gone from us."  And when they had numbered, see, Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there.
 18 And Saul said to Ahiah, "Bring here the ark of God."  For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel.
 19 And while Saul talked to the priest, the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased, and Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand."
 20 And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle, and see, every man's sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great slaughter.
 21 Also the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time, that went up with them into the camp from the surrounding country, they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan.
 22 Likewise all the men of Israel that had hidden themselves in Mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, they also followed hard after them in the battle.
 23 So the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle passed over to Bethaven.
 24 And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had told the people, "Cursed be the man that eats any food until evening, so I can be avenged against my enemies."  So none of the people tasted any food.
 25 And all of those of the land came to the woods, and there was honey on the ground.
 26 And when the people had come into the woods, see, the honey dropped, but no man put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath.
 27 But Jonathan didn't hear when his father charged the people with the oath, so he put out the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in a honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes were enlightened.
 28 Then one of the people answered, and said, "Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, cursed be the man that eats any food this day."  And the people were faint.
 29 Then Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land, please observe how my eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.
 30 How much more, if perhaps the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies that they found?  For wouldn't there have now been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?"
 31 And they struck the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon, and the people were very faint.
 32 And the people flew on the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and killed them on the ground, and the people ate them with the blood.
 33 Then they told Saul, "See, the people sin against the Lord, in that they eat with the blood."  And he said, "You have transgressed, roll a great stone to me this day."
 34 And Saul said, "Disperse yourselves among the people, and say to them, bring me here every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and kill them here, and eat, and don't sin against the Lord in eating with the blood."  And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and killed them there.
 35 And Saul built an altar to the Lord, the same was the first altar that he built to the Lord.
 36 And Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines at night, and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them."  And they said, do whatever seems good to you.  Then the priest said, "Let us draw near here to God."
 37 And Saul asked counsel of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines?  Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?"  But he didn't answer him that day.
 38 And Saul said, "Come near here, all the chief of the people, and know and see how this sin has been today.
 39 For, as the Lord lives, who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die."  But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.
 40 Then he said to all Israel, "You be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side."  And the people said to Saul, "Do what seems good to you."
 41 Therefore Saul said to the Lord God of Israel, "Give a perfect lot."  And Saul and Jonathan were taken, but the people escaped.
 42 And Saul said, "Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son."  And Jonathan was taken.
 43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you've done."  And Jonathan told him, "I only tasted a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand, and see, I must die."
 44 And Saul answered, "God do so and more also, for you shall surely die, Jonathan."
 45 And the people said to Saul, "Shall Jonathan die, who has done this great salvation in Israel?  God forbid, as the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day."  So the people rescued Jonathan, so that he didn't die.
 46 Then Saul went up from following the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.
 47 So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines, and wherever he turned himself, he vexed them.
 48 And he gathered an army, and struck the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who spoiled them.
 49 Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishui, and Melchishua, and the names of his two daughters were these, the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal,
 50 And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz, and the name of the captain of his host was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle.
 51 And Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.
 52 And there was severe war against the Philistines all the days of Saul, and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him to himself.


___James chapter 1
 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings.
 2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations,
 3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.
 4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him.
 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.
 7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord.
 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
 9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted,
 10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away.
 11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
 12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man,
 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.
 15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death.
 16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.
 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.
 18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
 19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
 20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God.
 21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror,
 24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
 25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
 26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing.
 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

___James chapter 2
 1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
 2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also,
 3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool,"
 4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts?
 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?
 6 But you have despised the poor.  Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats?
 7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called?
 8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well,
 9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners.
 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
 11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill."  Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law.
 12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty.
 13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.
 14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works?  Can faith save him?
 15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food,
 16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that?
 17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone.
 18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."
 19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble.
 20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
 21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?
 22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect?
 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."
 24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
 25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
 26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

___James chapter 3
 1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation.
 2 For in many things we offend all.  If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
 3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies.
 4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants.
 5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things.  See how great a matter a little fire kindles!
 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.
 7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind,
 8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
 9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.
 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.  My brothers, these things ought not to be.
 11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter?
 12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries?  Or a vine, figs?  So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.
 13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you?  Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom.
 14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth.
 15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
 18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.

___James chapter 4
 1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from?  Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members?
 2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask.
 3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts.
 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.
 5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?"
 6 But he gives more grace.  So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you.
 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.
 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.
 11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers.  He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.
 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else?
 13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"
 14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.
 15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that."
 16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil.
 17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

___James chapter 5
 1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you.
 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten.
 3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire.  You've heaped treasure together for the last days.
 4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.
 5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter.
 6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you.
 7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.
 8 You also be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near.
 9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door.
 10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
 11 See, we count them happy that endure.  You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
 12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation.
 13 Is anyone among you afflicted?  Let him pray.  Is anyone merry?  Let him sing psalms.
 14 Is anyone sick among you?  Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,
 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.
 16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed.  The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good.
 17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months.
 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
 19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him,
 20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.