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ORIGINAL: emerging
Again: What does Jesus mean when he says those who live by the sword will die by the sword?

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As Christians, are you committed to violence? Yes or no?

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What does Jesus mean by : Those who live by the sword shall die by the sword?

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ORIGINAL: emerging

Now was that so hard? You almost sound like a person engaged in a conversation.

But you are only half way there. Answering a question with another question is not an answer. But I will answer you: The answer to both your questions is NO.

So once again, what do you think he meant?

Thanks.

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Your problem seems to be with Jesus' words, not mine.

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As far as your emotional and false projections upon me, be careful. You don't know enough about me to even make such claims.

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To be committed to nonviolence is not to spit on the graves of those who have died to give us the freedoms we enjoy as Americans, jazz.

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So it is also, of course, with the contradictory charges
of the anti-Christians about submission and slaughter. It IS true
that the Church told some men to fight and others not to fight;
and it IS true that those who fought were like thunderbolts
and those who did not fight were like statues. All this simply
means that the Church preferred to use its Supermen and to use
its Tolstoyans. There must be SOME good in the life of battle,
for so many good men have enjoyed being soldiers. There must be
SOME good in the idea of non-resistance, for so many good men seem
to enjoy being Quakers. All that the Church did (so far as that goes)
was to prevent either of these good things from ousting the other.
They existed side by side. The Tolstoyans, having all the scruples
of monks, simply became monks. The Quakers became a club instead
of becoming a sect. Monks said all that Tolstoy says; they poured
out lucid lamentations about the cruelty of battles and the vanity
of revenge. But the Tolstoyans are not quite right enough to run
the whole world; and in the ages of faith they were not allowed
to run it. The world did not lose the last charge of Sir James
Douglas or the banner of Joan the Maid. And sometimes this pure
gentleness and this pure fierceness met and justified their juncture;
the paradox of all the prophets was fulfilled, and, in the soul
of St. Louis, the lion lay down with the lamb. But remember that
this text is too lightly interpreted. It is constantly assured,
especially in our Tolstoyan tendencies, that when the lion lies
down with the lamb the lion becomes lamb-like. But that is brutal
annexation and imperialism on the part of the lamb. That is simply
the lamb absorbing the lion instead of the lion eating the lamb.
The real problem is--Can the lion lie down with the lamb and still
retain his royal ferocity? THAT is the problem the Church attempted;
THAT is the miracle she achieved.

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ORIGINAL: emerging
Jesus' companion isn't said to be "evil" or "mean-spirited" or "violent" but one who is protecting what is "right" (Jesus) and acting out violently against that which is unjust and violent (Rome).

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wrong. He used a whip on the animals to drive them out. In effect, he saved their lives from a broken sacrificial system!

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John 2:13 - 16 (HCSB) 13The Jewish £Passover£ was near, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem.£ 14In the £temple complex£ He found people selling oxen, sheep, and doves, and ëHe also foundû the money changers sitting there. 15After making a whip out of cords,£ He drove everyone out of the temple complex with their sheep£ and oxen. He also poured out the money changers’ coins and overturned the tables. 16He told those who were selling doves, “Get these things out of here! Stop turning My Father’s£ house£ into a marketplace!”£ £

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Matt 24:4 - 8 (HCSB) 4Then Jesus replied to them: “Watch out that no one deceives£ you. 5For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the £Messiah,’ and they will deceive many.£ 6You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. 7For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines£ £ and earthquakes in various places.£ 8All these events are the beginning of birth pains.£