This icon honors the 21 Christians killed in previous propaganda video.
By Jayson Casper, Christianity Today.
Once again, ISIS has orchestrated and filmed the dramatic mass killing of African Christians who refuse to deny their faith.
This time, the approximately 28 men targeted by the Libya affiliate of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (also known as Daesh) were Ethiopian Christians. In February, the killing of 21 mostly Egyptian Christians drew widespread horror and fears of future massacres, but also led to Egypt’s largest Bible outreach.
Describing the 30-minute propaganda video released Sunday, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) explained:
The exact numbers of victims in the latest incident cannot be confirmed. The video of the executions, entitled “Until there came to them clear evidence”, switches between a scene on a beach in eastern Libya, where an estimated 15 men in orange boiler suits are beheaded by masked militants in camouflage, and a scene in a desert area in southern Libya where similarly dressed Daesh members execute a similar number of men in black boiler suits by shooting them in the head. A subtitle refers to both groups of victims as “worshippers of the cross belonging to the hostile Ethiopian church.”
The video also includes scenes depicting the destruction of churches in Syria and Iraq and condemns the doctrine of the Trinity as a form of apostasy. Prior to the executions, an English-speaking masked narrator dressed in black warns that “the nation of the cross” must either embrace Islam, pay the jizya tax or face death.
The New York Times reports more details on the video, as does CNN. Regarding how Mosul Christians were told to convert to Islam or pay a protection tax, the speaker in the video says, “The Christians never cooperated.”
The video was released the same day the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, arrived in Cairo to offer condolences for the previous martyrs in Libya: 20 Coptic Orthodox Christians and a sub-Saharan African.
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How would we feel as Americans if armed personal would break into our churches and tell us how we should worship? How would you feel? We have been blessed and yet we take it for granted.
These Islamic extremists aren’t religious: they’re criminal murderers and must be dealt with. My church always has at least two armed Christian members in attendance; they’re trained in firearms and prepared to defend the hundreds of worshipers.
Christians were never meant or taught to submit to violence as lambs to a slaughter. Christ’s disciples carried swords! Remember at Christ’s arrest in the Garden, one of the disciples cut off the ear of the chief priest’s servants with a sword.
And Peter was promptly chastened by the Lord for having done so, after which the Lord healed Malchus’ ear.
Not a good example.
I unfortunately assumed that readers understood the whole story of why Christ admonished Peter. Please remember that Christ said that his kingdom was not of this world. If His kingdom were of this world then would his disciples fight that he would not be delivered to the Jews. He didn’t say that His disciples had no right to fight, but since His kingdom did not have its origin in this world His servants would not use physical weapons to fight what is essentially spiritual warfare. Christians can certainly use weapons to protect themselves, their homes, their families, their churches, and their country!
But which example shows forth the greater evidence of faith: the man who stands up for his rights with a gun in his hand, or the man who lays down his life to show love to his enemies?
As one such martyr put it, “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
And as another martyr wrote,
“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.'” (Rom. 12.19-21)
And do not forget the Lord Jesus’ rebuke to Peter that night: “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” (Mt. 26.52)
Yes, there is a time and place for the sword to be wielded, for the magistrate “does not bear the sword in vain.” (Rom. 13.4) And at the end of history the Lord Jesus shall wield “from his mouth…a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.” (Rev. 19.15) Yet Christians serving in the armed forces or in law enforcement must especially be mindful of their Master’s greater command “to do justice, and to love kindness.” (Mic. 6.8)
So, do you honestly believe that the Prince of Peace (Is. 9.6), who “desires mercy and not sacrifice” (Mt. 9.13, 12.7), would want those who bear His name to be known more for “protecting themselves” than for loving their enemies (Mt. 5.38-48)?
It’s our duty to prayerfully consider other tenuous elements of Biblical understanding: electing righteous leaders, praying for those leaders, submitting (somewhat) to the decisions of leaders, just war, etc. These are very difficult and elusive issues which Christians have struggled with the past 2000 years.