Was Jesus against killing people?
I had to do some research on this before coming to a conclusion. The strongest case for those who would answer yes, like the pacifists, comes from
Matthew 5:38:
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, do not show opposition against an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other toward him also.
When this text is considered in isolation, it does seem to support the view that Jesus was against killing, and even any stopping of evil. But besides needing to apply the context (even going as far back as the OT which is what Jesus started referencing), that standard would lead to a chaotic world where laws aren't enforced. Even if someone says that the rule only applies to Christians, but then that conflicts with Jesus's actions in John's Gospel ch. 3 vss. 13-16 where he uses whips on people, and plenty of other teachings, like being able to "remove" an evil person from the Church (
1 Corinthians 5:11-13).
I haven't been able to find an explanation that I can agree with 100%, but I have found some that avoid some obvious contradictions and negative effects. To some level, Jesus was teaching to not respond to evil. Again, if this was something he meant to apply to all levels, then society would turn into chaos by not responding to evil or criminals. Some of the explanations I've read addresses two aspects, one is the type of offenses that the evil person does and the other is how the Christian responds to it. A few Christian websites mentioned that Jesus teaching was referring to matters of personal slights. I can accept that given that the offenses mentioned in Matthew 5:38-42 weren't referring to anything serious or life threatening, and even the "slap" can be a metaphor (similar to a "slap in the face"), but even if literal, it's nothing life threatening.
In terms of the Christian response to these offenses,
The Oxford Bible Commentary mentions this:
The brief scenes vividly represent the demand for an unselfish temperament, for naked humility and a willingness to suffer the loss of one's personal rights; evil should be requited with good. There is no room for vengeance on a personal level (cf. Rom 12:19).
The verses are not a repudiation of Moses. While in the Pentateuch the lex talionis belongs to the judiciary process, that is not the sphere of application in Matthew. Jesus does not overthrow the principle of equivalent compensation on an institutional level - that question is just not addressed - but declares it illegitimate for his followers to apply it to their personal disputes. [1]
I can agree with that as the most likely explanation. The above excerpt cites Romans 12:19 but I think vs. 18 mentions a principle that is also relevant:
verse 18:
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
[emphasis added]
I think Romans 12:18 and 19 is the goal of Matthew 5:38.
Sources cited
1. Barton, John and John Muddiman.
The Oxford Bible Commentary. Oxford University Press. 2001, pg. 855.
