Violence a definition

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Violence a definition

• Webster exertion of physical force so as to
  injure or abuse to hurt or harm someone or
  some living thing.

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Violence in society
Royal Law Love your neighbor as yourself Matt
2239 Rom 139 Gal 514 Jas 28

• Sports
• War
• Spousal child abuse
• Schoolyard fights
• Animal kingdom
• Animal sacrifice
• TV, movies, video games
• Fight clubs

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Violence Bible definition

• Vines Chamas (khaw-mawce) maliciousness
  evil intent (synonyms spite, meanness, malice,
  viciousness, cruelty, unkindness).

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Violence described

• A disruption of Gods order for human behavior
  (Gen 611-13).
• Violence can refer to taking advantage of someone
  (Deut 2719 Jer 221-5 Job 2019).

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Violence in ancient society

• 260-330 AD Lactantius He who finds it
  pleasurable to watch a man being killed, even
  though the man has been legally condemned,
  pollutes his conscience just as much as though he
  were an accomplice or willing spectator of a
  murder committed in secret. Yet, they call these
  sports where human blood is shed!

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Violence in ancient society

• 260-330 AD Lactantius When they see men placed
  under the stroke of death, begging for mercy, can
  they be righteous when they not only permit the
  men to be killed, but demand it? They cast their
  cruel and inhuman votes for death, not being
  satisfied by the mere flowing of blood or the
  presence of gashing wounds.

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Violence in ancient society

• 260-330 AD Lactantius In fact, they order the
  gladiators although wounded and lying on the
  ground to be attacked again and their corpses
  to be pummeled with blows, to make certain they
  are not merely feigning death. The crowds are
  even angry with the gladiators if one of the two
  isnt slain quickly. As though they thirsted for
  human blood, they hate delays.........

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Violence in ancient society

• 260-330 AD Lactantius By steeping themselves
  in this practice, they have lost their
  humanity.... Therefore, it is not fitting that we
  who strive to stay on the path of righteousness
  should share in this public homicide. When God
  forbids us to kill, he not only prohibits the
  violence that is condemned by public laws, but he
  also forbids the violence that is deemed lawful
  by men.

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Violence and Scripture

• Love your enemies (Matt 538-47).
• Vengeance belongs to God (Rom 1214, 17-21).
• Violence is a lust of the flesh (Gal 519-23).
• Elders cannot be given to violence (1 Tim 33
  Titus 17-8).

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Violence and Scripture

• Obey God (1 Pet 114-16)
• Love as God loves (1 John 416-17, 20-21).
• Be at peace (Rom 1218 Heb 1214).
• Spiritual battle (Eph 610-17 2 Cor 103-5).
• Jesus (1 Pet 223) Stephen (Acts 757-60),
• Paul Timothy (1 Tim 118 2 Tim 23-4 2 Tim
  46-8).

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Why the violence?

• People want the perverted satisfaction of
  watching others do things they cannot do, whether
  for lack of opportunity or for religious
  principles.
• Romans 128-32

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Why the violence?

• Prov 2224-25 Make no friendship with an angry
  man, and with a furious man do not go, 25 Lest
  you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul.
  
• Violence is learned behavior! Cf.
  Prov 237 Lk 1140

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What God desires in us

• Prov 1922 What is desired in a man is kindness
  not violence, a poor man is better than a
  liar.
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• Micah 68 He has shown you, O man, what is
  good what does the Lord require of you but to
  do justly, to love mercy not violence, to
  walk humbly with your God?