A Sermon Using Alexander Campbell’s Address on War

Introduction/Foreword (by Bob McCollough)

1. In 1836, the Republic of Texas won its independence from Mexico. Nine years later, in 1845, the United States officially annexed the Republic of Texas which was then admitted as a state. Because Mexico still felt like Texas belonged to them, this brought about the Mexican-American war (1846-1848)[1]. As a result of its decisive victory in this war, the U.S. gained a huge chunk of Mexican territory which is now the states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming. When the war ended, Alexander Campbell (b. 1788; d. 1866)–who was arguably the most prominent and influential pioneer (esp. during the first half of the 1800s) of what eventually became known as the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement–gave an address on the subject of war. The words and thoughts contained in this lesson I am presenting this morning are essentially his. Campbell’s Address on War (delivered in 1848) is sixteen pages long. So, for the most part, I just condensed his words down to about three pages and put them in modern, everyday English.

2. But before we hear from Campbell, let us keep in mind that our congregation has its theological roots within the socially identifiable Christian movement known as the Stone–Campbell Movement. Barton Stone and Alexander Campbell were both pacifists (and there are different types and levels of pacifism, which we won’t go into now; maybe we can discuss that some other time). But both Stone and Campbell (along with David Lipscomb, James Harding, Moses Lard, Tolbert Fanning, and other leaders in the movement) were opposed to war and violence because they realized that it is incompatible with following the teachings of Christ.

3. Now, regardless of what position you currently hold on the subject of Christians participating in violence and war, anyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus needs to do some deep, New Testament guided, Christ-centered thinking on this subject, before they get all gung-ho about contributing their voices to the chorus of those who glorify Christians participating in war. Having said all that, until I say otherwise, the following thoughts belong to Alexander Campbell. He begins by asking:

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Does one “Christian nation” have a right to go to war against another “Christian nation”?

But before we can answer this question, we should probably first ask: Is it even right to refer to whole, entire, earthly nations as being “Christian”? I mean, at what place and time were they all baptized?

Now, we call one building a “college”; another building “a bank”, and yet another building “a church”. But we don’t call the buildings by these names because they, in and of themselves, constitute a college, or a bank, or a church. No, we call the buildings by these names because they contain the living, breathing, human institutions that go by these names. In the same way, there can be as many Christian nations as there are nations that contain real Christian communities within their borders. But according to this reasoning, we can have a nation that is Christian, Muslim, and Jewish all at the same time. Therefore, we must come to grips with the fact that there is not a single country on this earth that is literally, completely filled with Christians. Oh, don’t misunderstand, we do have a Christian nation on this earth, but it is composed of all the Christian communities and all the Christian individuals throughout the whole earth, regardless of the country they are residing in.

Here’s an illustration from First Peter (1:1):

“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.”

Let us note that Peter’s letter is addressed to all of the Christians scattered throughout these various lands. And although these Christians were residing as aliens and strangers (2:11) in these different nations, in 2:9 Peter refers to them collectively as a holy nation (cf. Rev 1:6).

So, there is a Christian kingdom, but its King said:

“My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” (Jn 18:36)

You see, there are no literal Christian nations on this earth. And Jesus’ one kingdom is composed of all the Christian communities in the world, regardless of earthly national boundaries.

And because there is only one kingdom of God, and because there are no earthly nations that are literally and entirely made up of Christians, we really shouldn’t ask if one Christian nation has a right to go to war against another Christian nation. More accurately, we should ask: Can Christ’s kingdom or church in one nation go to war against His kingdom or church in another nation? Now, where is the man so ignorant of the letter and spirit of Christianity as to answer “yes” to this question?

Here’s a different question: If Great Britain declared war on the United States, or the United States declared war on Great Britain, would we have a right, as Christians to volunteer to fight against the Brits? Or, if drafted, should Christians cooperate when their Government compels them to fight?

What does the Bible say on the subject of war? Well, we have many examples of war in the Old Testament. But we must remember that the early Israelites had God as their supreme civil ruler, and typically, many of these wars were authorized by or commanded by God Himself. And if God commands it, it must be right.

But now, under the New Covenant, we are supposed to follow Christ. Now, can any so-called Christian nation prove that they have either authorization or command from Christ to engage in war according to the flesh?

Another question is this: May Christian communities or Christian individuals take up arms at all, in any national conflict?

In other words, did Jesus authorize His followers to do, in obedience to earthly governments, what He forbids us to do as individuals? A Christian is in no way obligated or authorized to do for the state what they are forbidden to do for themselves in defense of their individual personal rights. Unless Christ taught that it is permissible for a Christian to go to war for himself or herself, he or she is not go to war for the state.

We, as Christians, are first and foremost under the government of Christ. Therefore, we are to listen to what King Jesus has said on this subject. His apostles certainly did. The teachings of the New Testament should be the final and decisive word on this subject for Christians.

When Jesus prophesied about the trials that were to come upon His disciples, He said to them, in His deep, figurative style:

 …”‘When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?’ So they said, ‘Nothing.’ Then He said to them, ‘But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.'” (Luke 22:35-36)

And they, understanding Him literally (as some of the friends of war still do),

responded by saying (in v.37):

“‘Lord, look, here are two swords.’ And He said to them, ‘It is enough.'”

Two swords for twelve apostles! Truly they are dull scholars who infer from this that Jesus meant that they should literally use two swords to fight with! The kingdom of God did not come by the sword, nor does it continue by the sword.

When Jesus was first announced as a king by the Jewish prophets, more than seven hundred years before He was born, the Spirit spoke about His reign in these words:

“He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” (Is 2:4)

According to prophecy and according to fact, this was the original nature of Christianity. Do some research into this subject and you will find that the spirit of Christianity is pacific (peaceable) in its very essence. And there should be no need to bring forth Scriptural proof of this to anyone who has read the New Testament.

But if you want to see a contrast of the gospel of Christ with the spirit of war, let us imagine an Army chaplain about to go into battle, speaking to the soldiers on the subject of performing their Christian duty. And the chaplain bases his message on passages such as:

“love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matt 5:44-45)

Or how about:

“Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. Therefore ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Rom 12:17-21)

Now, would anyone suppose that the chaplain had selected a suitable text for the occasion? How would the commander in chief have listened to him? And with what spirit would the soldiers have gone into battle?

Napoleon said:

“War is the trade of barbarians“;

and his conqueror, Wellington, said:

“Men of nice scruples about religion have no business in the army or navy.”

Wellington is right! The moral and spiritual casualties of war far exceed the physical ones; therefore, Christians have no business participating in such things. Christians who think otherwise have been wrongly educated and have fallen in with the bad example of worldly people. The civil religion of Patriotic Nationalism has deceived an inconceivable number of professing Christians into thinking that going to war is actually compatible with following Jesus! And Christians who have fallen prey to this deception do not deserve praise from the church or from their fellow Christians—they should, however, receive compassion and forgiveness, just like any other sinner. Now, when people display dedication, selflessness, and self-sacrifice for a cause they believe in, it certainly seems commendable to most of us; but when a Christian ignores and turns their back on the teachings of Christ, this is not commendable—it is traitorous.

And it seems like the women in the church are worse than the men at perpetuating this perverted concept that we can dove-tail the kingdom of God with a certain version of the kingdom of the world. Yes, it is the weaker sex that is probably most guilty of glorifying Christian participation in war. Women just love to see soldiers in their dress uniforms! Christian mothers are so proud of their children when they volunteer to fight for their country. And the male leaders of the church are also guilty of glorifying war—even from the pulpit! There have been Christian military chaplains on both sides of the battlefield praying for the “success” of their soldiers! And when they are “successful” there are prayers of thanksgiving! Militaristic spiritual leaders think that a Militaristic Jesus governs their particular nation just as God governed the Jews. But we must remember that Jesus, the Prince of Peace, currently governs the church—not the nations of the world.

Therefore war is un-Christian. It deforms the character, alters the nature, and debases the name of man.

Knowing all this, it is no wonder that for two or three centuries after Christ, Christians—as a general rule—refused to bear arms or commit violence.

Grimke said that:

“the great objection to war is not so much the number of lives and the amount of property it destroys, as its moral influence…It corrupts the moral taste and hardens the heart; [it] cherishes and strengthens the base and violent passions; [and it] destroys the distinguishing features of Christian charity—its universality and its love of enemies…”

[And then, as Campbell brings his address to a close, he says]: I am ashamed to think that I have never before spoken out about my views on this subject, nor even written an essay on it. But because I try to stay neutral in party politics [Note: A. Campbell was politically active, he just wasn’t a party man], and seeing how this subject so quickly became a party issue—for awhile I couldn’t decide whether to speak out or be silent. So I finally decided not to touch the subject till the war was over. But since that time has now arrived…I do not feel that I need to offer an apology for having called your attention to this matter. The only thing I am sorry for—very sorry indeed—is to think that if I had published this address two or three years ago, it may have saved the lives of a few professing Christians, whose lives have since been thrown away in the desert. Some hot-brained youths:

“Whose limbs,

Unburied on the shore,

Devouring dogs,

Or hungry vultures tore.”

——————————————————-end of A. Campbell———————————

Does what A. Campbell had to say on this subject disturb you? If you are having trouble accepting this teaching, which I am sure many of you are, you should consider that it was taught & practiced by:

1. Jesus and the Apostles—the apostolic church and the writers of the New Testament.

2. the overwhelming majority of the early Christians for the first three centuries of the Church.

3. a few restorationist groups in church history—most notably the Anabaptists (revived believer’s baptism).

4. and many of the early key leaders in the Stone-Campbell Movement (including Stone and Campbell, along with James Harding, Tolbert Fanning, Moses Lard, David Lipscomb,  and others. Lipscomb was the most influential leader amongst Churches of Christ in the South during the last half of the 1800’s and he advocated that Christians remain completely separate from government, even to the point of not voting.)

On the bulletin board at the back of the church I have pinned up a piece of paper with internet addresses to the writings of Alexander Campbell and David Lipscomb on this subject. I invite you to respond to this message by pulling off one of those addresses and checking out their writings for yourself. But don’t just say “I disagree” and leave it at that; that is weak! I challenge you to study this out! See if this a N.T. doctrine; see if it was part of the ancient faith that was once for all delivered; examine the writings of advocates of this doctrine, and see if what they say is in harmony with the teachings of the New Testament.  And let us remember that our Lord’s Day assemblies are part of a universal religion called “Christianity”; not a religion called “Americanism.” So I encourage you to lift up your minds and try to think more like Christians and less like Americans. Eat the meat; Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and follow in His steps.

Please stand for our final hymn

[1] The American Civil War was from 1861-1865.