What Does The Bible Say About Gun Control?
1) All Mankind Is Evil
Romans 3:10 (KJV) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Romans 3:11 (KJV) There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
Romans 3:12 (KJV) They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Romans 3:13 (KJV) Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
Romans 3:14 (KJV) Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
Romans 3:15 (KJV) Their feet are swift to shed blood:
Romans 3:16 (KJV) Destruction and misery are in their ways:
Romans 3:17 (KJV) And the way of peace have they not known:
Romans 3:18 (KJV) There is no fear of God before their eyes.
The Bible recognizes that all men are evil. There will never be a law, rule, or anything else that will stop mankind from being evil. The Bible does have the answer on how to put restraints on evil so that good people aren’t dominated by bad people. The answer is NOT taking away weapons from good people. The answer IS to allow good people to own weapons so that bad people don’t get in power.
There will always be a few wicked people killing a few innocent people. When the right to own a weapon is removed, then there will always be a few wicked people killing a LOT of innocent people When society as a whole is wicked and they all have access to weapons then there will be a LOT of people killing a LOT of people all the time.
2) The Obligation To Bear Arms
Self Defense Is Expected
The Bible reveals the wickedness of man’s heart and expects good men to defend themselves from wicked men. Because wicked men use weapons good men must use them too. There is an expectation in the Bible that citizens have weapons to defend themselves.
Exodus 22:2 (KJV) If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.
It’s hard to kill someone with your bare hands. A weapon of some kind is usually used.
Teaching To Fight
God teaches us to fight.
The LORD…, Which Teacheth My Hands To War
Psalm 144:1 (KJV) ¶ A Psalm of David. Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:
Psalm 144:2 (KJV) My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.
What Did Jesus Say?
The Principle Of Might
When good people are stronger than wicked people there is peace. If you remove power from good people they will be overpowered by the evil people.
Luke 11:21 (KJV) When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:
Luke 11:22 (KJV) But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.
The Principle Of Self Defense: Buy A Sword
Jesus was not against citizens owning weapons. In fact, he commanded his disciples to buy swords.
Luke 22:36 (KJV) Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
Notice, The Disciple Had A Sword; It’s Possession Was Not Condemned
Matthew 26:51 (KJV) And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear.
Matthew 26:52 (KJV) Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
There Is A Time And A Place For Everything
Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV) ¶ To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
Ecclesiastes 3:2 (KJV) A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
Ecclesiastes 3:3 (KJV) A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
Ecclesiastes 3:4 (KJV) A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
Ecclesiastes 3:5 (KJV) A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
Ecclesiastes 3:6 (KJV) A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
Ecclesiastes 3:7 (KJV) A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
Ecclesiastes 3:8 (KJV) A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
We need to have the wisdom to tell what the season is and act accordingly.
3) Seeking Easy Targets
After the death of Joshua, the Israelites were now looking to posses the land of Canaan. The tribe of Dan was seeking their inheritance and was scouting out the land to see who they could conquer. They found a city that had no leader and lived a careless life. They had no defenses in place.
How They Dwelt Careless
Judges 18:1 (KJV) ¶ In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.
Judges 18:2 (KJV) And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there.
Quiet And Secure (Idle And Careless)
Judges 18:7 (KJV) ¶ Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man.
Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary
Quiet
- שָׁקַט shaqat (shâqaṭ)
Search for H8252 in KJVSL; in KJV; load in ESI.
שָׁקַט shâqaṭ, shaw-kat’
a primitive root; to repose (usually figurative):—appease, idleness, (at, be at, be in, give) quiet(-ness), (be at, be in, give, have, take) rest, settle, be still.
Secure
- בָּטַח batach (bâṭach)
בָּטַח bâṭach, baw-takh’
a primitive root; properly, to hie for refuge (but not so precipitately as H2620); figuratively, to trust, be confident or sure:—be bold (confident, secure, sure), careless (one, woman), put confidence, (make to) hope, (put, make to) trust.
Everyone Knows That The Unarmed Are Easy Targets
Judges 18:8 (KJV) And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What say ye?
Judges 18:9 (KJV) And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land.
Judges 18:10 (KJV) When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land: for God hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth.
A Small Army Can Conquer A Large Unarmed People
Judges 18:11 (KJV) And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war.
Judges 18:12 (KJV) And they went up, and pitched in Kirjath-jearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan unto this day: behold, it is behind Kirjath-jearim.
Judges 18:13 (KJV) And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah.
And There Was No Deliverer
They became a target because they were an easy target and they all died.
Judges 18:27 (KJV) ¶ And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.
Judges 18:28 (KJV) And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Beth-rehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein.
Judges 18:29 (KJV) And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.
4) Why Were The Citizizens Disarmed In The First Place?
When the general population of a nation becomes evil and turns there back on God they do wicked things. A wicked society cannot be trusted with weapons. God enabled Israel to be disarmed and subdued by their enemies so that they could be punished.
Judges 10:6 (KJV) ¶ And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him.
Judges 10:7 (KJV) And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon.
Judges 10:8 (KJV) And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.
Judges 10:9 (KJV) Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed.
Judges 10:10 (KJV) ¶ And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim.
Judges 10:11 (KJV) And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?
Judges 10:12 (KJV) The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand.
Judges 10:13 (KJV) Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.
Judges 10:14 (KJV) Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.
Judges 13:1 (KJV) ¶ And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
5) Why Disarm Citizens?
God raised up Saul to become the king of Israel and to deliver them out of the hand of the Philistines. When the Philistines conquered Israel they implemented “weapon control”, none of the Israelites were allowed to own a weapon. Wicked people know that if good people are armed then they are in danger of being overthrown. Gun control is never about keeping citizens safe. It is about enabling tyrants to get in power and then keeping them there.
1 Samuel 13:15 (KJV) ¶ And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men.
1 Samuel 13:16 (KJV) And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.
1 Samuel 13:17 (KJV) And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual:
1 Samuel 13:18 (KJV) And another company turned the way to Beth-horon: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.
1 Samuel 13:19 (KJV) Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:
1 Samuel 13:20 (KJV) But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share {hoe}, and his coulter {plowshare}, and his axe, and his mattock {pick-axe}.
1 Samuel 13:21 (KJV) Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.
All that the Israelites had were farming tools. The Philistines didn’t allow them to have any tools to sharpen their tools because they were afraid that the Israelites would make weapons and overthrow them.
1 Samuel 13:22 (KJV) So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found.
1 Samuel 13:23 (KJV) And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.
6) Overthrowing A Tyrant
It is difficult to overthrow a tyrant if you don’t have any weapons. In this case, the priest had weapons and the people had weapons. They succeeded in overthrowing a ruler who gained power by treason.
2 Kings 11:1 (KJV) ¶ And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.
2 Kings 11:2 (KJV) But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons which were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain.
2 Kings 11:3 (KJV) And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah did reign over the land.
2 Kings 11:4 (KJV) ¶ And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds, with the captains and the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the LORD, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of the LORD, and shewed them the king’s son.
2 Kings 11:5 (KJV) And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye shall do; A third part of you that enter in on the sabbath shall even be keepers of the watch of the king’s house;
2 Kings 11:6 (KJV) And a third part shall be at the gate of Sur; and a third part at the gate behind the guard: so shall ye keep the watch of the house, that it be not broken down.
2 Kings 11:7 (KJV) And two parts of all you that go forth on the sabbath, even they shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD about the king.
2 Kings 11:8 (KJV) And ye shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand: and he that cometh within the ranges, let him be slain: and be ye with the king as he goeth out and as he cometh in.
The citizens owned their own weapons. They used their own weapons to overthrow a wicked ruler.
2 Kings 11:9 (KJV) And the captains over the hundreds did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest commanded: and they took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that should go out on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest.
2 Kings 11:10 (KJV) And to the captains over hundreds did the priest give king David’s spears and shields, that were in the temple of the LORD.
The priests had weapons in the temple. They were used to overthrow a wicked ruler. In fact, there is no place in the Bible that commands citizens to not own weapons.
2 Kings 11:11 (KJV) And the guard stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, round about the king, from the right corner of the temple to the left corner of the temple, along by the altar and the temple.
2 Kings 11:12 (KJV) And he brought forth the king’s son, and put the crown upon him, and gave him the testimony; and they made him king, and anointed him; and they clapped their hands, and said, God save the king.
2 Kings 11:13 (KJV) ¶ And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the LORD.
2 Kings 11:14 (KJV) And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets: and Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, Treason.
2 Kings 11:15 (KJV) But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the host, and said unto them, Have her forth without the ranges: and him that followeth her kill with the sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of the LORD.
2 Kings 11:16 (KJV) And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by the which the horses came into the king’s house: and there was she slain.
2 Kings 11:17 (KJV) ¶ And Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people, that they should be the LORD’S people; between the king also and the people.
2 Kings 11:18 (KJV) And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and brake it down; his altars and his images brake they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the LORD.
2 Kings 11:19 (KJV) And he took the rulers over hundreds, and the captains, and the guard, and all the people of the land; and they brought down the king from the house of the LORD, and came by the way of the gate of the guard to the king’s house. And he sat on the throne of the kings.
2 Kings 11:20 (KJV) And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was in quiet: and they slew Athaliah with the sword beside the king’s house.
2 Kings 11:21 (KJV) Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign.
7) Summary
- Man is evil. Things are not evil. Things can be used for good or evil. There is not a law that can be passed that will stop crime. As a society becomes more wicked then more evil will be done. The more holy a nation, the less crime there will be. The more un-holy a nation, the more crime there will be.
- Innocent people have a duty to defend themselves. If a victim has no means to defend himself then the victims is an easy prey to predators. The predator usually has a weapon and an intent that is unknown to the selected victim. The police always come after the crime is in progress and many times it is too late to save the victim.
- Unarmed people are targeted because they can’t fight back.
- Weapon control was used by the Philistines to subdue the Israelites and keep them in bondage.
- When good citizens have weapons they can overthrow evil tyrants.
Taking away weapons won’t change the evil heart of man. Only God can change a heart from evil to good. The more people turn to God the less problems there will be.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
What If Mass Shootings Continue To Increase, What Then?
Only good people can be entrusted with freedom. When the people as a whole turn their back on God and become evil then their freedoms are taken away. It is seen in the Bible over and over again with the nation of Israel in the Old Testament. Everytime that they turned their back on God then God punished them. The only solution that will work is for our nation, as a whole, to turn back to God. If we don’t then our guns will be taken away and we will become enslaved to tyrants that gain political power.
Psalm 106:34 (KJV) ¶ They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded them:
Psalm 106:35 (KJV) But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.
Psalm 106:36 (KJV) And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.
Psalm 106:37 (KJV) Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,
Psalm 106:38 (KJV) And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.
Psalm 106:39 (KJV) Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.
Psalm 106:40 (KJV) Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.
Psalm 106:41 (KJV) And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them.
Psalm 106:42 (KJV) Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.
Psalm 106:43 (KJV) Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.
Psalm 106:44 (KJV) Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry:
Psalm 106:45 (KJV) And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.
Psalm 106:46 (KJV) He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives.
Psalm 106:47 (KJV) Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise.
Psalm 106:48 (KJV) Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD.
