Pastor Q & A

Q. In having a discussion with friends, it came up as to what is right or wrong when fighting in a war. Isn't it wrong to save one bullet for yourself, knowing you will be captured? Is it wrong for a soldier who knows he's going to be captured to run out into the enemy firing, but knowing he will be killed?

Also, is a suicide mission to save, say thousands of people wrong? Like a man who volunteers to fly a bomb out of a state to go off in the desert instead of Los Angeles, but there is no way he can get out of the plane before the bomb goes off (happened in a TV show) .

Of course, he's a hero to people. Is this wrong in God's eyes?????

A. God’s principles regarding life in his word are clear, but the application in certain situations can become difficult where Christians prayerfully make tough decisions.

The biblical principle (focused around the 5^th commandment – a great spot to look in the catechism for passages and more on the principles) is that God created life and God alone has the right to end life. God has given government the right to end life as well. Our job is to try to preserve life as much as possible, most importantly because time is an opportunity to hear about Jesus and to share him with others.

Soldiers need to follow their commanders and authorities. God holds those in authority for their decisions so if they are told to run into an impossible seeming situation, they should.

When a soldier has options such as some of them mentioned, if he is trying to save lives by running into fire is like a man jumping on a grenade to save the lives of several others. If your intention is to save lives, then it is not a sin. (Like your bomb story or like a mom pushing kids out of the way of danger only to get killed.)

I’m not sure how using the last bullet on yourself would save lives or how it would obey the orders of the authorities above you. Now, if you had secrets or technology or were commanded not to be captured alive because your capture alive would mean the probable loss of more lives for some reason -- that might be different. So I suppose there might be situations, but probably more unusual.

In the Bible, king Saul and his armor bearer kill themselves to avoid being captured and it isn’t praised as a great act.

Q. Does the Bible tell us how the Disciple, Peter, was killed and any clues as to the date?

A. The Bible doesn't specifically mention Peter's death. John 21:18ff Jesus speaks to Peter, "I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. These verses tell us for certain Peter's end wouldn't be pleasant, but that he would make it till he was old.

The best guess we can make is that about 64 AD, Peter was killed in Nero's persecutions. Tradition, which can be taken or left, tells us Peter insisted on being crucified upside down, so he wouldn't be killed the same way as Jesus.

The important thing about Peter was the message he passed on that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Q. Is it wrong according to God's Word to marry a person that has been divorced? Someone told me that is considered adultery. Is this true?

A. There are many places in the Bible that talk about divorce. That God hates divorce and that all divorces are the result of sin is clear. Marriage is to be a life long union that no man should separate.

Your question is about a situation when divorce has already occurred in the past. Jesus in a few places talks about such situations a couple of times. These passages sometimes have a hard time being understood when translated in our culture. It's a Bible class all in itself to look at all the passages and see the meanings -- one I might teach in the future. If someone has a particular question, they can contact me.

In situations where a divorced person is the one who has been wronged -- deserted, cheated on, or left -- they are free from their marriage promises and free to marry anyone they wish when the laws of the country they are in allow. And certainly someone who marries them does no wrong. Someone who is causing the divorce by sinful action or choice, as long as their spouse wants them back, isn't free from their marriage promise and anyone who marries them now makes it impossible to go back and do what is right. For instance John is leaving Martha because he wants more excitement (not a biblical reason). He files for divorce. A woman who is dating him or marrying him now is keeping him from going back as long as Martha wants him back. But if Martha realizes she can never go back because John has broken the marriage, John is free to Marry, but still has to handle the sin of divorce with repentance even though that repentance can't include going back to his wife. Martha is free to marry anyone because the promise of her wedding were already broken.

In general, divorce and marriage issues are complicated with many sins on both sides and it's tough to pin down the truth. In general assume the best until the worst is proven is my practice.