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Jesus is warning specific followers
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ie Christians, such as those attending this particular Church
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followers about tough times ahead. He's suggesting they be prepared for an enemy that will make things tough for them.
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And times aren't tough now? They haven't been tough in the intervening 2000-odd years? There are no enemies out there now? I beg to differ.
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He's not suggesting all his followers to sell their cloaks to be sure they have their swords to bring to church.
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Not -all-, no, but I never said anything about -all- of -anything-, so drop the strawman. I posted in direct rebuttal to Danial's statement that Jesus condemned going armed (which he clearly did not) and that one could not be a Christian while being armed (which one clearly can, since Jesus Himself instructed his followers to arm themselves).
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these words perhaps should not be taken literally
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Why not? They seemed a literal instruction to the Disciples, who responded by declaring that they already possessed some swords.
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As we know, Jesus didn't intend to start a rebellion or fight to the death to resist arrest.
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Because it was His place to be arrested and crucified in order to effect Salvation.
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He even told Peter to put away his sword when he cut the High Priest's ear
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Not the High Priest's ear, that of one of the High Priest's servants. His instruction to Peter to put away his sword was because;
1: Peter was interfering with the plan for Salvation, and
2: The servant was innocent, not being in a position of power to advance or impede Jesus's arrest, and therefore not a legitimate target. If Peter had taken a chop at one of the Sanhedrin, or the Temple Guard, or one of the Roman soldiers accompanying them, the result might have been different.