The Interpretation

Modern conceptions of such a doctrine are varied. Many Christians hold that it definitely and immutably applies and are, therefore, what are termed Christian Pacifists. The Christian church as a whole, for various reasons, is not, however, pacifist. The two most frequently put criticisms are (a) in the complexity of the modern world such absolutism is irrelevant, i.e., it won't work; and (b) although Christ was crucified and took the path of suffering always, it is not laid down upon us to do so because we are not Christs and would ourselves always fail when the time of crucial testing came. In answer to (a) one can only say that to Christ's will is all that we, as Christians, can justifiably do "He who hears my words and does them is like a man who builds his house on a rock ..." (St. Mathew 7.24.) If one holds that some vital aspects of Christ's teaching have become obsolete with the advancing world, then better throw it all over now before one's belief becomes a complete anachronism. In reply to (b), if one admits that the foregoing description, though brief and inadequate, of our Lord's purpose and method is substantially true the command "be ye perfect ..." (St. Mathew 5.48) is somewhat binding. "He who will not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me" (St. Mathew 10.38.) We are very likely to fail to do what we are commanded, but that does not release us from the striving after it. In all ages there have been those who have lived as best they could by the absolute demand, and the history of Christian martyrdom, followed, as each example has been by tremendous impetous to the Church, has given rise to the saying, "the blood of the martyrs is the blood of the Church."