Gun And The Bible
"What does the Bible say about gun rights?"

Since the Bible was written long before the gun was invented, the Bible doesn't address the gun
as gun. Sword was the weapon of choice
back then, and what the Bible says about the gun can be inferred from it. The Bible records Jesus' warning about using the sword:
"Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him. And
suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his
sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. But Jesus
said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will
perish by the sword." (Matthew 26:50-52)
The
"sword" to be used by Christians today is
the
"word of God":
"Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be
able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand
therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of
righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of
peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to
quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Ephesians
6:13-17)
The word of God of course is the Bible, and here is what Jesus commanded us about the right to self defense:
"You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a
tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever
slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also." (Matthew
5:38-39)
In
Romans 12:19-21, the Bible adds,
"do not avenge yourselves...
for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord..."
These words are not easy for us to accept, but they are
God's words, which should be neither twisted
nor ignored to suit
our desires. The right to bear arms may be historical, traditional, Constitutional
and even practical (see
Islam:
what the West needs to know) today, but it does not stem from the words or
the examples set by Jesus.