Rillera Andrew - Fight: a Christian case for nonviolence

Contents

FIGHT

Published by David C Cook

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org.); NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com; NLT are taken from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved; NEB are taken from the New English Bible, copyright Cambridge University Press and Oxford University Press 1961, 1970. All rights reserved.

The author has added italics to quotations for emphasis.

LCCN 2013940870

ISBN 978-1-4347-0492-4

eISBN 978-1-4347-0601-0

2013 Preston Sprinkle

The Team: Alex Field, Karen Lee-Thorp, Amy Konyndyk, Caitlyn Carlson, Karen Athen

Cover Design: Nick Lee

Cover Illustration: Zach Richert

First Edition 2013

Photo by Daley Hake

PRESTON SPRINKLE is the New York Times bestselling coauthor of Erasing Hell: What God Said about Eternity, and the Things Weve Made Up . He has a PhD in New Testament from Aberdeen University and currently teaches at Eternity Bible College in Simi Valley, California, where he lives with his wife and four kids.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Since the topic of warfare and violence is furiously debated, I wanted to go out of my way to have my view critiqued before I published it. Therefore, during the writing process, I had dozens of scholars, pastors, professionals, and laypeople read parts (or all) of this manuscript.

At the top of the list is my friend and former student Andrew Rillera. Andrew is one of the brightest students Ive ever had, and therefore he was an easy choice as I sought help to write this book. He devoted countless hours to research, editing, and helping craft and recraft arguments in several chapters. Andrew is currently a masters student at Fuller Seminary, but hes got the mind and intuition of a seasoned scholar. I envy the school that picks him up to do his PhD.

Im honored that Shane Claiborne wrote the foreword to this book. Shane was an early catalyst in my own thinking on this subject. I never would have imagined that he would be writing the foreword my own book in defense of nonviolence. Thank you, Shane, for so passionately fighting for this cause.

Many other biblical scholars and historians took precious time to read through chunks of this book. Thanks to Benjamin Foreman, Ron Sider, Peter Leithart, Joey Dodson, Scott Duvall, Paul Larson, Andrew Pitts, George Kalantzis, Ben Reynolds, Jason Hood, Joel Willitts, and Richard Hess.

Special thanks to Temper Longman for carefully reading through the Old Testament chapters and walking me through his improvements as we threw down some killer Mexican food in Santa Barbara.

Many thanks also to Scot McKnight, who not only read the New Testament section and offered many helpful comments, but who also encouraged me throughout the writing process.

I also chatted with several ex- (and current) military friends about the contents of this book. Thanks to Steve Watson, Bob Armstrong, and Parker Armstrong (no relation).

Several philosophers and ethicists picked apart my last couple chapters and offered invaluable feedback. Thanks to Jeff Steele, Jeff Cook, and especially Justin Bronson, whose extensive comments on several drafts of chapters 11 and 12 exceeded my own word count in those chapters. I also thank that group of professors at Ouachita Baptist University, mostly philosophers, who went around and around with me about using violence as a last resort in defense of the innocent. Tully, Matt, Eric, Big Dread, and several others whose names have escaped me. That was a fun night. Though Im glad a fight didnt break out. I would have lost.

Several pastors and laypeople read some or all of my earlier drafts and offered very helpful comments, especially when it came to communicating to the normal person. Thanks to Matt Halsted, Gregg Lennox, Grant Pedersen, Ryan Hinkle, Matt Larson, Dalton Sprinkle, and Todd Nighswonger. Most of all, my wife, Christine, combed through several chapters and saved me from saying some pretty stupid things. Thanks, hunny, for your invaluable feedback, but most of all for being the best wife a guy could ask for.

Thanks to my four kids, Kaylea, Aubrey, Josie, and Cody, for loving me and always asking, Are you done with your book yet, Daddy? Yes, kids, Im done with my book!

Mark Beuvingmy friend, colleague, and faithful editorread through the entire manuscript with a fine-toothed comb. I cant imagine ever publishing a book without it first passing by your eyes.

And thanks to the folks at David C Cook for your commitment to me and this project: Alex Field, Caitlyn Carlson, Don Pape, and Karen Lee-Thorp.

Most of all, thank You, Jesus, for sustaining me and forgiving me for mistakes Ive made in this book. I hope that its still a pleasing aroma in Your sight and brings much glory to Your name. If it doesnt, then please raise up someone else to write a response that corrects my error. May Your truth, not mine, be magnified.

What people are saying about

Fight

Considering the hostile and violent state of our world, Christians cannot afford to be ignorant on this issue. We need to know ahead of time how Christ wants us to respond so that we dont make tragic mistakes when unexpected events come our way. While so many argue from clever human logic, Preston has taken the time to make a solid biblical argument. I highly recommend that every believer examine the truths in this book. You may discover that much of your current belief system has been influenced by sources other than Scripture.