Mass shootings are tragically becoming common, and the usual outcry is to place strict limits on who may own a gun. Does the Bible speak to the topic of self-defence, and owning or using weapons for self-defence?

What is the Biblical Position on Self-Defence?

Pacifism Suggests:

• Killing is always wrong (Ex 20:13)
• Resisting evil with force is wrong (Mat 5:39, Ro 12:19-21)

The Bible teaches:

1. The Sermon on the Mount teaches non-retaliation out of personal vengeance. It does not forbid self-defence.
2. The Law exonerated the man who defended his home, and slain a thief in the process (Ex 22:2-3).
3. Jesus told his disciples to get a sword for self-defence (Lk 22:36). 
4. The capture and punishment of evildoers is given to human government (Rom 13:1-4). Weapons are not to be used on the government or duly-appointed authorities.
5. Paul sought governmental protection of his person when it was available (Acts 23:16-23).
6. Individual governments get to determine the line between vigilantism and citizen-arrests. As Christians, we must submit to government regulations regarding self-defence, and use of weapons. This may include embracing some hardship (1 Pet 2)
7. Having said that, no government is able to provide protection for all its citizens at all times. To place the entire weight of trust of protection of family to the government is unwise at best.
8. The Bible also condemns cowardice in the face of others being harmed (Prov 24:11-12). 

Must a Christian Own a Gun?

1. A Christian is not obligated to have a weapon. A Christian is obligated to seek the safety of himself and his loved ones.
2. A warning exists about loving violence, where weapons become a way of life (Mt 26:52).
3. Meeting this obligation is a matter of conscience. Some protection can be delegated to police, to private security companies, to security systems . However, if or when all of these fail, or are not available, the last line of defence may be a weapon. Owning or carrying one includes the considerations:
   • The awareness of legal repercussions for misuse (or suspected misuse).
   • The possibility of theft or accident at home.

Won’t Limiting Access to Guns Bring Down Crime?

The problem with laws restricting gun-ownership is that it will disarm everyone except lawbreakers. Criminals, by definition, do not respect the law, least of all laws restricting legal gun ownership. When a government makes owning a gun very difficult, it means less and less of the law-abiding citizenry are armed. It also means that the criminals know that they are less likely to encounter guns in the homes or business they invade, the cars they hijack or the pedestrians they accost. The power of the criminal with an illegal weapon has been multiplied because of the scarcity of weapons among  the law-abiding.

The only deterrent for a criminal with a gun is another person with a gun (Eccl 8:11). The gun confers an advantage, and the presence of another gun removes that advantage. 

Consider where criminals strike. Are they known to rob police stations, shooting ranges, hunting lodges, or security companies? Rarely, precisely because they suspect other guns may be present. Mass shootings almost always take place where everyone else has been disarmed, or is armed to be: schools, universities, malls, theatres, or even churches.

Laws should encourage ownership by those mature and responsible enough to store and use them safely. Beyond that, removing guns from citizenry only arms criminals.

  – David De Bruyn, Professor of Church History, Shepherds’ Seminary Africa