What are the views of St. Irenaeus of Lyon on participating in military service?

The answer

St. Irenaeus (second century A. D.) interprets the prophecy about swords being beaten into plowshares for farming as being fulfilled in Christians who are unschooled in the culture of fighting, who turn the other cheek when they are struck.⁹³⁵ Micah the prophet says, “He shall judge between many peoples, and rebuke strong nations afar off; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Mic. 4:3). And Isaiah the prophet says, “‘The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,’ says the Lord” (Isa. 65:25). Through Christ Jesus, human nature is transformed, the spirit of enmity is banished from it, and replaced by the spirit of love and unity; even between the wolf and the lamb, the lion and the cow, the serpent and the human. People of backgrounds with very different characteristics, some of which are quite fierce, all become one people under the leadership of the Holy Spirit of God.

Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty