Christian Jihad - 3

Christian Jihad - 3

Once Again, Let Us Look at the Blunder

Using the title "Christian Jihad." Christian jihad (struggle) does not point to the core of the teaching. This is very easily understood in a secular way because the word "Christian" itself is not something for us to "struggle for." Let us examine and dissect this more critically, guided by the Holy Spirit and Scripture.

---

1. The Main Problem: "Christian" Is Not a Battlefield

Christianity never teaches that the identity "Christian" is something that must be established, defended, or struggled for in any way—let alone through violence or coercion. On the contrary, Scripture teaches:

· Christ has already struggled and won. On the cross, Jesus said, "It is finished" (John 19:30). The work of salvation is complete. There is nothing we need to "add" through our struggle.

· We are recipients of grace, not warriors who seize. Salvation is a gift, not the result of effort (Ephesians 2:8-9).

· Christian identity is the identity of the dead. "You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3). Dead people do not struggle to defend their name.

Therefore, to speak of "Christian Jihad" as if there is something we must struggle for for the sake of Christianity itself is a fundamental error. Christianity is not a territory to be seized or defended. Christianity is a faith response to grace.

---

2. Easily Understood in a Secular Way

The word "jihad" in the eyes of the general public (especially in the modern era) is already heavily tainted. It is most often associated with:

· Physical warfare

· Religious radicalism

· Attempts to impose beliefs

When we combine it with the word "Christian," the public will understand: "Oh, Christians also have a concept of holy war." But that is completely wrong.

Even if we explain that what is meant is a "spiritual struggle," the public will still grasp the secular nuance of the word "struggle"—that is, a heroic, persistent, never-give-up human effort. Yet the core of Christianity is surrender, not heroic struggle. "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (Galatians 2:20).

---

3. Critical Examination: Where Is the "Struggle" Actually Located?

Scripture does use words like "struggle" (agonizomai), "run," "compete," "endure." But all of them are always within one framework: the struggle of faith is a struggle to believe, to hope, and to love—not a struggle to build, defend, or spread "Christianity" as an identity.

Consider the following:

In 1 Timothy 6:12, Paul writes, "Fight the good fight of faith." The object is faith, not Christianity as a system. In Hebrews 12:1, the author writes, "Let us lay aside every weight and sin... and run with endurance." The opponent is sin, not an external enemy. In Ephesians 6:12, Paul writes, "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood." This is clear: not against humans, not against groups, not against other religions.

Thus, "Christian jihad," if forced, never confronts the outside world. It confronts the self: sin, pride, the tendency to judge, unwillingness to forgive. And ironically, the greatest "struggle" in Christianity is precisely to stop struggling—to stop relying on one's own strength, and to let Christ live through us.

---

4. The Root of the Blunder: Borrowing a Term from Outside to Explain the Core

Why do we need to borrow the word "jihad"? Does Scripture not have its own language?

Scripture already has rich vocabulary:

· Following Jesus (Matthew 16:24)

· Taking up the cross (Luke 9:23)

· Walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16)

· Fighting the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12)

· Devoting oneself to prayer (Colossians 4:2)

· Loving enemies (Matthew 5:44)

These words are sufficient. There is no need to borrow "jihad," because borrowing actually obscures rather than clarifies.

Borrowing a term from another tradition to explain the core of one's own faith is a blunder. It is like translating "cross" as "gallows" and saying, "See, it's the same thing." It loses the unique theological nuance.

---

5. Critical Conclusion: Let the Way of the Cross Stand Alone

"Christian Jihad" is a mistaken title because:

· It misses the target: Christianity is not something to be struggled for; it is received as grace.

· It has the wrong connotation: The public understands it in a secular or radical way, and long explanations will not reverse the first impression.

· It is theologically wrong: Struggle in Scripture is always spiritual and internal—against sin and the devil, not for establishing a "Christian" identity.

· It is unnecessary: Scripture already has sufficient and precise vocabulary.

The truth is this: Let the Way of the Cross stand as a unique term. The Way of the Cross is a paradox: victory through defeat, life through death, power through weakness. There is no worldly heroic struggle. What exists is total surrender to Christ, who has already struggled, already won, and already finished everything.

Final word: Do not force "jihad" into Christianity. The Way of the Cross is complete. It does not need a borrowed word. It needs people who are willing to take up the cross—not to struggle for Christianity, but to die with Christ, so that His life may be made real in our death.