"Turn the other cheek" - are we not to fight back if attacked?
Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2024 5:46 pm
Matthew 5:38: 38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also."
When Jesus gave his famous Sermon on the Mount, he talked about "turning the other cheek." But what does this mean? Are we to endure abuse, of harmful physical attacks? As we remind ourselves, Jesus was and IS God, as are the Father and the Holy Spirit. And in the Old Testament, God endorsed defending oneself from physical attack. We also see that he often had Israel go to war against those surrounding nations that posed the risk of imminent attack or that was waging war against her.
So, how do we correctly understand the meaning behind "turning the other cheek? What did Jesus mean by saying this? Does it mean we are to never defend ourselves when physically attacked or in danger? Here, Dr. Frank Turek explains:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tttE3OKXoNo
And here, from Gotquestions.org, the principle behind the verse at the top is expounded upon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV_7-hkEeCk