Question

Answer

Thank you for your question. In one sense, the OPC has no position on the ownership of firearms because such are not mentioned in the Scripture. There are various deadly weapons mentioned, ranging from Sampson's "jaw bone of an ass" to Jael's tent peg. In other words, firearms are only a modern manifestation of an unceasing historic problem—sinful men kill each other with whatever they can find.

Consequently, we (as a church) address the root of the problem: murder in the heart. God repeatedly commands that we do no murder, and enforces severe penalties on those who would do so (e.g., Num. 35). On the other hand, God also authorized the use of deadly force in a threatening situation (e.g., Ex. 22:1–3). So the answer is not sufficiently simple that a short reply can do it justice.