Predictions by the prophetic Spirit

When the prophetic Spirit speaks as one foretelling what is going to happen, he says: “For from Zion shall go forth a law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem; and he shall judge among the nations and rebuke many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plows and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not take up sword against nation, nor shall they learn to make war any longer.”

You can be convinced that this has happened. For from Jerusalem twelve men went out into the world. They were ordinary people, unable to speak eloquently, yet through the power of God they made known to every race of humanity that they had been sent by Christ to teach everyone the word of God. And we, who once killed one another, now not only refuse to wage war against our enemies, but, so that we may neither lie nor deceive those who examine us, we gladly die while confessing Christ.

For in this matter we could have acted according to the saying, “The tongue has sworn, but the mind remains unsworn.” Yet it would be ridiculous if soldiers who enter your service and are enrolled by you place their allegiance to you before their own life, parents, homeland, and all their relatives, even though you cannot give them anything incorruptible, while we, who long for incorruption, were unwilling to endure everything in order to receive what we desire from the one who is able to give it.