>>652833
>although I object
If you are Catholic, you cannot. This is dogmatic document. If not, then let's contuine:
>Swords, in a spiritual context usually refer to the Word itself, when Jesus says he is not come to bring peace but a sword, he means he is bringing the Word of God.
Usually does not mean always. See Romans 13:4
>Two swords would probably refer to Jesus' teachings and the OT.
That would be the one and the same sword. Theophanies were Christophanies .
>In fact, just a few verses down, one of those swords is used to cut off a servant's ear, and while elsewhere this is St. Peter's doing, in all cases, Jesus rejects the violence. So if one wants to make Luke 22:38 a justification for the Church's temporal power, I would personally say it is still unsupported, Christ himself rejected that sword in the same chapter.
Certainly the one who denies that the temporal sword is in the power of Peter has not listened well to the word of the Lord commanding: ‘Put up thy sword into thy scabbard‘ [Mt 26:52].
To quote Saint Leo: Our divine Saviour would not permit this apostle to continue in his pious zeal for the safety of his Master. He says to him: put up thy sword. For he could not be unwilling to die for the redemption of man, who chose to be born for that end alone. Now, therefore, he gives power to his implacable enemies to treat him in the most cruel manner, not willing that the triumph of the cross should be in the least deferred; the dominion of the devil and man's captivity in the least prolonged.
>Matthew 26:52 refutes itself since all who take up the sword shall perish by the sword, unless the assumption is that the Church should take up the sword on my behalf, like the sword version of gun control because I can't handle myself, when I think what Christ is alluding to is what would later be called just war theory, something which was well understood even by the Roman pagans.
This was not to condemn the use of the sword, when employed on a just cause, or by lawful authority. Euthymius looks upon it as a prophecy that the Jews should perish by the sword of the Romans.
Both swords, the spiritual and the material sword, that is power and not weapon per se, are to be used by right authority the former in the hands of the priest; the latter by the hands of kings and soldiers.
>(Can you believe that they conquered the world in self defense according to them? Really makes you think)
Divine author in 1 Macc 8:1-16 praise them justly.