Nonviolent Action in the Temple
by Andy Baker

One typical argument for Christian participation in violence is the example of Jesus "cleansing" the temple. It is argued that despite Jesus' teaching on nonviolence in Matthew 5, for example, and his example of nonretaliation in the cross, that this temple incident shows that Jesus was not nonviolent, and that he did not mean for his disciples to be always and everywhere nonviolent. This essay will give a different reading.

One thing to consider with the temple passages is a passage in Mark:

Mark 11:11

Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

Here we have Jesus the day before he drives out the sacrificial animals, coming into the temple and simply "casing" the joint. He "looked around at everything." The suggestion is that Jesus had a whole day to contemplate what he did. That Jesus did not simply fly off the handle in uncontrollable rage. That is not really in the character of Jesus. He withstood a lot more angering circumstances in which he could have blown up at the blasphemy of his contemporaries. The suggestion here is that this was a calculated and measured action, rather than a spontaneous outburst.

It is important to read the passages. Below is one from the synoptic gospels and the passage from John 2:

Matthew 21:12

Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of those selling doves

John gives us a more exact picture of what Jesus did:

John 2:13-15

When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the moneychangers and overturned their tables.
To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!"

What does the text in John say Jesus actually drove out? ". . . and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables." The text refers to Jesus driving out the animals from the temple and not the men. " . . . drove all the animals out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle." The Greek text uses a construction that initiates a list (te kai). In John the te kai looks like this:

exeballan (he drove out) ek tou irou ta te probaton (the sheep) kai tous bous (the oxen) kai ekcheo (poured out) ton kollubistes (the sellers) kerma (money) kai anastrepho (overturned) trapeza (the tables).

This is what Jesus did exactly: he drove out the cattle, poured out the money and dumped over the tables. (Exeballen) in Greek, or "drove out" in English does not mean violence. Every other time this word is used in the NT it simply means to "send away." No violence is implied or ever narrated by the text. Jesus did not hit anyone. He did not kill anyone either.

Normally, when animals are driven they are not beaten with whips. It does not take much to get oxen and sheep to start moving away. These animals were actually saved from death by Jesus! So even the minimal pain he inflicted on the animals, which would be very little, is far outdone by the fact that he saved their lives.

An objection that constantly arises at this point is that the merchants would not allow their livelihood to be challenged by a single man who is not even threatening them with violence. They would surely fight back and force Jesus to use violence on them.

But what does the text of John actually say that the "Jews" did? Did they beat Jesus up? Did they try to stop him? In verse 18 they ask Jesus, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?"

They talked to him! They asked him why? They were inquiring of him. They wanted a sign so they could know he was of God and they would have gladly followed him. His answer that he would raise the temple in three days if it were destroyed was not good enough. they wanted a different sort of sign. One sign they were looking for might be to drive out some Romans immediately. After this the Jews began to plot against him.

This action in the temple is more like a nonviolent protest than it is a violent rage or military action. Jesus' actions in no way can be seen to legitimate Christian violence.