Is revenge ever justified? - Revenge - TouchPoints

Leviticus 19:18“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”

Proverbs 20:22Don’t say, “I will get even for this wrong.” Wait for the Lord to handle the matter.

Proverbs 24:29Don’t say, “Now I can pay them back for what they’ve done to me! I’ll get even with them!”

Taking personal revenge is clearly forbidden by God.

Matthew 5:38-45“You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow. You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.”

Luke 6:27-36“I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. Do to others as you would like them to do to you. If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return. Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-5Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.

1 Thessalonians 5:15See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.

1 Peter 3:9Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.

Not only is taking personal revenge wrong, but God asks us to go even further. We are to repay evil with good.

Nahum 1:7-8The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him. But he will sweep away his enemies in an overwhelming flood.

Romans 12:17, 19Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. . . . Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.

God’s vengeance is not to get back or get even, but to administer righteous discipline and bring justice.

Lamentations 3:59You have seen the wrong they have done to me, Lord. Be my judge, and prove me right.

We must leave ultimate justice and revenge to God.

Exodus 21:23-25“If there is further injury, the punishment must match the injury: a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, a bruise for a bruise.”

Deuteronomy 19:21“Your rule should be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”

Matthew 5:38-39“You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.”

The often quoted “eye for an eye” verses are not an excuse for, nor are they a rule for, personal revenge. This principle wasn’t established for bringing revenge but, rather, to make sure the any punishment given fit the crime committed. If justice was to prevail, the perpetrator should neither get off the hook for a crime nor be punished too severely. An “eye for an eye” was actually a breakthrough for justice and fairness in ancient times because it prevented arbitrary punishment.

Taking revenge is nothing but arbitrary justice. Scripture gives no indication that “an eye for an eye” was meant to be taken literally. In fact, according to Exodus 21:26-27, if a slave’s eye or tooth were knocked out, that slave could go free. The point is that the severity of the punishment should fit the severity of the crime.

Romans 12:19Never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.

2 Thessalonians 1:5-10God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you. And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people—praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him.

Hebrews 10:30-31We know the one who said, “I will take revenge. I will pay them back.” He also said, “The Lord will judge his own people.” It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Revelation 18:20Rejoice over her fate, O heaven and people of God and apostles and prophets! For at last God has judged her for your sakes.

We do not need to take vengeance into our own hands, for God will judge and punish all wickedness.

1 Peter 2:21-23God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.

Jesus is our example of refusing to take revenge against those who mistreat us.