Based on the New Testament portrayal of Christ, would He have encouraged the crucifixion of some criminals?

Question

Regarding the woman caught in adultery, and deserving of death under Jewish Law, Jesus said, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone". But would he have supported death by crucifixion or stoning for other types of offenses?

Answer 1

There was one time when Jesus Himself said in Matthew 15:4 For God commanded, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him surely die.' But that was not a death penalty, that was the consequences of not honoring your parents, which had nothing to do with a court judgment.

You cannot compare capital punishment in different time frames as whether or not they are ethical. Jesus would agree that societies have the right to defend itself against harm but Jesus would also insist that absolute justice be carried out. When you add the complexities of culture and the current mindset, things get a bit complicated. So take into consideration historical and cultural influences when discussing the past. Contrary to new invented "histories", the Church cannot order anyones death.

This is the Church's official position on the death penalty. It is by no means exhaustive:

2267 Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.

If, however, non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people's safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and more in conformity with the dignity of the human person.

Today, in fact, as a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively preventing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offense incapable of doing harm - without definitely taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself - the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity "are very rare, if not practically non-existent." 68

Answer 2

Yes. There are many verses in the Old Testament and the New Testament that say that God instituted law and the death penalty. In the Old Testament, God allowed wars and actually commanded that the victors, the Israelites, wipe out the entire enemy, mainly because the enemy were vicious, cruel and anti-God and would have murdered more if allowed to live. Even the children if left alive would have grown up to be just like their idolatrous adults. Jesus had a special teaching for the woman caught in adultry which by the way is not a crime that you get the death penalty for today in the non-Muslim world. Also, he was bringing out the point that they usually killed the woman and and not the man which was not fair. Both are equally guilty.

Answer 3

God is a just and merciful God. He won't encourage any habit that is not holy. When he said in the new testament "let he who is without sin be the first to cast the stone" he didn't say it because he encouraged her behavior. He said it because those who wanted her dead were looking at her crime and judging her when they themselves had crimes of their own. It's as if saying you're a liar when i lie all the time but only because you're caught, I'm raising my hands and prosecuting you.. And for the most part, the quote isn't all about stoning the wrong doer but rather about being careful of pointing finger when the rest are pointing at you and also to be merciful and forgiving.
I hope this helps.
Take care and God bless.

Answer 4

He placed Himself at the mercy of Jewish and Roman Laws. But clearly, based on His teachings, Jewish laws were being mis-taught in order to control the people. Interesting at the time though, that Jewish Law had no authority to condemn a man to death.

"An eye for an eye" merely meant that any punishment should match the crime.
Part of the Noahic Covenant is the establishment of human justice for other humans:

Answer 5

I dont think he would have encouraged it. He just wouldn't have had an opinion on it. He really didn't have an opinion on much.

Answer 6

Of course not.

Answer 7

no.