How is Capital Punishment viewed strictly from a biblical perspective?
2007-08-29 17:20:09 · 17 answers · asked by Changed 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
legal
really, it has to do with the fact that the governments are currently 'allowed; their authority, and the Bible tells the reader to 'be in fear on the 'authorities' for they are allowed their authority by God via the fact that God is allowing humans to execute said authority in his bid to allow humans to try ruling themselves outside of his direction.
Romans 13:1Let every soul be in subjection to the superior authorities, for there is no authority except by God; the existing authorities stand placed in their relative positions by God. 2 Therefore he who opposes the authority has taken a stand against the arrangement of God; those who have taken a stand against it will receive judgment to themselves. 3 For those ruling are an object of fear, not to the good deed, but to the bad. Do you, then, want to have no fear of the authority? Keep doing good, and you will have praise from it; 4 for it is God’s minister to you for your good. But if you are doing what is bad, be in fear: for it is not without purpose that it bears the sword; for it is God’s minister, an avenger to express wrath upon the one practicing what is bad.
2007-08-29 17:22:43 · answer #1 · answered by Tim 47 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
The Old Testament law commanded the death penalty for various acts: murder (Exodus 21:12), kidnapping (Exodus 21:16), bestiality (Exodus 22:19); adultery (Leviticus 20:10); homosexuality (Leviticus 20:13), being a false prophet (Deuteronomy 13:5), prostitution (Leviticus 21:9) and rape (Deuteronomy 22:24-25), and several other crimes. However, God often showed mercy when the death penalty was due. David committed adultery and murder, yet God did not demand his life be taken (2 Samuel 11:1-5, 14-17; 2 Samuel 12:13). Ultimately, each and every sin we commit should result in the death penalty (Romans 6:23). Thankfully, God demonstrates His love for us in not condemning us (Romans 5:8).
When the Pharisees brought a woman who was caught in the act of adultery to Jesus and asked Him if she should be stoned, Jesus replied, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her" (John 8:7). This should not be used to indicate that Jesus rejected capital punishment in all instances. Jesus was simply exposing the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. The Pharisees wanted to trick Jesus into breaking the Old Testament Law...they truly did not care about the woman being stoned (where was the man who was caught in adultery?) God was the One who instituted capital punishment: “Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man” (Genesis 9:6). Jesus would support capital punishment in some instances. Jesus also demonstrated grace when capital punishment was due (John 8:1-11). The Apostle Paul definitely recognized the power of the government to institute capital punishment where appropriate (Romans 13:1-5).
So, basically, we are back to where we started. Yes, God allows capital punishment. But at the same time, God does not always demand the death penalty when it is due. What should a Christian’s view on the death penalty be, then? First, we must remember that God has instituted capital punishment in His Word; therefore, it would be presumptuous of us to think that we could institute a higher standard than He or be more kind than He. God has the highest standard of any being since He is perfect. This standard applies not only to us but to Himself. Therefore, He loves to an infinite degree, and He has mercy to an infinite degree. We also see that He has wrath to an infinite degree, and it is all maintained in a perfect balance.
Second, we must recognize that God has given the government the authority to determine when capital punishment is due (Genesis 9:6; Romans 13:1-7). It is unbiblical to claim that God opposes the death penalty in all instances. Christians should never rejoice when the death penalty is employed, but at the same time, Christians should not fight against the government’s right to execute the perpetrators of the most evil of crimes.
Recommended Resource: Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics by Scott Rae.
2007-08-30 00:39:54 · answer #2 · answered by Freedom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As a scholar this is SIMPLE. If government followed the biblical scriptures on punishment for offenses we would not have so many prisons busting at the seams with so many who would have been put to death.
Kind of ironic isn't it that so many christians object to capital punishment when they forget the bit of scripture that states, "For the wages of sin is DEATH." If many of these persons spent one day with some of the worst prisoners and SAW for themselves what they are LIKE, I am sure they won't feel the same afterwards. ......
2007-08-30 00:37:29 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Genesis 9:6 Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.
Why did the Lord give the death penalty? to understand why the Lord gave this law I believe there is one main question that needs to be correctly answered...which is this:
*Who does the death penalty benefit?
1. Does it benefit the person who just got murdered? No. they are already dead...what happens to the murderer doesn't affect the dead person now....they are where they are and it doesn't matter what happens to the murderer from their perspective.
2. Does it benefit the family of the person who got murdered? if they exact justice or revenge on the murderer is that helpful to them?
could it psychologically help them? getting 'closure'
or would it harm them? (...by being filled with vengeance...)
3. Does it benefit society?
they won't do it again. But they wouldn't do it again either if they were actually locked up in jail for the rest of their life.
*4. Does it benefit the murderer himself? Ahhhh....that is the key point! The murderer himself may actually derive benefit from having his own blood shed. How?
The Lord is interested in saving people as much as is possible because He loves all of us with a perfect love and He doesn't want any of us to have to suffer more than is needed....
There is a key point that a person must understand...it is that life does indeed continue after this life! When a person dies their spirit seperates from their body and goes to either Spirit Paradise or to Spirit Prison....
A murderer is heading for a lot of suffering in the Post-Mortal Spirit World....(how many hundreds or thousands of years of suffering does it take to compensate for murdering someone? I imagine it takes a lot of time....)
So, what benefit could the murderer reap? perhaps they could escape being cast into hell forever (or perhaps maybe years of suffering could be reduced)....I am not sure how much it does count for their benefit to have their own blood shed...but from what I have read I know that there are some sins that can only be forgiven by the shedding of blood.
I know I have answered your question with many questions also (many of which I didn't fully answer)...but I definitely tried to steer my questions towards the conclusion that I believe is right...which in summary is this:
*I believe the Lord gave capital punishment to be a benefit to the murderer himself!
2007-08-30 02:31:32 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It was the harshest punishment, reserved for heinous & violent acts of murder, rape, sodomy, child abuse. Almighty God condoned/commanded it for the worst of the worst. There was no 11-14 year waiting period either. By God's law, the convicted were taken out the day of their conviction and dead and buried before the sun set that same day.
All other races and kingdoms believed in slow, prolonged tortuous death penalties...such a crucifixion, which usually took three days for the person to die, unless the guards "helped" their deaths along.
2007-08-30 00:30:51 · answer #5 · answered by faith 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth
There's a verse in the Bible that says something like the criminals are emboldened because punishment is not swift. I can't remember where that is.
2007-08-30 00:30:08 · answer #6 · answered by Cee T 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Genesis 9:6 "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.
Romans 13:1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.
2007-08-30 00:24:00 · answer #7 · answered by Martin S 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
In the OT, it was an eye for an eye. The rules changed in the NT. It became turn the other cheek. Vengence is the Lords. Period. As for me and myself, long, hard, cheap, no air, no frills labor camps for the rest of their lives would be fine with me. What a terrible existence and what a price for the taxpayer! Cheap and unliveable. If they die, they die. It's in the Lord's hands.
2007-08-30 00:29:17 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Read Leviticus. The list of offenses subject to capital punishment goes on for pages.
2007-08-30 00:27:00 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Yes, God has given this authority to earthly governments. I believe the appropriate quotes are mentioned by several people above.
2007-08-30 00:33:53 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋