Beth-El Baptist Church
11/05/06
Greg Tomlinson
Should capital punishment be exercised today?
When studying the role of Christians and politics, the issue of capital punishment and its use today was raised and a partial answer was made. This week the intention is to take a second look at capital punishment and whether or not it should be practiced.
1. What is the basic reason for capital punishment?
Deuteronomy 17:7; 19:19-20; 21:21; 22:21; 24:7 – Put evil away from among you
Deuteronomy 13:11 – Discourage others from doing the same
There are two main reasons for capital punishment. The first is to remove these evildoers from society. If they are gone, they cannot offend again. The second is to act as a deterrent to others from doing the same thing. While it is true that the carrying out of capital punishment will not be a 100% deterrent, its existence will have a deterring effect.
2. What are the requirements for invoking capital punishment?
Deuteronomy 17:4; 19:18 – diligent inquisition
Deuteronomy 17:6-7; 19:15 – 2 or 3 witnesses
Numbers 35:24 – After proper judgment/trial
There is the requirement of multiple witnesses and a diligent inquisition or trial.
3. What is a biblical definition of a witness?
Genesis 31:44-52 – Non-personal evidence
Exodus 20:16; 22:10-13; 23:1
Leviticus 5:1
Numbers 5:13-31; 35:30
Deuteronomy 17:7; 31:19-21;
Deuteronomy 31:26
compare Galatians 3:24-25
Joshua 22:26-34; 24:22
A witness can be a person or physical pieces of evidence. The Word of God is the ultimate evidence whose purpose is to bring us to Jesus Christ.
4. What are some of the crimes associated with capital punishment?
Genesis 2:17 – violating the commandments of God
Deuteronomy 13:6-10; 17:2-5 – idolatrous worship
Deuteronomy 19:16 – False witness
Genesis 9:6; Exodus 21:12, 14; Deuteronomy 19:20; Leviticus 24:17, 21; Numbers 35:16-23, 30-32 – Murder
Exodus 21:15, 17; Deuteronomy 21:18-21 – Overly rebellious son
Deuteronomy 18:20 – False prophet
Deuteronomy 22:13-14, 20-21 – fornication (premarital sex)
Deuteronomy 22:22-24 – Adultery
Deuteronomy 22:25-27 – Rape
Exodus 21:16; Deuteronomy 24:7 – Kidnapping
Leviticus 20:2 – Child sacrifice
Leviticus 20:27 – Witchcraft, communicating with the dead
Leviticus 24:10-16, 23 – blasphemed/cursing the name of God
Numbers
15:30-36 – Deliberately provoking God by intentionally breaking his laws
There are many crimes against men that are associated with capital punishment. Many of them today people do get upset enough that they believe that the perpetrator properly and rightly deserves the death penalty. Other crimes would more often be seen as not deserving of the death penalty. The point to consider though is the reason for the law in the first place. Which brings us to …..
5. What is the biblical purpose for these laws?
Romans 3:19-20; 7:7-9
Galatians 3:24-25
1 Timothy 1:9-10
The purpose of the laws dealing with capital punishment has the same purpose that all of the laws have. Their purpose is to expose the reality that by our deeds and by our actions, we rightly and justly deserve death. Having violated the law of God, we have violated the nature and character of God of whom we are made in the image of (Genesis 1:26-27).
6. What about now that Jesus has come?
Romans 1:32; 12:19-21; 13:1-5
Psalm 51:1-4 (see 2 Samuel 11:3-15)
Ecclesiastes 3:17
Jeremiah 11:20
John 7:24; 16:7-11
Acts 17:30-31
1 Peter 2:23
2 Corinthians 5:10-11
Now that Jesus has come, there is the ability to be merciful. Although men know that the violation of God’s commandments, especially most of those identified as receiving capital punishment, deserves death, there is the ability and acceptability of being merciful. Mercy in all cases is not an absolute requirement for we are still called to judge righteously. We are to carry out proper justice to the best of our ability. Yet we are to leave ultimate and true justice to God. He is the only one who can truly judge righteously.
Summary:
According to the scriptures, there are many reasons for capital punishment. Among those are murder, rape, kidnapping, adultery, and intentionally violating the commandments of God. While these crimes still occur, they can be met with mercy, and many are. There is no requirement in scripture that a Christian people cannot carry out capital punishment. The only requirement is that there is no pleasure received from the carrying out of capital punishment. The current laws that allow for capital punishment are not non-biblical since the Law of God proscribes it in many cases and never directly repeal it. We need to always remember that it is God who is to carry out vengeance and true righteousness, we are to be his servants and live close to him and remind others of their coming final judgment.