CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

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CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

LEVITICUS 20:27 ESV

²⁷ “A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.”

Life in the Scriptures is exceedingly precious.  In every instance where a requirement of death is made the crime it punishes is considered to be an extreme offense.  Lev. 20:27 is but an illustration of the many instances of capital offenses in the Levitical law.  It is not certain what all was represented by the medium or wizard but it evidently was a grievous departure from the true religion and was a danger for Israel.

The fact of capital punishment in our legal system deserves and demands Christians to give it consideration.  Some Christians on the grounds of the Scriptures oppose capital punishment while any Christian who supports it must have the same authority.

Those who oppose capital punishment do this upon the following grounds.

1.      They say it violates the law of love.  “you cannot love a person and take their life.”  If this rationale is correct they have proved their case against the practice of capital offense.

2.      They cite the sixth commandment, “You shall not kill.”  They say again to take the life of anyone is killing therefore forbidden in the law..

3.      They claim the requirement of capital punishment for murder is given along with numerous other crimes.  Therefore if it is required for murder those who support it must be consistent and require it for all the other crimes mentioned.  Since this is not so and since very few Christians would entertain any consideration of other instances than murder it is inconsistent and without warrant in that instance also.

These are good arguments and deserve a considered answer. The following is my reply to the arguments stated above.

1.       The law of love is observed only when protection is extended to all to protect them from the rapacity and criminal behavior of others.  If this requires a capital reply then it is necessary.  But also it is not love to the offender to allow them any relief for their offense other than what Scriptures requires.  If it can be shown that their requirement is to pay for the life they have taken with their own life then it is love to them to demand a capital response.

2.      The sixth commandment in the newer translations which are more correct reads “You shall do no murder.”  Murder in this instance is to take innocent life.  There are a number of instances where life is taken that is not considered innocent.

There are four particular examples of taking life that is not considered murder.

A.     When someone was killed accidentally they were given a means of escape by fleeing to a city of refuge.  Here if it was proven that they were innocent of intent and had accidentally caused a death they were not subject to death by an avenger of blood.

B.     A just war another time when taking life was not murder.  The responsibility of national defense is disputed by very few.  There are conscientious objectors.  But they are a vast minority in every nation.

C.     Another exception to the restriction upon murder was certain instances of self-defense.  Self-defense is an extremely restrictive defense.  The restrictions on it in the Scriptures need to be studied to see the justice intended.

D.    Capital punishment was another exception.  Though the Levitical law cannot be taken as a justification for modern day application, it certainly is plain that the sixth commandment was not intended to apply to this.

The Biblical authority to apply death for certain crimes far predates the Levitical law.  In Genesis 9:5-6 ESV  ⁵ And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. ⁶ “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.

3.      The basis for capital punishment for capital crimes is stated.  This is

        included in what is known as “the rainbow covenant.”  Genesis 9:12-17 ¹² And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: ¹³ I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴ When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, ¹⁵ I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. ¹⁶ When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” ¹⁷ God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”  .  This simple universal, unchanging principle is still a governing fact for us as real as the promise that the earth will not again face a universal flood.

Paul in Romans 13:4 ESV, “bearing the sword”, cannot be less than the use of capital punishment.  In Romans 13:1-3, the believer is called to be submissive to the existing government just because they do have the authority of taking life.

But there is another concern for the Christian.  This is the day of Grace.  We do not have to make an absolute demand of a death for a death.  In this as in any other sin, we do have prerogative of grace.

Application:

1.       The Scriptures must determine a believer’s attitude in all moral concerns.

2.      A Christian must be very tender toward human life.