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10 Facts About Capital Punishment
Aaron Erhardt
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Capital punishment is rooted in
respect for life (Gen. 9:6)
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Capital punishment was incorporated
in Old Law (Num. 35:16-21) (1)
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Capital punishment is authorized in
New Law (Rom. 13:1-4)
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Some crimes merit death penalty
(Acts 25:11)
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The authority to execute comes from
above (Jn. 19:10-11)
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The government is intended to
punish evil (1 Pet. 2:13-15)
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Punishment should be carried out
quickly (Eccl. 8:11)
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Failing to execute murderers
pollutes the land (Ex. 35:33)
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Individuals are not to seek private
retaliation (Rom. 12:19) (2)
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Capital punishment is not murder
(3)
Footnotes:
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In addition to
murder, other capital crimes include adultery (Lev. 20:10), blasphemy (Lev.
24:16), bestiality (Ex. 22:19), homosexuality (Lev. 20:13), striking father
or mother (Ex. 21:15), profaning the Sabbath (Ex. 31:14), etc.
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We do not have the
right to “take the law into our own hands” and exact justice. Civil
government “carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer” (Rom. 13:4).
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There is a
difference between murder and killing to administer justice. Just before
Paul wrote, “You shall not murder” (Rom. 13:9), he approvingly said that
government “does not bear the sword in vain” (Rom. 13:4). Hence, he did not
view the government’s actions to be murder.
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