South End
Church of Christ

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Louisville, KY 40215

 

10 Facts About Capital Punishment
Aaron Erhardt

  1. Capital punishment is rooted in respect for life (Gen. 9:6)

  2. Capital punishment was incorporated in Old Law (Num. 35:16-21) (1)

  3. Capital punishment is authorized in New Law (Rom. 13:1-4)

  4. Some crimes merit death penalty (Acts 25:11)

  5. The authority to execute comes from above (Jn. 19:10-11)

  6. The government is intended to punish evil (1 Pet. 2:13-15)

  7. Punishment should be carried out quickly (Eccl. 8:11)

  8. Failing to execute murderers pollutes the land (Ex. 35:33)

  9. Individuals are not to seek private retaliation (Rom. 12:19) (2)

  10. Capital punishment is not murder (3)

Footnotes:

  1. 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.

  2. 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).

  3. 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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