Let me put this in a less angry and more scriptural manner.
By the way, I am not debeating whether you or I believe in the death penalty for killers, but whether the Bible endorses it.
“But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil” (Rom.13:4). The powers that be bear the sword to execute wrath on those that do evil. What do you think these powers are going to do with the sword? Are they going to slap someone on the wrist with it? No. They are going to “execute wrath” by executing someone. They are going to administer the death penalty.
God Himself established the death penalty long before the law was given to Moses. He told Noah, “And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man” (Gen.9:5). This command has never been repealed. Not by the New Testament. Not by Paul. Not by Jesus Himself.
Apparently some Christians do not realize that Jesus and Jehovah are one and the same. Jesus was not a prophet with new insights for living, He was God in the flesh--the same God who gave us the Ten Commandments, and who said, "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man" (Genesis 9:6).
This is not to be confused with the 6th commandment, which in the King James Version reads, "Thou shalt not kill." The proper translation of the Hebrew word is found in the New King James Version, which reads, "You shall not murder." Once again, a distinction needs to be made between "kill," "murder," and "execute," three very different terms.
There is a further problem with the understanding of the word, "forgiveness." Forgiveness means to "cease to feel resentment against." Forgiveness includes pardon for offenses, but I don't think that this is what Jesus intended. Instead, we are to cease to feel resentment against our offenders (hate the sin, not the sinner), but we are not to pardon, that is, to
release them from the legal penalties.
Some people say Jesus' teachings of love and forgiveness require us to abolish the death penalty. But do they really? If we followed this particular argument to its logical end, we would have to do away with all punishment. But no one suggests we should do that. The alternative is always life in prison, but should we put murderers in prison for the rest of their lives? "But Jesus would forgive." Should we put them in prison for twenty years? "But Jesus would forgive." Should we put them in prison for a week? "But Jesus would forgive." The problem comes from applying interpersonal matters with matters between citizen and state.
By the way, everyone screams, "WHAT ABOUT THE WOMAN CAUGHT IN ADULTERY?!" This is my answer. It was a trick question meant by the pharisees to hurt Jesus. If he told them to execute her, he would be a cruel person. If he let her go, he would break the law. So he stooped, and wrote something on the ground. We are not told what. They asked him what he meant. He said let the guiltless one throw the first rock, because if you have looked on a woman and lusted after her, you have committed adultery with her already in your heart. He shamed them into letting her go, because the law said both the man and woman in adultery should be killed. He did not accuse, because that was not his job at that coming. She had no accusers, no one to have her executed. So he let her go.
And that vengeance its the lords means person to person, not person to government.
Let grace be shown to the wicked, yet he will not learn righteousness... Isa. 26:10
Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets... Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great..." Mat. 5:17-19
Thats all for today, class. Court adjourned.
