Christian Living

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"And from each man too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man" (Genesis 9:5–6, NIV, 1984).

Believers who agree with capital punishment and those who disagree with it both use the Bible to support their beliefs. So, it's essential for us to find out what the Bible really does teach in regards to capital punishment?

To start off, it should be mentioned that in the very first book of the Bible God reveals His position on capital punishment to us: "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man" (Genesis 9:6, 1984). Something very important here needs to be brought to our attention and that is this passages clear universal adherence to the sanctity of life.

In addition, in both Exodus 21 and Deuteronomy 19, the Bible reaffirms God's view on capital punishment by emphasizing the principle of "life for life." To murder a person who is made in the image of God is not only to show disrespect for the pinnacle of God's creation but also shows disrespect for the Creator himself. Therefore, while capital punishment may seem abhorrent from a secular perspective, it is a basic ingredient in the stew we called a biblical worldview.

"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves….for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer" (Romans 13:1–2, 4 NIV, 1984).

Capital punishment is not only specifically validated in the Old Testament; it is also implicitly confirmed in the New Testament. Jesus acknowledged the acceptance of capital punishment in front of Pilate (John 19:11), and the apostle Paul did the same in front of the Roman governor Festus (Acts 25:11). In addition, one of the thieves crucified with Christ had the presence of mind and honesty to confess, "We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve" (Luke 23:41).

And even more to the point, in Romans 13 we have the implication that the failure of the governing authorities to carry out the use of the "sword"—the Roman symbol for capital punishment—actually upholds evil and eliminates justice.

To sum up, God established capital punishment in the earliest stages of human civilization, even before the Mosaic Law, and capital punishment is never done away with by Jesus or the apostles. So, capital punishment appears to be a lasting moral principle supporting and strengthening the sanctity of life.

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