In the recent election, citizens of three states—Nebraska, California, and Oklahoma—rejected measures that would have abolished the death penalty in their states. The death penalty continues to be a controversial issue in our society, prompting many to ask what the Bible says about the matter. Consider the following two facts:
- In the Law of Moses, there were 16 capital offenses (see Dave Miller, “Capital Punishment and the Bible,” bit.ly/2fmhXVX). While the Ten Commandments forbad murder (Exodus 20:13), not all killing was murder. For example, killing animals was not murder (e.g., Leviticus 1), and carrying out God-sanctioned executions was not murder (e.g., Exodus 21:12). The death penalty had two purposes in Israel: (1) To purge evil from among the people; (2) To deter people from committing crimes in the future (see Deuteronomy 13:5, 11; 17:13; 21:21).
For our purposes, however, the teaching of the Law of Moses is secondary to the teaching of the Law of Christ, under which we serve (1 Corinthians 9:21; Galatians 6:2). So let us turn to the New Testament.
- The New Testament provides God’s authority for governments to carry out executions. The first text to consider is Romans 13:1-4:
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer (emp. added).
In this text we find that human government is instituted by God, and He has authorized it to carry out executions for the protection of the innocent. Notice how the apostle Paul applied this principle to his own case, as he defended himself before King Agrippa and Governor Festus: “If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death.” (Acts 25:11).
As in the Old Testament age, executions can have a deterrent effect in the New Testament age as well. For example, when God took the lives of Ananias and Sapphira, it had a strong effect on the people who heard about it: “And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things” (Acts 5:11).
Let us always test the arguments of men by the truth of the word of God (1 Thessalonians 5:21).