Bible Questions Answered:
Is God in favor of capital punishment?
Jerome L./ Hamilton, Texas
Bible Answer:
God is in favor of mankind living in righteousness, and doing what is right, but when He does not, judgment is at the door, and not by God's choosing, but by man's.
God's covenant with Noah, would make it seem so.
Old Testament:
Genesis 9:6 KJV
“Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made He man.”
Deuteronomy 13:6-11 KJV (Moses)
[6] If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;
[7] Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;
[8] Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him:
[9] But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.
[10] And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
[11] And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you.
New Testament:
Romans 13:1-4 NLT
1 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.
2 So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.
3 For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you.
4 The authorities are God's servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God's servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong.
Matthew 18:1-10 KJV (Jesus)
[1] At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
[2] And Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them,
[3] And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
[4] Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
[5] And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
[6] But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
[7] Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
[8] Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
[9] And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
[10] Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
(Luther in rendering verses 8-9, It is not to be understood that a person mutilate his body, but that he should keep his members in sujbection with the help of the Holy Ghost, in true faith.)
What is Jesus saying here?
He is saying that anyone who offends a child (Temtations, leading them astray, harming them spiritually, or physically.)has such horrendous (hellish) judgement, coming, that it would have been better for that individual, if someone had tied a millstone (large grinding millstone from a mill) round about his neck and drowned him in the depths of the sea.
Ecclesiastes 8:11-13 KJV
[11] Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
[12] Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:
[13] But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.
Psalms 9:17 KJV
“The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”
