Sermon Tone Analysis

It seems to me that there are two fundamental questions that we must answer to know God’s position on Capital Punishment.

First, did God give any instructions or approval regarding Capital Punishment in the Old Testament?

Second, did God change his instructions or teachings to man in the New Testament, with the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus?

 

*/Capital Punishment and the Old Testament/*

            The first scripture that came to my mind was the commandment “Thou shall not kill” (Exodus 20:13).

However, only the King James Version translated the original text in this manner.

The New King James clarifies this commandment as “Thou shall not murder”.

This distinction is important, as “to kill” means to cause someone’s death (with or without reason or justification), whereas “to murder” means to cause someone’s death in a selfish, wanton, or frivolous fashion, and implying that there was no valid reason or justification.

The New International Version, the New Revised Standard Version, the Contemporary English Version, and the New Century Version all use the word “murder”, rather than kill.

So, the Ten Commandments themselves don’t prohibit Capital Punishment, because it is not a murder, a death caused in a selfish, frivolous, or wanton fashion.

This crucial distinction between “to kill” and “to murder” is made quite clear in Exodus 21:12-14 (CEV).

/The Lord said: /*12 *Death is the punishment for murder.

*13* But if you did not intend to kill someone, and I, the Lord, let it happen anyway, you may run for safety to a place that I have set aside.

*14* If you plan in advance to murder someone, there’s no escape, not even by holding on to my altar.

You will be dragged off and killed.”

In fact, we can be sure that murder is the correct translation of what God forbids, because in Genesis 9:6, God commands Noah

“And if a person takes the life of another, that person must be put to death”.

In Exodus 21:12-32; 22:18-21; 35:2; Leviticus 20:1-7, 10, 27; 24:15-21; Deuteronomy 17:6-7, 12; 19:11-13, 20-21; 21:18-21; 22:22-24, there are listed 18 different offenses punishable by death.

In the Old Testament, God tells us that we were created in his image, and that we are so unique and precious to him, that for a mere man to decide to snuff out one of His created beings is an offense that demands the ultimate penalty, the death of the offender.

In Ezekiel 33:11 God says

“Tell them that as surely as I am the living Lord God, I don’t like to see wicked people die.

I enjoy seeing them turn from their sins and live.”

God certainly doesn’t enjoy the death of the offender, but his righteousness and justice demand it.

To not extract the ultimate price from a murderer would be to devalue what God created in “His own image”.

\\             As a brief aside, these texts would seem to support a soldier killing an enemy in combat (when you also take into consideration New Testament scriptures regarding our duty to serve our Government).

To confirm this, there are numerous examples of wars, and the ensuing killing, that God ordained.

We even read scriptures of God punishing the leaders for not being as vigorous in eliminating the opposing soldiers as he ordered.

Also, we can only imagine God’s horror at our Country’s embrace of abortion, which is “to murder” not just “to kill”.

With 1,900,000 babies being murdered in the US last year, I have to wonder if we have not become as evil as the people God destroyed in Noah’s day.

*/Capital Punishment and the New Testament/*

*/      /*It is quite easy to imagine that basically “Jesus changed everything”, including the rules and practices of the Old Testament.

I always think of Luke 6:27 (CEV):

 “*27 *This is what I say to all who will listen to me: Love your enemies, and be good to everyone who hates you.

*28* Ask God to bless anyone who curses you, and pray for everyone who is cruel to you.

*29* If someone slaps you on one cheek, don’t stop that person from slapping you on the other cheek.

If someone wants to take your coat, don’t try to keep back your shirt.”

Certainly this scripture provides us with a model for Christian behavior, as difficult as it is for us to attain!

However, earlier in Jesus' teachings, at the Sermon on the Mount, he specifically addressed the Law of Moses, the “Ten Commandments”, in Matthew 5:17-19 (CEV):

 “*17 Don’t suppose that I came to do away with the Law and the Prophets.*

I did not come to do away with them, but to give them their full meaning.

*18* *Heaven and earth may disappear.

But I promise you that not even a period or comma will ever disappear from the Law.

Everything written in it must happen.

19 *If you reject even the least important command in the Law and teach others to do the same, you will be the least important person in the kingdom of heaven.

But if you obey and teach others its commands, you will have an important place in the kingdom.”

On the surface, this seems pretty clear-cut and straight-forward.

God’s earlier teachings on Capital Punishment were not changed in any way by Jesus in the New Testament.

This is borne out by other New Testament scriptures and direct teachings of Jesus.

In Galatians 1:7-9 (CEV), Paul says

 “*7* ...But some people are causing you trouble and want to make you turn away from the good news about Christ.

*8* I pray that God will punish anyone who preaches anything different from our message to you!

It doesn’t matter if that person is one of us or an angel from heaven.

*9* I have said it before, and I will say it again.

I hope God will punish anyone who preaches anything different from what you have already believed.”

Later in Galatians 3:6-9, Paul says this Gospel message in the New Testament is the same message that Abraham received in the Old Testament, further affirmation of the consistency of Divine teachings in the Old and New Testaments.

In Acts 5:1-9 (CEV), Peter imposes Capital Punishment on Ananias and Sapphira.

* 1*Ananias and his wife Sapphira also sold a piece of property.

*2 *But they agreed to cheat and keep some of the money for themselves.

So when Ananias took the rest of the money to the apostles, *3 *Peter said, “Why has Satan made you keep back some of the money from the sale of the property?

Why have you lied to the Holy Spirit?

*4* The property was yours before you sold it, and even after you sold it, the money was still yours.

What made you do such a thing?

You didn’t lie to people.

You lied to God!”  *5 *As soon as Ananias heard this, he dropped dead, and everyone who heard about it was frightened.

*6* Some young men came in and wrapped up his body.

Then they took it out and buried it.

*7 *Three hours later Sapphira came in, but she did not know what had happened to her husband.

*8* Peter asked her, “Tell me, did you sell the property for this amount?”

“Yes,” she answered, “that’s the amount.”

*9 *Then Peter said, “Why did the two of you agree to test the Lord’s Spirit?

The men who buried Ananias are by the door, and they will carry you out!” *10* At once she fell at Peter’s feet and died.”

In Acts 12:1-2, King Herod orders the Death Penalty for James.

*“1*At that time King Herod caused terrible suffering for some members of the church.

*2* He ordered soldiers to cut off the head of James, the brother of John.”

It is easy to see that Herod’s Capital Punishment was an incorrect application of Capital Punishment, *however the New testament teachings acknowledge that he had the right to do so*.

In Romans 13:1, 4 Paul states

“*1*Obey the rulers who have authority over you.

Only God can give authority to anyone, and he puts these rulers in their places of power...*4*If you do something wrong, you ought to be afraid, because *these rulers have the right to punish you*.

They are God’s servants who punish criminals to show how angry God is.”

When Paul was arrested, in Acts 25:9-11, he again gives a New Testament affirmation of the Death Penalty / Capital Punishment.

*9 *Festus wanted to please the leaders.

So he asked Paul, “Are you willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried by me on these charges?” *10 *Paul replied, “I am on trial in the Emperor’s court, and that’s where I should be tried.

You know very well that I have not done anything to harm the Jewish nation.

*11* *If I had done something deserving death, I would not ask to escape the death penalty.*

But I am not guilty of any of these crimes, and no one has the right to hand me over to these people.

I now ask to be tried by the Emperor himself.”

The New Testament holds one more affirmation of Capital Punishment, and it come from the mouth of Jesus at his trial before Pilate.

*10 *“Why won’t you answer my question?”

Pilate asked.

*“Don’t you know that I have the power to let you go free or to nail you to a cross?” * *11 *Jesus replied, *“If God had not given you the power, you couldn’t do anything at all to me.”*

* *

*      *So even at his trial before Pilate, *Jesus, contrary to what we would have wanted him to say, acknowledges that Pilate, or the Government, has the authority to put Jesus to death, and that the Government’s authority was granted by God.*

* *

      *Thus the Capital Punishment of the Old Testament is acknowledged consistently in the New Testament - even to the awful conclusion of putting Jesus to death.*

Since Capital Punishment is such a final punishment, it obviously must be wielded with the utmost care and discretion.

In fact, Jesus teaches us that with a scripture passage which could cause someone to think that he had abolished Capital Punishment, if he took it out of context.

In John 8:3-11 (CEV): *3 *The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses brought in a woman who had been caught in bed with a man who wasn’t her husband.

They made her stand in the middle of the crowd.

*4 *Then they said, “Teacher, this woman was caught sleeping with a man who isn’t her husband.

*5* The Law of Moses teaches that a woman like this should be stoned to death!

What do you say?” *6 *They asked Jesus this question, because they wanted to test him and bring some charge against him.

But Jesus simply bent over and started writing on the ground with his finger.