The Death Penalty Today – The Kingdom Curriculum X (4)

The Death Penalty Today

The Kingdom Curriculum X (4)

“You shall not murder.” Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17

“But if anyone hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him and attacks him fatally so that he dies…you shall purge the innocent blood from Israel, so that it may be well with you.” Deuteronomy 19:11

Still in Force Today.

In the New Testament, and the age of grace, we find something of a change in the use of capital punishment. Murder is still wrong, even more wrong than ever, since Jesus made clear the deep roots of murder in the attitudes we harbor in our hearts. We should be even more sensitive to the existence of murderous inclinations, and more determined to be rid of them in our lives and our communities.

Capital punishment still remains in force, as both Paul and Peter indicate (Rom. 13:4; 1 Pt. 2:14), but only as a tool of civil government. The Church does not have the authority to exercise capital punishment. Ancient Israel was a true theocracy, in which the body that worshiped God and that which maintained order in the community was one and the same. This is no longer the case. The Church today is a spiritual society living in an alien land, and we are commanded to be subject to the powers-that-be. In our day the State may or may not choose to inflict the death penalty; civil authorities will ultimately be accountable to God for their decision in this matter, as well as for every other aspect of their lives and duties.

But this does not mean that the Church has no power to act against those who do violence to others – whether physical, psychological, or spiritual. Sin is still sin, murder is still murder – at every level – and we are still called to overcome evil with good. The principle behind capital punishment – the preservation of life – is still valid in the Church; the practice has changed, however. As Paul showed, when a believer is guilty of an offense deserving the death penalty, the Church must separate that sinner for a time, during which his flesh may  be subdued – either by the work of the Spirit or the power of the State (1 Cor. 5). Either way, when repentance has been shown to be genuine, the community of grace must receive the penitent back into fellowship, and work to restore him to full, contributing status in the community (2 Cor. 2:5-11).

The Apostle John taught that those who would follow Jesus must walk in the commandments of God (1 John 2:1-6). Order your copy of The Law of God by going to www.MyParuchia.com and clicking on Publications, Waxed Tablet. Begin meditating on God’s Law today.

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore.

T.M. Moore is editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001,2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.