Capital Punishment commanded in the New Testament: Romans 13:1-7 Christians should support governments that practice Capital punishment. While some church leaders call Capital Punishment unbiblical, we ask them this question: "If you can't get the simple stuff right, like baptism by immersion, how can anyone trust you on the finer details?

God has authorized all present governments to punish lawbreakers by death.

I.          ORIGIN OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT:

A.        Cain is protected by God against capital punishment: Gen 4:13-15

B.        Lamech presumes even more protection: Gen 4:23-24

C.        Description of earth without capital punishment? Gen 6:11-12

D.        God's solution: Global capital punishment: Gen 6:13

II.        AFTER THE FLOOD:

A.        God institutes capital punishment: Gen 9:5-6

III.       UNDER THE OT:

A.        capital punishment for the following crimes:

1.         Premeditated murder: Ex 21:12-14

2.         Parental abuse: Ex 21:15

3.         Cursing parents: Ex 21:17

4.         Kidnapping: Ex 21:16

5.         Inadvertent abortion: Ex 21:22-25

6.         Failure to restrain dangerous animal that kills: Ex 21:28-29

7.         Killing a thief in revenge: Ex 22:2-3

8.         Sorcery: Ex 22:18

9.         Bestiality: Ex 22:19

10.       Adultery: Lev 20:10

11.       Incest: Lev 20:11-12

12.       deviant sex: Lev 20:13

13.       Marrying both mother and daughter: Lev 20:14

14.       Practicing spiritualism and mediums: Lev 20:27

15.       Breaking the Sabbath: Num 15:32

B.        Notice: Rom 7:12

IV.       UNDER THE NT:

A.        "beware, they do not bear sword for nothing": Rom 13:1-7

B.        Paul willing to die if he is sinner: Acts 25:11

C.        There are some things worthy of death: Rom 1:32

V.        PURPOSE OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT:

A.        Justice of God: "Life for life"

B.        vengeance:

1.         Individuals cannot take their own vengeance: Rom 12:17-19; 1 Th 5:15: 1 Pe 3:9

2.         God take vengeance through government: Rom 13:4; 3:5-6

C.        Deterrent:

1.         Deut 13:10-11

2.         Israelites who fell were and example for us: 1 Cor 10:6-11

3.         Ananias and Sapphira: Acts 5:1-8 "great fear came upon all"

4.         Without swift penalty crime flourishes: Eccl 8:11

D.        protection of the public:

1.         "Minister of God to you for good": Rom 13:4; 1 Pe 2:13-14

2.         Purges sin from the general public

VI.       ARGUMENTS AGAINST CAPITAL PUNISHMENT:

A.        What if the innocent are killed?

1.         What if the innocent are jailed, should we dismantle our prisons?

B.        The Bible says, "Thou shalt not kill"

1.         This means murder, for which God commanded the death penalty!

VII.     CONCLUSION:

A.        Capital offences for Christians: unrepented sin

B.        If criminal escapes justice God will eventually get him: Heb 10:30-31

Steve Rudd

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