Absolutly and thanks for the correction.
The issue of the death penalty has long been a constant debate among Christians. One side justifies capital punishment from its biblical origins as retribution of wrongdoing, while the liberal side argues against the practice, maintaining a holistic pro-life stance.
The concept of capital punishment was established in Genesis 9:6: ........
“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed.”
Romans 13:4 specifically discusses the concept of government’s authority, mandating the instruction: “he [rulers] does not bear the sword in vain.”
Romans 13 comes closest to speaking of the state's authority to execute, but significantly it refers to the state's
authority, not
obligation, to execute. This is consistent with the position that states are permitted, not mandated or prohibited, the use of this sanction.
These verses in Romans outline that government has the God-granted right to punish wrongdoing, which includes implementation of the death penalty. New Testament principles of love and forgiveness apply to Christians but not to governments and authority. The Bible makes it clear throughout Romans 13 that government was established as
“an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.”
That is exactly what we see in the Old Test. scriptures. With that biblical view of government, Christians can promote the death penalty as directed by God.
Now there is a problem that we all know and it is the wrongful death of someone. Since 1973 according to the Death Penalty Information Center, over 185 mistakenly convicted prisoners on death row have been exonerated, pointing to a trend of erroneous death sentences.
While that is a concern, IMHO it should not overshadow the implementation of a death sentence when appeals have all been exhausted.
The Old Testament Law prescribed the death penalty for an extensive list of crimes including:
- Murder (Exodus 21:12-14; Leviticus 24:17,21)
- Attacking or cursing a parent (Exodus 21:15,17)
- Disobedience to parents (Deuteronomy 21:18-21)
- Kidnapping (Exodus 21:16)
- Failure to confine a dangerous animal, resulting in death (Exodus 21:28-29)
- Witchcraft and sorcery (Exodus 22:18, Leviticus 20:27, Deuteronomy 13:5, 1 Samuel 28:9)
- Human sacrifice (Leviticus 20:2-5)
- Sex with an animal (Exodus 22:19, Leviticus 20:16)
- Doing work on the Sabbath (Exodus 31:14, 35:2, Numbers 15:32-36)
- Incest (Leviticus 18:6-18, 20:11-12,14,17,19-21)
- Adultery (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22)
- Homosexual acts (Leviticus 20:13)
- Prostitution by a priest's daughter (Leviticus 21:9)
- Blasphemy (Leviticus 24:14,16, 23)
- False prophecy (Deuteronomy 18:20)
- Perjury in capital cases (Deuteronomy 19:16-19)
- Refusing to obey a decision of a judge or priest (Deuteronomy 17:12)
- False claim of a woman's virginity at time of marriage (Deuteronomy 22:13-21)
- Sex between a woman pledged to be married and a man other than her betrothed (Deuteronomy 22:23-24)
Source:
https://www.christianbiblereference.org/faq_CapitalPunishment.htm
Now clearly, and I should not have to say this but, Christians are no longer bound by the legal code of Old Testament Law. The argument of a Biblical mandate for capital punishment is also contradicted by the fact that many of the capital crimes in the Old Testament are considered relatively minor today. Very few people in the Christian world would support capital punishment for such things as doing work on the Sabbath, false prophecy or making false statements about a woman's virginity.
However.....NO ONE is talking about the death penalty for breaking the Sabbath or Blasphemy or even prostitution etc.
The mandate for the death penalty is MURDER without mercy and without bias to race.
The point of this passage in Romans 13 is that Christians must not use their freedom from the Old Testament religious Law as an excuse to violate the civil law. We must obey civil authority, which is instituted by God, because of fear of punishment as well as conscience (verse 5).
