Topic(s):  Bible Authority, Moral Issues

Todd Clippard

There have been three "dispensations," or periods of time, in God's relationship to man:

1) the Patriarchal (when God gave His law to the heads of the families) -- Genesis 1 - Exodus 20;

2) the Mosaic (the Hebrews living under the law of Moses while the Gentiles continued to live under the Patriarchal) -- Exodus 20-Acts 2; and

3) the Christian (the law of Christ, encompassing all men everywhere) -- Acts 2 - Judgment Day.

God sanctioned capital punishment in all three periods, and even commanded it in the first two.

In the Patriarchal, God commanded capital punishment in Genesis 9:6 - "Whoso sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made He man."

In Leviticus 17-20, there are a number of offenses for which God commanded capital punishment (which is to be understood in the phrase "cut off" or "he shall be cut off from among the people). Included in this litany of sins was: eating blood - 17:10; incest - 18:6-17; adultery - 18:20; 20:10; child sacrifice - 18:21; homosexual acts 18:22; bestiality - 18:23; witchcraft - 20:6; and cursing of one's parents - 20:9.

There are additional offences in the Old Testament that warranted death. Among them, in Numbers 9:13, a man who is able to observe the Sabbath, but does not do so, was to be executed. God commanded Achan and his family be put to death because of their disobedience in taking the spoils of Jericho.

In the Christian age, Paul recognized the power of the civil government to exercise the right of capital punishment. In Romans 13:3-4, he wrote:

“3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” KJV

Paul himself offered up his own life if it could be proven that he had done anything worthy of death:

“For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar” (Acts 25:11 KJV).

People today may oppose capital punishment on the grounds of unfair practice or administration, but cannot oppose it on the grounds of any conflict with Bible teaching. The Bible is clear on this point. The Bible even speaks to the necessity of carrying out punishment against evil doers in a speedy fashion - "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the hearts of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil" (Ecclesiates 8:11).