Jesus Christ Would Support the Death Penalty

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Capital punishment, as ordained by God, is the only way to reduce crime in a long-lasting form. Although there are many who would refute this claim, the Bible holds its ground when it comes to the issue of capital punishment. The Bible has stood for, and will continue to stand for, capital punishment. Since God was the one who first initiated capital punishment, we should look to His Word to find the origin of it. Capital punishment was instituted when God told Adam and Eve “...in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 9:6 also references capital punishment by stating, “Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed.” Exodus 21:12 echoes this saying with, “He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.” According to the Bible, if a man kills another man, he is to be immediately put to death. He is not to be allowed to talk his way out of it. The Bible is very clear that punishment for crime should be swift and sure.

Some would argue that capital punishment can only be found in the Old Testament, and the New Testament is all about love and forgiveness. However in Matthew 5:17, Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” Jesus did not repeal all Old Testament laws and make up new ones, but on the contrary, He came to fulfill the law and the prophets. Yes, Jesus did come as a loving and merciful God, but He also came in submission to man's authority, which ultimately led to His death. Yet, does man's authority really belong to man? Does man own the authority with which to execute criminals? Jesus Himself said in John 19:11, while talking to Pilate before His crucifixion, “Thou couldest have no powe...

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...e is also a perfect, just, and holy God who cannot even look on sin. He has the power to forgive, but the punishment for crime still must be carried out. A great example of this was the thief on the cross next to Christ. In his last hours on this earth he accepted Christ as his Savior, but God did not take him off the cross because he believed. No, he still had to bear the punishment for the crimes he had committed. Jesus Christ is another good example. He did not even deserve to die. He was innocent! Yet, He submitted to the cross to pay for the sins of mankind. Sin will always have consequences, and just because God is willing to forgive sin, that does not mean He will also take away the consequences. What a criminal sows in crime, he will reap in consequence, whether those consequences are from the justice system, or from a perfectly just God in Heaven.

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