By Caleb Wheeler | Staff Writer
In recent years, there has been significant debate over the morality of the death penalty, especially among Christians.
The most compelling piece of evidence people use from the Bible against the death penalty is the commandment “thou shalt not kill.” Here, it is important to discern “kill” from “murder.” The original Hebrew phrase is “you shall murder not.”
The original wording being “murder” instead of “kill” is important because the two are defined differently throughout the Bible. Killing was often done under justifiable circumstances in the Bible, such as in times of war. Murder, on the other hand, was an unjust and sinful act.
The most important thing to consider about the Bible regarding the death penalty comes in Leviticus 24:17, which says, “If a man kills anyone, he must be put to death.” This message is repeated in Leviticus 24:21.
Psalm 82:3 also speaks of justice and says, “Uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.” Here, the Bible says the rights of a victim must be upheld by the law. Similar messages about the significance of justice and law can be seen in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 5:38-42 can be seen as a rejection of these forms of justice when Jesus says, “If anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” However, this is not Jesus refuting the concept of justice that was previously established. Rather, this is Him telling His disciples to love others and be gracious to them — providing kindness, not freedom from consequence.
The Bible does not reject capital punishment, but it does provide requirements for it. A person can be killed justly if they have killed unjustly, but they must also be treated with humanity in the process.
Another significant concern among Christians regarding the death penalty is the possibility of human error in executing an innocent person. But while it is possible to find an innocent person on death row, the odds are quite low. Of death row inmates who were sentenced after 2000, there have only been 16 exonerees. Comparatively, there are currently over 2,000 inmates on death row.
When considering a stance on the death penalty, the most important things to remember are to trust our justice system and to listen to God’s word.
A murderer is still human and deserves to be treated that way, but with appropriate consequences. God calls us to uphold justice, but He never calls us to stop loving our neighbor while we do.
