SA Should people who commit murder be put to death?
Ed Firstly, individuals must not take the law into their own hands: ‘Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord”’ (Romans 12:19). The follower of Christ must always be ready to live in peace and to forgive. Judgement of criminal cases is for the judiciary to carry out.
But should the law of the land contain the death sentence for serious offences such as murder?
There has been just one occasion when God has made a national law—when He gave the Law of Moses to Israel, to govern the state of which God Himself was actually the ruler (1 Chronicles 29:23).
The purpose of the Law was to imbue the nation with God’s values, and this was done in two complementary ways. First, there was an insistence on kindness: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ (Leviticus 19:18). Second, on an absolute standard of morality: ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy’ (Leviticus 19:2). The Law was permeated by commands to be generous and forgiving; and also its criminal justice system contained the death sentence.
Taking a life is of the utmost seriousness (Genesis 9:5). But as the Creator, God has the prerogative to take life.
The Law’s approach to criminal justice was different from the approach we’re likely to be familiar with. There were no prisons. Usually, the penalty for a crime was direct reparation to the victim, for example, ‘If a man steals an ox or a sheep and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep’ (Exodus 22:1). But there were crimes for which the death sentence applied. These included being a medium or necromancer (Leviticus 20:27), cursing God (24:16), murder (24:17), idolatry (Deuteronomy 17:2–7), rebelliousness against parents (21:18–21), and sex outside marriage (22:13–24).
These are not all crimes which would always be viewed as particularly serious today, but it’s instructive to consider why God evidently viewed them as such.
The reasons for the ultimate punishment are given: they were a deterrent for others against doing the same thing (Deuteronomy 13:11), and also they were to ‘purge the evil from your midst’ (17:7).
There is no state in today’s world which is ruled by God, so the requirements of the Law of Moses don’t apply. Different countries’ judicial systems have different approaches to criminal punishment. Followers of Christ are citizens of God’s Kingdom which is to come, and while they wait they live as ‘strangers and exiles’ in this world (Hebrews 11:13–16). They must respect and obey the law of the land where they live (Romans 13:1).