Wesleyan Pentecostal Church
of Washington
Capital Punishment


Biblical Passages Sanctioning Capital Punishment

Gen. 9:5, 6; Exo. 21:12-14, 17 with Mark 7:10; Lev. 24:17-21; Num. 35:16-34; Deu. 19:11-13; 1 Kin. 2:28-34; Joh. 8:5-7; Acts 25:11; Rom. 13:1-4

Biblical Reasons for Capital Punishment

1.  Man is made in the image of God. The reference in Gen. 9:6 may refer to the murderer, the executioner, or both. When referring to the murderer it indicates that a person who can murder another made in God’s image has struck a blow at God himself. If given opportunity he would destroy the creator. It is this spirit that crucified Christ. When referring to the executioner, it means that man who is made in God’s image is God’s representative and has the right to bring judgment and slay the murderer. Gen. 9:5, 6

2.  It purifies the land of the defilement of blood and brings restitution to society. Num. 35:31-34

3.  It provides a deterrent against crime. Deu. 13:5; 17:5-7

4.  It upholds the righteous standard of restitution and justice under the eye for eye and tooth for tooth principle in God’s Word. Ex. 21:12-36; Lev. 24:17-21 w/ Ex. 22:1; Deu. 19:11-21

5.  It stays God’s hand of judgment against the nation.  Num. 35: 33, 34 with Lev. 18:25; Deu. 21:1-8; Jer. 16:17, 18; Eze. 36:17, 18


Answers to Some Arguments against Capital Punishment

1.  It answers murder with murder.

There is a difference between the unjust killing of the innocent and the just killing of the guilty. Execution, using civil, God-ordained means to kill is vastly different than a murderer using barbaric, gross means to kill another. The motive for one is selfish, the other is for justice. God never murders, but He does execute criminals. If execution is the equal of murder then God Himself is a murderer and guilty of sin. Such a thought is unthinkable. Interesting note: many who oppose capital punishment support abortion—a violent destruction of an innocent life.

2.  It is cruel and unusual punishment.

In the Bill of Rights, Article 8, of the Constitution of the United States it states that “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” These amendments or rights were added to the Constitution effective December 15, 1791. During this time capital punishments (such as hanging) for capital crimes was in place and used for years following. The founders obvious did not see this as a violation of this statement. What they were prohibiting were some of the barbarous ways in which men were executed under British law. One such way was the method employed for those convicted of treason. They were hanged by the neck, then cut down alive and disemboweled while yet living. The perpetrator’s head was cut off and his body divided into four parts for disposition by the king. (The Constitution of the United States, Its Sources and Application, by Committee for Constitutional Government, Inc. Original copyright 1922, p. 223, 224)
However, the Constitution of the U.S. is not the final authority. Everything must be judged by God’s Word. God has in numerous cases applied capital punishment and even given the means by which it was to be carried out (i.e. stoning). When a just and righteous God sanctions a punishment for particular crimes, it can not be called cruel and unusual.

3.  What about murderers who have gotten saved in prison after they killed someone? If capital punishment had been place, then they would have been lost. Capital punishment destroys their opportunity to be saved.

1.  This reasoning assumes the person would have committed the murder no matter what. It is very possible, even probable, that if capital punishment had been in place the person would never have committed the crime. Had capital punishment been consistently and justly applied, a different social environment would have been in place. There would have existed a greater deterrent to committing the crime. Further, capital punishment does not mean the criminal forfeits his right to hear the gospel and be saved. Government could easily allow the criminal to hear the gospel message before his execution. There would probably be a greater conversion rate and a greater motivation towards true repentance immediately before execution than after years of further sin and hardening in prison.
2.  This reasoning justifies an action based on the results. However, the end never justifies the means. A person may get saved in a bar room, but we can not suggest by this that all sinners go to bars in order to be converted to Christ.
3.  This thinking emphasizes the rights of the criminal instead of the victim. If the victim of murder was a sinner then there is no opportunity for him/her to ever be saved.
4.  This assumes that God has never dealt with this criminal. Perhaps God has already dealt with the criminal on several occasions and only after the searing of his conscience and hardening his heart has he committed the crime.
5.  This incorrectly suggests that salvation is only a New Testament idea. Sinners could be saved under the Old Testament when capital punishment was instituted by God. God has always commanded the sinner to repent of the error of his way. Conscience has brought conviction of violations of the Ten Commandments since creation.
6.  What if the person does get saved? Then what? Do we let the person go free because they are now a Christian? If so, then men would quickly capitalize on this and seek salvation as a means of escape from prison. Or, what if the person openly rejects salvation and shows proof of a hardened heart? Are we to keep this person alive for years only increasing his sins and eternal judgment? This would be tyranny on our part.

4.  Capital punishment is not an effective deterrent against crime.

I respond to this by asking, “Upon what data do you base this argument?” If we use capital punishment as applied in America in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, then we have faulty data. For capital punishment has not been consistently and Biblically applied in America. In addition, this takes a utilitarian approach to punishment for crime. (i.e. We are to implement the methods that work.) It means we are to allow our humanistic philosophers to test their theories of just punishments on society until they get it right. We must all become guinea pigs surrendering the safety of our lives and the lives of our families to ignorant ungodly men seeking to find a perfect system of justice. We already have historical proof that man and his systems of fines and punishments are ineffective. His trial and error system of finding a way to the utopia of an evolutionist society is killing us. We need something more solid.
But what of Christians who oppose capital punishment and promise a better system of punishments for society? To this I say it is the height of arrogance for one of God’s children to suggest that he knows better than God how to administer effective judgment against crime. Let’s scrap the utilitarian approach and take the Biblical approach. We are not asked to understand all of God’s ways, but rather to trust His impeccable character and obey His ways. God is under no obligation to give us a demonstration video showing us the “ins” and “outs” of His ways before we commit to obeying them. We do not follow God by sight, but by faith. We need to accept God’s plan in faith and concentrate on obedience to God’s law rather than the creation of new law. If God gives a rule, then we can rest assured that it is perfect, just and effective.
We might add here that if Jesus negated capital punishment, then He failed to give us another system of just punishment for those who commit capital crimes. I suggest that the fact that Christ did not introduce a new system is due to His desire that the first remain in place.

5.  Capital punishment is a violation of the sixth commandment, “thou shalt not kill.”

The proper translation of this commandment in the vernacular of today’s English, is “thou shall not murder.” Again, this commandment speaks against the unjust killing of the innocent not the just killing of the guilty. Any other interpretation puts God in contradiction to Himself. God has often ordered the killing or execution of criminals in Scripture. He has directly slain many in Old and New Testament alike. If all killing is a sin then God commits sin. This He can not do. In addition, this raises all sorts of questions about those who have killed others accidentally, or through self-defense. Are such cases a violation of the sixth commandment? The simple and straight forward answer is no they are not.

6. Capital punishment violates the Scripture in Luke 9:56 that says Christ came to save, not destroy men’s lives.

The context of this Scripture is that Christ is determined to obey the Father and has fixed His will to go to Jerusalem and die. He sends into a village of the Samaritans to prepare a place of lodging and provisions, but He is not received, because He has determined to go to Jerusalem. This indicates to the Samaritans that Christ sanctions the temple at Jerusalem and not the temple built by them at Mount Gerizim. Since they also look for a messiah, and having been moved by Christ’s ministry among the Samaritans in John 4, they want Christ to acknowledge the legitimacy of their beliefs. However, they take Christ’s rejection of their doctrine as a rejection of them and therefore they in turn reject Christ. For rejecting Christ the disciples are ready to destroy them. Christ responds that this is the wrong spirit for Christ came not to destroy those who reject Him, but to save them.
Let’s note a couple of things. First no civil law has been violated. It was not and is not a civil crime to reject Christ, and therefore an application of this verse to those who commit civil crimes would be an erroneous application. Second, Christ’s comments are made to his disciples not to the world or civil authorities. Christ recognized the separation of powers between church and state. A correct and consistent application would be that Christ, who ordained the separation of powers, instructs his followers that they are not to bring capital or corporal punishment against those who reject Christ. Christ will do this at the last judgment. Restated, the church has no power to wield the “sword” against those who do not follow the faith. History has revealed that when the church and state utilize powers belonging solely to the other, corruption results. Even today this Scripture holds true for the church. We do not take up arms against unbelievers, but rather pray for their salvation. However, this has nothing to do with the state’s right and responsibility to take up the sword against those who commit crimes against the law of the land.