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| Capital Punishment (Part 1) #57 by Joseph Prescia If our nation is truly one nation under God then why is He not consulted more often? Why would someone elevate personal opinion above the will of God? Liberty is often misused to reject God to come up with a distorted human view. Since God created man He has the best solution on how to handle criminals. God’s Word declares the following: Exodus 20:13 Thou shalt not kill. (KJV) Most bible versions translate this word “kill” as “murder.” Understanding the difference between killing and murdering is critical in understanding the will of God. According to Webster, to “kill” is “to deprive of life.” One can legally kill in the line of duty for your country, like in the military. War is an accepted legal form of killing. On several occasions in the Bible God allowed his people to kill enemy nations because of the threat they posed to God’s chosen people. Also a police officer protecting our neighborhood from criminals would fall into this same category of legal killing as well as a citizen killing in self-defense. The word “kill” used in this verse must then be properly translated as “murder.” To murder according to Webster is “the crime of unlawfully killing a person.” The emphasis here is the word “unlawful.” This is the way killing is addressed in the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:13). So the difference between killing and murder is whether or not one breaks a law. God’s way of handling a murderer is death. Leviticus 24:17 And he that killeth (murders) any man shall surely be put to death. (KJV) Public opinion should not be the determining factor on whether or not America imposes the death penalty. There must be a higher standard to consult. Public opinion fluctuates and is driven by emotion rather than truth. For instance in a recent survey, according to the Pew Research Center “nearly two-thirds of Americans approve of capital punishment. This is the lowest level in 20 years and a significant decline from a high of about 75 percent in 1995.” There must be a standard far more stable than fluctuating public opinion. Truth does not change but facts, people’s emotions and polls change. The only place to seek genuine stable “truth” is in the Bible; “...thy word is truth.” (John 17:17) God is a constant. He authored His Written Word which is truth. His son, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) Malachi 3:6 ...I am the LORD, I change not...(KJV) God’s opinion is the highest advice one can seek because it is unchanging and unmovable. In Part II we will look at some spiritual reasons regarding Capital Punishment. |
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