The Death Penalty?!.

[William H.]

Intro:
Should we support the Death Penalty? Does God's Word and if so for what reason(s).

Those familure with God's Word know that His Law (Torah) perscribed the death penalty and death is an obvious effect (spiritual/phy) of sin (Gen.2:17,22/ Rom.6:23/ Heb.9:27) that can be seen with each passing moment. Where we stand on the issue comes second to the stance of The Almighty.

While the physical death sentance will not be lifted for transgression of the Torah (Law), Christ did fulfill the Passover (blood) sacrifice of which fulfills the punishment of sin spiritually for those who have sinned and Yet embrace The Almighty with all their heart at judgement. (1 Cor.5:6-8/ Heb.2:14).

So where should believers stand on the issue when it comes to Laws of the land today according to God's WORD. Should we support the death penalty? If so for what reasons?
Examples: blasphemy, rape, murder, homosexual acts, adultry,...?
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Ex. 20:13-Thou shalt not kill (Murder) Deut.5:17.( Rom. 13:9)/ Matt. 19:18/(Num.35:16-17)
Penalty- Gen. 9:6/ Ex.21:12(vs. 13 note to lay in wait)-vs14)
Christ came not to change the Law but rather to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17 )(Luke 16:17 ). when it comes to the new Covenant only practices and ordinances have changed not the Law. For this reason Christians should support the D.P. for such transgressions as the Word states!(Num.35:29&33) in my view/ example murder

Terminology/
Kill as vaguely used throughout the English World is differ than murder in the Hebrew yet both Hebrew terms are translated kill in English sources. This causes confusion and does a mis serivce to The WORD of God.
Example- Ex.29:20 "Then shalt thou kill the ram" This term in the Hebrew is shachat. it is to slaughter or kill slay as in sacrifice. nakah is another term translated kill and it is to strike , to surly wound, attack.

* In the commandment the term in the Hebrew is -ratsach- (Ex.20:13/ Deut.5:17) which is to "kill" another human being,as to murder, to slay, / One can even look to a familure root ratson which is to show delight, personal desire, pleasure, personal will/ and its root even more closely relates - ratsah- to be pleased with, to satisfy self, set affection, approve, content with, delight enjoy, favor, like reconcile self.  

 To “Nakah" is also translated Smiteth’ or smite. “Harag” - slay, kill. NOTE Moses was never said to have commited murder as to say "ratsach" rather he killed the Egyptian (Ex.2:12- nakah/ Ex.2:14 - harag)

The point is to kill in the fashion mentioned in the commandment is to take personal vengance upon another, to murder (premeditated) in self justification and or personal judgement. Judgement (Vengance) belongeth to God! God's judgements are just and His Law is righteous. Murder not the general "kill"as used in the NT. Again one should relate this back to the original context which would be the Greek! The term used in Matt:19:18 is phoneus. This term means a muderer (always of criminal and intentional homicide.The greek has many terms translated to the general kill, and not all mean murder (example : Apokteino)

One who lays in wait, who premeditates and kills in self justification (matt.7:1-2)is one who deserves the Death Penalty according to God's judgement (Deut.17:9). This can also be viewed in a spiritual way! Afterall who killed Christ our Lord? We all did, for we all sin (even "Christians"- 1st John 1:1-8). Grace wouldnt be Grace without the Law. Grace- undeserving unmerited favor. Thus the Law is still in effect. Those who dont recieve the Grace of God will be found guilty according to the Law at judgement.

Greek term for general "kill", destroy (aside from the detailed "murder") is
apoketeino- destroy- put to death- kill slay

Ps.144- a soilders Psalm!
"vs.1 BLESSED be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:"

Trail
A murder should have a trial within a Godly nation to determine guilt. At least 2 witnesses are need as evidence by mouth (Deut.17 and 19/ John 8:17 ). When it comes to carrying out a trail and one is found to be baring false witness against another, THe false accuser is to recieve the punishment they sought against their fellow man (* Deut.19:16-21/ Matt.23:2/ 1 Cor.6:4) 
There is also a great story of this in use in Dan. in the Apocrypha (uncannonized section of Daniel) in story of "Susanna". We also have such stories asDaniel in the lions den in Dan 6, Shadrach Meshach and Abednego Dan.3. With this being said if one is unjustly condemned at trial and punished cause of false witness and it seems the false witness got away with it God is keeping record!

* In 1 Cor.6:9-11 we see mention of many of those things listed in Gal.5:19-21 (and the Commandments) and how one can be washed clean of such while in the flesh, but i dont see murder listed there. Its not Our job to say one is hopless of salvation (Matt.5:22)while in the flesh rather we are to share His blue print and the good news of Salvation (1 Jn.1:9).

Numbers 35:30-31 (King James Version)

30Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. 31Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.


*One reason the death penalty is used and should be according to God's Word is cause these things shall cease happining among you. One can't continue to do these things when they are dead And this judgement when known to the wicked causes them to think twice before such acts.

Deuteronomy 17:6-7 (King James Version)

6At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.
7The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away from among you.

Use to in America people thought of such punishment when thinking of commiting murder. Now days one just admites and shares details and or cuts a deal for lesser punishment or pleads insane. And some states dont even have a D.P.!

Deuteronomy 19:15-19 (King James Version)

15One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.
16 If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;

17Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;

18And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;

19 Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.

Now we now in the last days we as Christians will be delivered before councils and some shall be put to death.Luke 12:4-5 (King James Version)

4And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

5But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

For us this rings true-Ecclesiastes 7
1A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

Leviticus 24:17 (King James Version)

17And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.

 

One of the Devil's names is death-Hebrews 2:14 (*John 8:44)and pride is perhaps his biggest downfall.
With that knowledge look at 1st John 3:14&15 - This may suggest that one guilty of murder will not find salvation while in the flesh but rather must contend with this transgression before God. Yet as some of my other blogs mention the great white throne judgement doesn't come until the end of the Lords day!/also note there is a 1st and 2nd resurection.(Gal. 5:19-21) *1 Cor.6:9-11

Matt. 5:21-22 / now when it comes to the term fool I support that this is to say to another they are hopeless of salvation! That is a great transgression. We as Christians are to do the opposite (call others unto repentance) and share the good message of salvation, not to play judge.

1 John 3:15
Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 

The wage of sin is death

Gal.5:19-20 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Cor.6:9-11 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

God knows our hearts

1 Jn.1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. As far as a God fearing nation goes, should the death penalty be in action? Should a nation execute the judgements of The God of Israel in this time of the gentiles (Grace)? I dont ask people to judge others on their salvation but rather the transgressions of which the death penalty was given in the Word. 
Also note, a sociopath has very low levels of anxiety and often passes lie detectors.

To use the exscuse of being mentaly sick during an act of murder should have little to no value in trials IMO. We are told what to do with those who commit such and when they are sent to the Father he has knowledge of all things anyway./
Spirit (Ruach)/(Pneuma) is like onto wind (the unseen). Examples: Faith, Heart, Mind, intelect/ and the Holy Spirit is Devine intelect! Those who study the brain know that those who commit murder and suicide have signs in their brains that are common! Not to say that all with such signs commit such though.

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As of 2008 /50 states/
37 states with a death penalty
13 states without the death penalty

White males are amoung the highest percentage recieveing the death penalty.

13 states without Captial Punishment Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Main Maa, Michigan, Minn, New Jersey, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virgina, West Virgina, Wisconsin Kansas allows in its law books but does not practice)Death Penalty (capital punishemt by nations) Key for map below: blue abolished for all offenses green abolished except for very spacific and special circumstances orange retained but hasnt been used for more than 10yrs red retains and practices Belarus, China, Cuba, egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Tonga, USA, Vietnam...... 

General Life Sentance practiced in red/ green only under very strict standards/ Blue life imprisonment abolished/ white - life sentance unkown presumed legal Deuteronomy 22:25-26
But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die. But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter: 
Adultry- Lev.20:10 (Matt.5:28) 

Original values of America (based off of the Laws of God)

We do know David plotted the death of Uriah but didnt carry out the act physically.

Paul held the coats of those who killed Steven,

Moses struck one who was striking another, causing his death (yet the Hebrew word used here isnt the same as the commandment against murder).

God is judge and knows our hearts.


Do not murder.
The next several commands form much of the heart of our criminal laws, and, as noted by Noah Webster, one of the first founders to call for the Constitutional Convention, the divine law is the original source of several of those criminal laws:

A 1641 Massachusetts law declared:

 Ex. 21.12, Numb. 35.13, 14, 30, 31. If any person commit any willful murder, which is manslaughter committed upon premeditated malice, hatred, or cruelty, not in a man’s necessary and just defense nor by mere casualty against his will, he shall be put to death.

 Numb. 25.20, 21. Lev. 24.17. If any person slayeth another suddenly in his anger or cruelty of passion, he shall be put to death.

 Ex. 21.14. If any person shall slay another through guile, either by poisoning or other such devilish practice, he shall be put to death."

Similar provisions can be found in the Connecticut laws of 1642, the New Hampshire laws of 1680, etc.

Courts, too, have been very candid in tracing civil murder laws back to the Decalogue. For example, a 1932 Kentucky appeals court declared:

"The rights of society as well as those of appellant are involved and are also to be protected, and to that end all forms of governments following the promulgation of Moses at Mt. Sinai has required of each and every one of its citizens that “Thou shalt not murder.” If that law is violated, the one guilty of it has no right to demand more than a fair trial, and if, as a result thereof, the severest punishment for the crime is visited upon him, he has no one to blame but himself."

Even the “severest punishment for the crime” is traced back to divine laws. As first Chief Justice John Jay explained:

"There were several divine, positive ordinances . . . of universal obligation, as . . . the particular punishment for murder."
There certainly exist more than sufficient cases with declarations similar to that made by the Kentucky court above to demonstrate that the sixth commandment of the Decalogue exerted substantial force on American civil law and jurisprudence.


Jn.8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

(1 Cor.3:13/ 1 Jn.4:7-8,16)

Gal.5:19-21 murderers (hatred,wrath,strife) will not inherit the kingdom. These are works of the flesh. Those who have devoted their lives to an ongoing relationship with the LORD through Salvation (Yeshua) have crusified such lusts Gal.5:24. 

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[William H.]

In closing,

God is the authority, so the question is what does His Word state on the subject right? After all who r we to change the Order when God's Word has spoken on the issue. The Passover (blood) sacrifice was fulfilled in Yeshua n which one can be washed of sins (example adultry which once called for stoneing). Does this blood cover all transgressions? Yes/ Spiritually. However does this do away with the governmental order of dispatching murderers (which have not eturnal life abiding in them) for the very reason (Deut.17:7)we were told to do so? If their transgression is covered automatically as a rule in general then perhaps u believe they should also be Free (to do it again) and have no fear of commiting such before the LORD which doesn't sound anything like the order of God? God called for a tial with set Standards for a murder and when found guilty send them to Him. We are also told that one who knowingly lies on the stand should recieve that which would happen to one on trial for their false witness. If there isnt enough evidence (2 witnesses/ hard evidence) then this one should not be punished. if it is determined an accident and may inflame family to vengance the one on trial maybe moved to a safe zone away from family.

[William H.]

(US) 37 executions in 2008/ There were 52 executions in 2009 (doesnt seem like very many taking into account all the murders stacked up over the years to only mention One crime) 15,241 murders in 2009