Many religious people wonder if God approves of governments that exercise the right to put to death those who have broken the law. Of course, many people who believe in God believe that God's goodness prohibits His destroying anyone. Sadly, they are severing God's goodness from his severity and then adding sin to sin by assuming his wrath is ungodly. In contrast, Paul reminded the church at Rome to: "consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off." (Romans 11:22)

One cannot approach the subject of capital punishment without considering God's severity. Both His goodness and His severity deserve consideration and respect. Perhaps you have seen a Catholic priest or nun on television opposing the death sentence of some mass murderer who has been convicted as being worthy of death. Perhaps you have seen them hold up signs quoting Exodus 20:8, "Thou shalt not kill" (KJV). Is all killing forbidden? Can someone be worthy of death today? Many Catholics and religionists would say "no." But the confusion stems from lack of knowledge of God's Word. The Catholic priest, as well as others who claim to serve the Lord in word, are really not priests at all: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children." (Hosea 4:6)

1. God's Use of the Death Penalty - God has frequently incorporated the use of death in His dealings with mankind. When men rebelled against God, the judgment commonly used was death. A small sampling of this follows:
   
   
   1. The Flood (Genesis 6-8). In Genesis 6:5, Scripture indicates mankind's rebellious nature during the time of Noah: "Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."
      
      
   2. The Golden Calf Rebellion (Exodus 32). When the Lord disciplined Israel, 3,000 men fell in one day (Exodus 32:27-29).
      
      
   3. Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). These two conspired to lie about their offering. In fact, they lied to the Holy Spirit and not to men (Acts 5:3-4). Because they lied, God used death to punish this couple.
      
      
   4. Hell. "Hell and Destruction are before the LORD; So how much more the hearts of the sons of men." (Proverbs 15:11). God has yet to render His judgment of hell and destruction upon the ungodly. All whose names are not written in the Book of Life will reap the capital punishment of Hell for all eternity. (Revelation 21:11-15; 2 Thessalonians 1:8)
      
      
2. God's Recognition of the Death Penalty Enforced by Men (viz. by governing officials) It sadly amuses me that men are so shallow in their knowledge of the Scripture that they readily quote Exodus 20:13 as evidence against all kinds of killing.
   
   In reality, that passage forbids murder, not the just punishment of death upon murderers. The New King James version translates it as murder. Furthermore, just one chapter later, God commanded, "He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death." (Exodus 21:12)
   
   If God were against all kinds of killing, how would a person be able to obey this commandment? The Lord didn't limit the death penalty to murderers. In the same chapter, he condemned the one who strikes his parents, the kidnapper, the one who curses his parents, the one who hurts a pregnant woman and causes her unborn child to die, and even the one who owns an ox that is predisposed to violence, if it kills a person. (Exodus 21:15ff)
   
   Consider also the New-Testament teaching regarding government and the death penalty.
   
   
   1. God Established Government for Our Subjection (Romans 13:1). This includes all men--both religious and nonreligious. When we resist the government's fulfillment of its task of punishing evildoers, we resist God's ordinance and bring judgment on ourselves (1 Peter 2:13-14; Romans 13:2). God commanded us to honor government, not to rebel against it. (1 Peter 2:17)
      
      
   2. God Established Government to Protect Citizens (Acts 21:27-37). The government protected Paul when his fellow citizens were about to murder him.
      
      
   3. God Established Government to Promote Peace. Paul wrote, "Therefore J exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence." (1 Timothy 2:1,2)
      
      
   4. God Established Government to Punish Evil, Even If It Means Death. Or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good." (1 Peter 2:14) Likewise, Paul understood that government does not "bear the sword in vain." (Romans 13:4) The sword is not for the purpose of spanking or issuing fines; it is an instrument of death.
      
      "...executing wrath on him who practices evil." (Romans 13:4)
      
      This is exactly why Paul proclaimed to Festus in Acts 25:11, "For if I am an offender, or have committed anything worthy of death, I do not object to dying; but if there is nothing in these things of which these men accuse me, no one can deliver me to them." By "not object to dying," Paul placed an apostolic stamp of approval on certain deeds of men as being worthy of death.
      
      The next time an evil man is executed, think about these verses, but also contemplate on how unfortunate it is that our nation rarely uses capital punishment in criminology. Of the hundreds who are condemned to death, only a handful is ever executed. Seemingly, because of skillful lawyers, it is more difficult to convict murderers. And, once convicted, rather than die, many remain in prison. It is often years later, if ever, before the government executes the few who actually are put to death. Therefore, It seems to me that we use a failed measure of the death penalty.
      
      "Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore, the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil." (Ecclesiastes 8:11)