Tuesday February 19, 2013

Read Matthew 5:21. Deuteronomy 5:17.  Exodus 21:22-25.

 

The capital punishment debate has been raging unresolved for decades.  Those on the positive side argue that killers have lost their right to life by taking the life of another and some even cite biblical passages that demand life for life. Those on the negative side argue that killing is immoral no matter how it is done. Others quote parts of the bible that decry human killing.

 

Jesus does not here in Matthew’s gospel negate the Old Testament command to judge the murderer. Nor does the Old Testament equate the wilful killing of a person with the judicial capital punishment of the offender. In the Old Testament the two are kept distinct. The Hebrew of the Ten Commandments where we read ‘Thou shalt not kill’ could be better translated as ‘Thou shalt not murder’ to capture the nuance of the Hebrew text.  The New Testament no where condones murder but consistently speaks of the evil of wilful murder and even declares that the (unrepentant) murderer does not have eternal life. See 1 John 3:15.

 

So in conclusion, whether you are pro or anti capital punishment we must not use the Bible out of context or just quote one or two passages, thinking that somehow we have laid down a concrete case. We need to build up a biblical picture that covers both Old and New Testament and that takes all the relevant verses (in context) into consideration. We need to learn to debate or argue with the bible as our ultimate authority all-the-while using the bible honestly and openly.  Our goal should never be to win an argument or to prove our case but to discover the truth, even if that means laying down our own long held opinions.

 

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

Adoration:

 

 

Confession:

 

 

Thanks:

Supplication:

Ask the Lord to bring great blessing to your congregation by allowing each and every individual to share their faith with non

¥ believers. Pray that the congregation would grow through conversions and that these new believers will be disciple and nurtured in their faith.

¥ Pray that our fellow followers of Jesus in China would remain faithful to the Lord in times of persecution and hardship. Pray that God would grant them all they need to continue in steadfastness and faithfulness.  Pray that the church in China would continue to grow as well.

 

 

Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Are you pro or anti capital punishment? Why?

2. Would you change your view if a solid biblical counter argument was presented to you?