The Bible prescribes the death penalty for various acts and behaviors. However, there is debate among Christians about whether some of these laws still apply today. This article will examine the biblical basis for capital punishment and analyze which groups the Bible says should be put to death.
Old Testament Laws Calling for Execution
The Old Testament includes many laws given to the Israelites that require capital punishment. These include:
- Murder (Exodus 21:12)
- Attacking or cursing a parent (Exodus 21:15, 17)
- Kidnapping (Exodus 21:16)
- Failure to confine a dangerous animal, resulting in death (Exodus 21:28-29)
- Witchcraft and sorcery (Exodus 22:18, Leviticus 20:27)
- Human sacrifice (Leviticus 20:2-5)
- Sexual immorality (Leviticus 20:10-16)
- Homosexual acts (Leviticus 20:13)
- Marrying both a woman and her mother (Leviticus 20:14)
- Bestiality (Exodus 22:19, Leviticus 20:15-16)
- Offering human sacrifices (Leviticus 20:2)
- False prophecy (Deuteronomy 13:1-10)
- Blasphemy (Leviticus 24:10-23)
- Breaking the Sabbath (Exodus 31:14-15, Numbers 15:32-36)
- Cursing God (Leviticus 24:10-16)
- Engaging in idolatry and leading others to do the same (Deuteronomy 13:6-10)
- Rebellious children (Deuteronomy 21:18-21)
This is not an exhaustive list, but these are some of the most prominent offenses punishable by death according to the Law of Moses.
Who Exactly Do These Laws Apply To?
Most Christians believe that the Old Testament laws calling for capital punishment applied specifically to the ancient nation of Israel under the Mosaic Law. God issued these commands to Israel to set them apart from the pagan nations surrounding them.
According to this view, these laws do not directly apply to governments and societies today. Christians have different views about what principles behind these laws might still be applicable, but most do not believe today’s governments should put people to death for offenses like witchcraft, Sabbath-breaking, or cursing one’s parents.
New Testament Perspective on Capital Punishment
There are a few principles in the New Testament that provide perspective on capital punishment:
- Murder is still considered a grave sin (Matthew 5:21-26, Romans 1:29, Galatians 5:19-21)
- Government is ordained by God to punish wrongdoers (Romans 13:1-7, 1 Peter 2:13-17)
- Christians should submit to governing authorities (Titus 3:1, 1 Peter 2:13-17)
- While government has authority to “bear the sword” as a punisher of wrongdoers, Christians should avoid personally taking revenge (Romans 12:17-21)
- The punishment for sin is death, but forgiveness is available in Christ (Romans 6:23)
The New Testament does not outright prohibit capital punishment in all cases. However, it places a high emphasis on mercy, repentance, and leaving judgment to God rather than taking personal revenge.
Groups the Bible Prescribes Death For
While Old Testament Law prescribed death for a variety of offenses, these are some of the specific groups that faced capital punishment under biblical law:
Murderers
The oldest and most prominent capital crime in the Bible is murder. Genesis 9:6 says, “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man.” Exodus 21:12 decrees that “whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.” The Bible consistently depicts murder as a grave sin deserving strong punishment.
Sexual Sinners
The Mosaic Law decreed death for sexual acts such as adultery (Leviticus 20:10), incest (Leviticus 20:11-12), homosexuality (Leviticus 20:13), and bestiality (Exodus 22:19, Leviticus 20:15-16). The stated reason was that such acts corrupted God’s people and profaned His dwelling place in their midst.
Idolaters
Idolatry was seen as a grievous sin under the Mosaic covenant. Deuteronomy 13:6-10 decreed that anyone enticing others to worship false gods must be stoned to death. Other passages prescribe death for anyone sacrificing to gods other than Yahweh (Exodus 22:20). This was meant to preserve Israel’s exclusive devotion to the true God.
Deliberate Sinners
The Law made a distinction between sins committed unintentionally versus deliberately. For deliberate, “high-handed” violations of God’s law, the offender was to be “cut off” from the people (Numbers 15:30-31), often implying death. Examples include Sabbath-breaking (Exodus 31:14-15) and approaching the tabernacle improperly (Exodus 19:12-13).
Criminals
The law mandated death for serious crimes such as kidnapping (Exodus 21:16), sorcery (Exodus 22:18), bestiality (Leviticus 20:15-16), and false prophecy (Deuteronomy 13:1-5). This served to protect innocent people and preserve Israel’s relationship with Yahweh.
Rebellious Children
Deuteronomy 21:18-21 says parents could bring a stubborn and rebellious son before the elders to be stoned to death. This unsafeguarded parental authority.
Should These Death Penalties Be Implemented Today?
Among Christians, there are three main perspectives about applying Old Testament death penalties today:
- View 1: All of these laws apply today. This view believes societies today should implement biblical law, including capital punishment for offenses like homosexuality, adultery, and idolatry. It is a minority position held by some theonomists and Christian Reconstructionists.
- View 2: These laws applied only to Israel. This perspective believes Old Testament penal laws were intended only for Israel under the Mosaic Law. Societies today may punish murder, but other death penalties like those for idolatry or Sabbath-breaking do not carry over.
- View 3: Focus on mercy and forgiveness. Others emphasize Jesus’ message of grace, forgiveness, and human fallibility. They argue for abolishing capital punishment based on New Testament principles like the Sermon on the Mount.
There is evidence for each perspective in the biblical text. But there is no consensus among Christians today about implementing all Old Testament death penalties. Most believe societies should focus on justice tempered with grace and should not execute people for religious offenses.
Conclusion
The Old Testament provided death as punishment for various acts under the Mosaic Law, including murder, sexual sin, idolatry, Sabbath-breaking, sorcery, rebellion, and kidnapping. These laws likely applied directly only to ancient Israel, though Christians debate which principles behind them might still be valid today. The New Testament accepts death as punishment for serious crimes like murder but also emphasizes mercy, leaving judgment and revenge to God. While the biblical text points in several directions regarding capital punishment, most Christians today prioritize grace and forgiveness over killing criminals for offenses like blasphemy and nonviolent sexual sins.