Text: Romans 13:3-4
Occasionally we hear about some awful crimes in the news. What should be done with the criminals? The Bible has a plan for that. God’s word answers our questions about life, even of this nature. Learning what God’s word teaches on subjects like this shows us that God’s way is best.
Punishments for Crimes in the Old Testament
- Flogging (Deuteronomy 25:1-3) – corporal punishment; not meant to kill or permanently injure someone; intended to inflict enough pain to deter someone from committing the same crime again
- Fines (Exodus 21:18-19) – paid to the victim; not just meant to punish; designed to try to make things right
- Restitution (Exodus 22:1-6) – similar to fines; if one’s actions resulted in the destruction or loss of property, he was to restore (and then some); if he could not pay, he was sold into slavery in order to pay his debt
- Death (Numbers 35:16) – not just for murder, but also for adultery (Leviticus 20:10); ultimate punishment; a real deterrent for others who might otherwise commit the same crimes
How Our Society Punishes Crimes
- Jail – the number of repeat offenders suggests that this is not always much of a deterrent
- Fines – paid not to the victim, but to the government
- Rehabilitation programs – not restitution or enslavement to try to pay back the victim; rehabilitation programs completely disregard the victim
- Death – rarely, if ever, carried out; when it is done, it is only after years in prison
Responsibility of Civil Authorities
- They are to “bear the sword” against those who do evil (Romans 13:3-4) – this means to do violence against those who harm others; this includes the death penalty, but is not limited to that
- Yet our society, in many cases, has opted for non-violent punishment – jail, rehabilitation, etc.; additionally, punishment is often slow to be carried out; it is no wonder then that crime has gotten out of control in some places (Ecclesiastes 8:11)
Answering an Objection to the Death Penalty
- Some Christians oppose the death penalty – they claim that the way of Christ does not include violence; yet the “way of Christ” INCLUDES civil authorities bearing the sword against evildoers (unless one wants to argue that Paul’s letter to the Romans is not part of the “way of Christ”); the “sword” is not a metaphor for non-violent punishment
- Some may protest and say we are not under the law of Moses – this specified capital punishment; it is true that we are no longer under this law (Colossians 2:14), but the responsibility of civil authorities is the same; the need to punish criminals has not changed; what God gave to Moses was the model for how a nation was to deal with crimes against the innocent
Beyond Hope of Rehabilitation
- Some are beyond any reasonable hope of rehabilitation, though many do not want to accept this reality – they have become like “unreasoning animals” (2 Peter 2:12); their conscience has been “seared” (1 Timothy 4:2) and they no longer feel guilt or remorse for their actions; they have rejected God and have developed “a depraved mind” (Romans 1:28)
- Some may protest and say that the gospel can still reach them – in theory, yes; but we must not ignore Paul’s statement about God giving them over to a depraved mind; they made their choice (in reality, a long series of choices), so God gave them over to the consequences of those choices; if their choices involved harming the innocent, then this includes civil authorities doing violence against them; that’s God’s plan, and it is not our place to say we have another plan; we need to trust God and His plan
Conclusion
- Civil authorities are to encourage goodness – in part, by punishing wickedness
- Christians/churches are to encourage holiness, righteousness, and godliness – by preaching and teaching
- Both are God’s plan – we cannot take the “sword” away from civil authorities because of the plan for the church
- Both are necessary – this contributes to an environment where people can learn the truth (1 Timothy 2:1-4)
