Many religious people wonder if God approves of the government exercising the right to put to death a person who has broken the law. Of course, many people who believe in God think that His goodness prohibits His destroying anyone. Sadly, these people fail to sever God’s goodness from His severity, and then add sin to sin by assuming His wrath is ungodly. In contrast, Paul reminded the church at Rome:

One cannot approach the subject of capital punishment without considering God’s severity. Both of God’s attributes—goodness and severity--deserve our 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 of being worthy of Death? Perhaps you have seen them hold up signs quoting Exodus 20:13, “Thou shalt not kill” (KJV). Is all killing forbidden? Can someone be worthy of death today? Many Catholics and religionists would claim “no.” But the confusion stems from a lack of knowledge about God’s Word. Catholic priests, as well as others who claim to serve the Lord in word, are really not priests at all:

A. 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, He commonly used death to punish them. A small sampling of examples follows:

1. The Flood. (Genesis 6-8) The Scripture speaks of mankind’s rebellious nature during the time of Noah: (Genesis 6:5) "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 32:27-29) Three thousand men fell in one day when the Lord disciplined Israel.

3. Ananias and Sapphira. (Acts 5:1-11) These two conspired to lie about their offering. The fact of the matter is, they lied to the Holy Spirit--not to men. (Acts 5:3-4) Because they lied, God punished Ananias and Sapphira by means of death!

4. Hell. (Proverbs 15:11) “Hell and Destruction are before the LORD; so how much more the hearts of the sons of men.” 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 receive the capital punishment of Hell for eternity. (Revelation 21:11-15; 2 Thessalonians 1:8)

B. God's recognition of the death penalty enforced by men (viz. by governing officials)
I find it sadly amusing that many people have such shallow Scripture knowledge that they readily quote Exodus 20:13 as evidence against all kinds of killing. In reality, that passage forbids murder--and not the just punishment of death upon murderers. The New King James Version translates the word 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 opposed to all kinds of killing, how would a person be able to obey this commandment? The Lord didn’t limit the death penalty to only murderers either. 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, causing death to her unborn child; and even the one who owns an ox that is predisposed to violence, if it happens to kill a person (Exodus 21:15ff).

But also consider the New Testament’s teaching regarding government and the death penalty.

1. God established government and said that every soul should be subject to it. (Romans 13:1) This law includes all people—religious and non-religious. When people resist the government's task of punishing evildoers, they are resisting God’s ordinance and bringing judgment on themselves. (1 Peter 2:13-14; Romans 13:2) We are commanded to honor the government, not rebel against it. (1 Peter 2:17)

2. God set up the government to protect citizens. (Acts 21:27-37) The government protected Paul from being murdered by his fellow citizens.

3. God set up the government to promote peace. Paul said, "Therefore I 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 set up the government to punish evil--even with 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 the government did 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 this nation, unfortunately, rarely uses capital punishment in criminology. Of hundreds who are condemned to death, only a handful is executed. Seemingly, because of skillful lawyers, it is more difficult to convict a person of murder. Yet, once convicted, many remain in prison and do not die. It is often years—if ever--before the few who receive the death verdict are actually executed. To this writer, it appears that we, therefore, use a failed measure of the death penalty (Ecclesiastes 8:11).