Capital Punishment

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Capital Punishment

• Is It Scriptural?
• What should the Christians Attitude be Toward
  it?
• Does being humane have any merit?

2
Timothy McVeighs Last Words

• Out of the night that covers me, black as the
  pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may
  be for my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch
  of circumstance, I have not winced nor cried
  aloud. Under the bludgeoning of chance my head is
  bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath
  and tears looms but the horror of the shade, and
  yet the menace of the years finds, and shall
  find, me unafraid. It matters not how strait the
  gate, how charged with punishments the scroll, I
  am the master of my soul.

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Timothy McVeighs Unbowed, Unconquered?

• Jesus answered them, Most assuredly, I say to
  you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.
  John 834
• Do you not know that to whom you present
  yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's
  slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to
  death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
  Romans 616

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Timothy McVeighs Unbowed, Unconquered?

• But evil men and impostors will grow worse and
  worse, deceiving and being deceived. 2 Timothy
  313
• For it is written As I live, says the LORD,
  Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue
  shall confess to God. So then each of us shall
  give account of himself to God. Romans 1411,12

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Sin Hardens the Heart

• Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever
  you are who judge, for in whatever you judge
  another you condemn yourself for you who judge
  practice the same things. But we know that the
  judgment of God is according to truth against
  those who practice such things. And do you think
  this, O man, you who judge those practicing such
  things, and doing the same, that you will escape
  the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches
  of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering,
  not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to
  repentance? But in accordance with your hardness
  and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up
  for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and
  revelation of the righteous judgment of God.
  Romans 21-5

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Captain of His Soul?

• Then the dust will return to the earth as it
  was, and the spirit will return to God who gave
  it. Ecclesiastes 127
• But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul
  will be required of you then whose will those
  things be which you have provided? Luke 1220
• But I will show you whom you should fear Fear
  Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast
  into hell yes, I say to you, fear Him! Luke
  125

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Theories of Men Fail!

• True is Relative. Was McVeighs
  action True for him?
• We Should Not Judge. Should we not
  judge this mans actions?
  Evil? Good? Neutral?
• Barbaric Practice. Europe condemns USA practice
  of it.
• Capital Punishment will not
  deter crime.

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Capital Punishment--Commanded

• Under the Patriarchal Law

• Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood
  shall be shed For in the image of God He made
  man. Genesis 96

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Capital Punishment--Commanded

• Under the Law of Moses

• Then the LORD said to Moses, The man must
  surely be put to death all the congregation
  shall stone him with stones outside the camp.
  So, as the LORD commanded Moses, all the
  congregation brought him outside the camp and
  stoned him with stones, and he died.
  Numbers 1535,36

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Capital Punishment--Commanded

• Under the Law of Moses-in Achans case

• Then it shall be that he who is taken with the
  accursed thing shall be burned with fire, he and
  all that he has, because he has transgressed the
  covenant of the LORD, and because he has done a
  disgraceful thing in Israel. Joshua
  715

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Capital Punishment--Commanded

• Under the Law of Moses

• So fire went out from the LORD and devoured
  them, and they died before the LORD.
  Leviticus 102
• Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against
  Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error
  and he died there by the ark of God. 2 Samuel
  67

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Capital Punishment--Commanded

• Under the Law of Christ

• While it remained, was it not your own? And
  after it was sold, was it not in your own
  control? Why have you conceived this thing in
  your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.
  Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and
  breathed his last. So great fear came upon all
  those who heard these things. Acts 53,4

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Capital Punishment--Commanded

• Authorized by God!

• Let every soul be subject to the governing
  authorities. For there is no authority except
  from God, and the authorities that exist are
  appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the
  authority resists the ordinance of God, and those
  who resist will bring judgment on themselves
  Romans 131,2

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Capital Punishment--Commanded

• Authorized by God!

• For rulers are not a terror to good works, but
  to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the
  authority? Do what is good, and you will have
  praise from the same. For he is God's minister to
  you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid for
  he does not bear the sword in vain for he is
  God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on
  him who practices evil.
  Romans 133,4

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Capital Punishment--Commanded

• Endorsed by the Apostle Paul

• For if I am an offender, or have committed
  anything deserving 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. I appeal to Caesar.
  Acts 2511

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The Cross

• Symbol of Love to many

• For when we were still without strength, in due
  time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely
  for a righteous man will one die yet perhaps for
  a good man someone would even dare to die. But
  God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that
  while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
  Romans
  56-8

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The Cross

• Cruel Method of Punishment to Others

• For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just
  for the unjust, that He might bring us to God,
  being put to death in the flesh but made alive by
  the Spirit.
  1 Peter 318

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Capital Punishment

• Is It Scriptural?
• What should the Christians Attitude be Toward
  it?
• Does being humane have any merit?