any religious people wonder if God approves of the government exercising the right to put to death someone who has broken the law.  Of course, there are many people who "believe in God" who think that God’s “goodness” forbids Him to destroy anyone! They sadly sever the goodness of God from his severity and then add sin to sin by assuming his wrath is not godly. In contrast, Paul reminded the church at Rome to:

“Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off” (Rom. 11:22)

One cannot approach the subject of capital punishment without “considering the severity of God.” Both of the attributes of God 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 was convicted of being worthy of Death?  Perhaps you have seen them hold up signs quoting Exodus 20:8, “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 of the Word of God.  The Catholic priest as well others who claim to serve the Lord in word are really not priests at all:

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children” (Hos. 4:6)

A.  God's usage of the death penalty – God has incorporated the usage of death in His dealings with mankind frequently.  When men were rebellious to God, the judgment commonly used was death. A small sampling of which follows:      

1.  The Flood  (Gen. 6-8).The scripture indicates the rebellious nature of mankind during the time of Noah in 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 (Ex. 32).Three thousand men fell in one day when the Lord disciplined Israel (Ex. 32:27-29).

3.  Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). These two conspired to lie about their offering.  The fact of the matter is that they lied to the Holy Spirit and not to men (Acts 5:3-4).  God used death as His means of punishment for this couple because of a lie!

4.  Hell, “Hell and Destruction are before the LORD; So how much more the hearts of the sons of men” (Prov. 15:11). God has yet to render a judgment of hell and destruction upon the ungodly.  All that are not written in the Book of Life will reap the capital punishment of Hell for an eternity (Rev. 21:11-15; II Thess. 1:8).

B.  God's recognition of the death penalty enforced by men (viz. by governing officials)

It sadly amuses me that men are so shallow in their knowledge of the scripture 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 it as “murder.” Furthermore, it was only one chapter later that God commanded,

"He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death” (Ex. 21:12).

If God were against all kinds of killing, how would a person be able to keep this commandment? The Lord doesn’t limit the death penalty to only murderers either. In the same chapter he condemns the one who strikes his parents, the kidnapper, the one who curses his parents, the one who hurts a woman who is pregnant causing death to her unborn child, and even the one who owns an ox that is predisposed to violence if it should kill a person (Ex. 21:15ff).

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

1.  God set up the government for every soul to be subject to (Rom. 13:1). All men are included in this—the religious and non-religious.  When anyone resists the government's task of punishing evildoers, they are resisting the ordinance of God and are bringing judgment on themselves (I Pet. 2:13-14; Rom.13:2).  We are commanded to honor the government, not rebel against it (I Pet. 2:17).

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

3.  God has 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" (I Tim. 2:1-2).

4.  God has 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 Pet. 2:14). Likewise, Paul understood that the government was not to "bear the sword in vain" (Rom. 13:4).  The sword is not for the purpose of spanking or issuing fines, but is an instrument for death.

"...executing wrath on him who practices evil" (Rom. 13:4). 

Such 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 that are condemned to death, only a handful ever gets executed. It is seemingly more difficult to convict a person for murder because of skillful lawyers, yet once convicted, many remain in prison rather than die. Of the few who received the verdict of “death,” it is often years later before they are actually executed if they are ever. To this writer, it seems that we therefore use a failed measure of the death penalty.

“Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil” (Eccl. 8:11).