Genesis 9:6: Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.
There is a strong biblical case for government possessing the authority to administer capital punishment or the death penalty for murder. God’s command to Noah concerning the retributive shedding of blood for murder was given well before the Mosaic Law. Murder warrants a severe punishment because it is the taking of a life that was made in God’s image.
The foundation of the death penalty has nothing to do with life being so cheap, but that it is so valuable, and to destroy somebody who is in God’s image warrants the ultimately penalty. There is therefore a profound moral difference between murdering an innocent person and government having the lawful authority to punish a murderer.
The murderer is one who has destroyed justice, whilst the government is there to uphold justice. This principle was not abolished in the New Testament; in fact, the Book of Romans establishes it, telling us that government is the power which bears the sword to uphold justice. Romans 13:1-4: Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
Civil government is God’s servant for restraining and punishing evil; it is an avenger to carry out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. In the preceding chapter, Paul commands Christians not to avenge themselves (Romans 12:19), because the authority and power to punish wrongdoing belongs to the government. Christians are forbidden from personal vengeance, whilst government is charged with public justice.
A Christian is to forgive the murderer of a loved one whilst at the same time believing that a court has the legal authority to punish the murderer. Forgiveness does not eliminate earthly consequences; if it did, then it would require the elimination of prisons and other criminal penalties. Jesus commanded us to forgive, love our enemies, and to turn the other cheek. His teaching was for how we are to personally respond to evil. Although we are to turn the other cheek, it does not mean that the police cannot arrest and the judge cannot sentence.
Whilst facing charges before the Roman authorities, Paul openly acknowledged that if he had committed anything worthy of death, then he did not seek to escape it (Acts 25:11). Paul maintained his innocence, but at the same time acknowledged that there were crimes deserving of the death penalty.
Although government has the authority to administer justice, it cannot be careless about how it exercises the most irreversible power it possesses. Caution must be demonstrated by the legal system before passing a severe sentence of death upon a suspected murderer. This is because government is administered by fallible human beings.
Judges can get things wrong, prosecutors can be wrong, witnesses can lie, evidence can be misunderstood, and jurors can make mistakes. The scriptures therefore demanded extraordinary safeguards in a case of capital punishment. Multiple witnesses were required, false testimony was severely condemned, and judges were warned against corruption and partiality. If reasonable doubt about guilt remains, then restraint toward an irreversible punishment needs to be shown until the case is decided upon solid facts.
Mercy does not cancel justice. A very striking example is that of the penitent thief crucified next to Jesus. The thief acknowledged that he was receiving a just punishment, and turned toward Christ in his final hours. Christ forgave the man but did not remove him from the cross to which he had been condemned by the Roman authorities.
The thief received eternal mercy whilst still facing earthly judgment. This clearly shows that forgiveness and punishment coexist together. A murderer can repent, the victim’s family can forgive, and God can save the condemned; but government still has the biblical right to administer justice.
Capital punishment is therefore entirely biblical. The scriptures have given civil government an authority which individual Christians do not possess. Only civil government has the authority to wield the sword against evil. Mercy is real, forgiveness is real, redemption is real; but justice is real too. The biblical case for capital punishment is not that human life is worth too little to protect, but that human life is worth so much that to deliberately take an innocent life warrants the most serious punishment government can impose.