I was wondering, who thinks that capital punishment is supported in the Bible? I know what I believe, but I want to know what other people believe on the subject and their reasons.

If you respond to this post, please provide evidence for what you believe. I want to know why, not just what, you believe.

I'll give a quick answer because I don't have time to say more...

I would say the old testament supports capital punishment but the new testament doesn't.

The Old Testament Law prescribed the death penalty for an extensive list of crimes including:

Murder (Exodus 21:12-14; Leviticus 24:17,21)
Attacking or cursing a parent (Exodus 21:15,17)
Kidnapping (Exodus 21:16)
Failure to confine a dangerous animal, resulting in death (Exodus 21:28-29)
Witchcraft and sorcery (Exodus 22:18, Leviticus 20:27, Deuteronomy 13:5, 1 Samuel 28:9)
Sex with an animal (Exodus 22:19, Leviticus 20:16)
Doing work on the Sabbath (Exodus 31:14, 35:2, Numbers 15:32-36)
Incest (Leviticus 18:6-18, 20:11-12,14,17,19-21)
Adultery (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22)
Homosexual acts (Leviticus 20:13)
Prostitution by a priest's daughter (Leviticus 21:9)
Blasphemy (Leviticus 24:14,16, 23)
False prophecy (Deuteronomy 18:20)
Perjury in capital cases (Deuteronomy 19:16-19)
False claim of a woman's virginity at time of marriage (Deuteronomy 22:13-21)
Sex between a woman pledged to be married and a man other than her betrothed (Deuteronomy 22:23-24)


That is the Old Testament. I believe capital punishment is defined for me in John 8:3-11

3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

11 “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”


I don't feel that I have the right to take anybody's life, because I have sinned just like they have. We do, of course, need a form of punishment for more severe crimes. I believe life in prison not only sends a stronger message to people, but gives the person who committed the horrible crime to repent of their sins. That being said, I'm going to favorite this discussion because I would love to read other opinions on this matter.

I would have to say the bible supports capital punishment, because the bible supports the laws of man.

We can all agree that the old testament supports capital punishment.

John 8:3-11

3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

11 “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”


When we examine scripture, we must remember not only the context of the scripture, but also the culture of the time the event happend. If i have my facts correct, Jewish law required two witnesses to testify before a punishment could be handed out. When Jesus asked if anyone had condemned the woman, He would have been asking if there were any witnesses. Since there was no witnesses to testify against her, there was no case. By Law there was no grounds to have her stoned. This is why Jesus did not condemn her.




Remember that people with mob connections can still have people killed from jail.


Romans 13:1-7
1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.



Acts 5:27-29
27 The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”

29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!



This shows that we are to obey the government (Romans 13:1-7), but if the government tells us to do something against what God has told us, then we are to obey God (Acts 5:27-29)



Edit: I guess i forgot to put my point. God gave authority to the government. We are to obey the government because God has established it (Romans 13:1 and 2). If the government tries to make us go against what God has said, we must obey God over man (Acts 5:29). On top of that, we must not take the law into our own hands. We must let the government prosecute people and deal out the punnishment (John 8:3-11).

I do not think that the Bible supports or rejects the death penalty. You have different instances that both of these happening. However, no Christian should be happy that someone gets the death penalty.