C APITAL P UNISHMENT Is It Scriptural? What should the Christian’s Attitude be Toward it? Does “being humane” have any merit? Guillotine Gallows Injection Gurney

T IMOTHY M C V EIGH ’ S L AST W ORDS … “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.”

T IMOTHY M C V EIGH ’ S U NBOWED, U NCONQUERED ? “Jesus answered them, Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.” {John 8:34} “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 6:16}

T IMOTHY M C V EIGH ’ S U NBOWED, U NCONQUERED ? “But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” {2 Timothy 3:13} “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 14:11,12}

S IN H ARDENS THE H EART “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 2:1-5}

C APTAIN OF H IS S OUL ? “Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.” {Ecclesiastes 12:7} “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 12:20} “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 12:5}

T HEORIES OF M EN F AIL ! T RUE IS R ELATIVE. Was McVeigh’s action True for him? W E S HOULD N OT J UDGE. Should we not judge this man’s actions? Evil? Good? Neutral? B ARBARIC P RACTICE. Europe condemns USA practice of it. C APITAL P UNISHMENT WILL NOT DETER CRIME.

C APITAL P UNISHMENT -- C OMMANDED U NDER THE P ATRIARCHAL L AW “Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.” {Genesis 9:6}

C APITAL P UNISHMENT -- C OMMANDED U NDER THE L AW OF M OSES “ 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 15:35,36}

C APITAL P UNISHMENT -- C OMMANDED U NDER THE L AW OF M OSES - IN A CHAN ’ S 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 7:15}

C APITAL P UNISHMENT -- C OMMANDED U NDER THE L AW OF M OSES “ So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. ” {Leviticus 10:2} “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 6:7}

C APITAL P UNISHMENT -- C OMMANDED U NDER THE L AW OF C HRIST “ 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 5:3,4}

C APITAL P UNISHMENT -- C OMMANDED A UTHORIZED BY G OD ! “ 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 13:1,2}

C APITAL P UNISHMENT -- C OMMANDED A UTHORIZED BY G OD ! “ 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 13:3,4}

C APITAL P UNISHMENT -- C OMMANDED E NDORSED BY THE A POSTLE P AUL “ 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 25:11}

T HE C ROSS S YMBOL OF L OVE 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 5:6-8}

T HE C ROSS C RUEL M ETHOD OF P UNISHMENT TO O THERS “ 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 3:18}

C APITAL P UNISHMENT Is It Scriptural? What should the Christian’s Attitude be Toward it? Does “being humane” have any merit? Guillotine Gallows Injection Gurney