Does the New Testament have verses that are against capital punishment?

Answer 1

There are many passages regarding "forgiveness and mercy" throughout the New Testament [and the Old Testament, for that matter] that many people draw upon to "argue their notion that capital punishment is done away."

An in depth study of the Scriptures, however, reveals that God's "Perfect" Laws pertain to a "God-led" society [which were, historically, made up of the children of Israel: who were… and whose modern descendants are… selfish, rebellious mortal men whose nature is always hostile against and at constant odds with God's Commandments -- see Rom.7:7. At odds with God's Perfect Laws that merely command ALL men to Love and Respect their Creator and one another].

The society and Government was ruled over by "God Himself" [as we see happening when the LORD {Jesus Christ, the Old Testament Creator and LORD…the Eternal, I AM… and WORD of God - see John 1:1-3} led the Israelites out of Egypt; guiding and instructing them along the way, and having His Word codified by Moses - "for us, today" - see Acts.7:38].

That ancient "example of how God's coming Kingdom shall rule all the nations of the world when He returns" is a government system that man has always detested… believing it to be too harsh and severe… even though every attempt by men to establish any world-ruling government, have found themselves forced to emulate it if they wish for their system of government to stand for any appreciable period of time.

So, it's not that men hate God's Laws so much… but rather, man's selfish, rebellious nature resents being told that "he's wrong"… and doesn't like to be told "what to do"… by God or any other man!

"This is MY LIFE… don't tell me how to live it!" men say.

The biblical Truth of the matter is that the first two people God created, and to whom He gave sovereignty over all the earth, GAVE THEIR SOVEREIGNTY and THE EARTH [including all the future governments thereof] to THE GOD OF THIS WORLD:

"…the great Dragon, that old Serpent, called the Devil, and Satan; which deceives the whole world…" [see Rev.12:9].

"…the Devil took Him [Jesus] up and revealed to Him ALL THE KINGDOMS [governments] OF THE WORLD in a moment of time. The Devil told Him, 'I WILL GIVE YOU the glory of THESE KINGDOMS [of men] and authority over them - because THEY ARE MINE TO GIVE TO ANYONE I PLEASE.'" (Luke 4:5-6 NLT New Living Translation)

Of course, they were Satan's: the first two people who had the whole world in the palms of their hands [a Gift from God], handed it all over to the Serpent when they chose "another god to worship and obey" over their True Creator [see Commandment #1].

And so it is to this day, that the god of this world, to whom man gave their earth… and subsequent rulership over it… has OWNED and RULED OVER all of man's corrupt, errant, self-serving, self-seeking governments. This god whom man has worshiped since the beginning of his creation HATES the Creator… and hates God's creation… including mankind! This god has twisted and perverted everything God made whenever he got [and gets] a chance, trying to destroy anything and everything that he can.

In that capacity, he has twisted and perverted man's carnal minded thinking and reasoning processes, blinding man to the Truth of God; that is, blinding the spirit of man that's within him [see Zech.12:1] from "believing" the Pure and Perfect Words that have proceeded out of the mouth of God.

And at every turn… mankind has doubted the Truth [the Words of the Bible; John 17:17] of God and has rebelled against whatever the LORD says. Including the Laws of God that pertain to "capital punishment."

If there's one thing you can count on, regarding carnal minded, Satan-worshiping mankind and his approach to God's Word; it is that "IF GOD COMMANDS MAN TO DO IT - MAN WILL NOT DO IT!"

And if God commands man NOT to do something - Satan-guided man will DO EVERYTHING IN HIS POWER TO DO IT!

Take the observance of the simple Sabbath commandment of God that He gave to the Israelites fresh out of Egypt - feeding them the manna for six days each week, and giving them twice as much manna on the sixth day to last them through each repeated seventh day… commanding them to REST on the seventh day - thus, establishing God's "seven-day weekly cycle" with a people who had been in slavery for over 400 years and who knew nothing about God's Laws.

"Some of the people went out anyway to gather food, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS THE SABBATH DAY. But there was none to be found. 'How long will these people refuse TO OBEY MY COMMANDMENTS and instructions?' the LORD asked Moses. 'Do they not realize that I have GIVEN THEM THE SEVENTH DAY, THE SABBATH, AS A DAY OF REST? That is why I give you twice as much food on the sixth day, so there will be enough for two days. On the Sabbath day you must stay in your places…' So the people rested on the seventh day." (Ex.16:27-29 NLT)

In like manner did the first two people "Judge God"… Judging His ways and His Laws… choosing [under Satan's coercion] to take the "God-prerogative" upon themselves to "decide for themselves what is good and evil" instead of "believing" and "coming into obedience to" what God has told them is good and what is evil.

So it is also with God's Command for "capital punishment" for unrepentant sinners [law-breakers]. Because when man's obedience to the law breaks down… SO DOES THEIR SOCIETY!

Mankind, living under the deceptions of his chosen god, rather than obeying God's commands regarding capital punishment, has chosen NOT TO PUNISH DISOBEDIENCE IN OUR SOCIETY THE WAY GOD COMMANDS IT TO BE DONE. Therefore, there is no deterrence to civil and moral disobedience:

"When a crime is not punished, people feel it is safe to do wrong." (Eccle.8:11 NLT)

Man's Satan-led government leaders have ignorantly chosen the road to their own destruction [SIN - disobedience to God's Law - I John 3:4]… which is exactly what their god wants them to do. Bringing God's creation, the world, and especially mankind ever closer to its looming destruction [see Matt.24:21-22].

Sure… evil men have no trouble twisting God's Truth out of proportion and turn it into Satan's "believable lies." "God wants Mercy and Forgiveness… sure! Therefore, DON'T PUNISH ANYONE WHO BREAKS THE LAW!" Forgive them and set them free to contaminate our society with rampant evil, blood in the streets, anarchy and lawlessness. "That's how God wants it!"

Or: "God is too harsh and unforgiving, and therefore not worthy of our worship!"

That's how man's god likes it… whatever will guarantee the destruction of what God has made.

All God has ever wanted [and demanded… and commanded] of His special creation, man [the Children of His future Divine, Immortal Family], is for man to learn to "Obey His voice" - and learn to "Obey His Perfect Laws" - and learn to "Love and Respect Him and one another."

God says DON'T MURDER! Is there something "religious" or "bad" about not murdering one another?

God says DON'T STEAL! Is there something "religious" or "bad" about not stealing from one another?

God says DON'T LIE! Is there something "religious" or "bad" about not lying to one another? "

"OF COURSE THERE IS," says the god of this world. "Murdering, stealing and lying are MY ways! The ways of which I APPROVE. The ways of the one whom you worship and obey."

"And it's my desire, O man, that you do all the things which God says 'not do"… and don't do all the things which God says 'do.' Ways which are geared to guarantee your utter destruction, yet ways which you enjoy doing, also":

"For YOU ARE THE CHILDREN OF YOUR FATHER THE DEVIL, and YOU LOVE TO DO THE THINGS HE DOES. HE WAS A MURDERER from the beginning and ALWAYS HATED THE TRUTH. There is no Truth in him. When HE LIES, it is consistent with HIS CHARACTER; for HE IS A LIAR and the FATHER [originator] OF LIES. So when I tell you the Truth, you just naturally DON'T BELIEVE ME!" (John 8:44-45 NLT)

Among modern professing Christians, today, it seems that the vast majority of them don't seem to know that the Almighty Creator LORD God of the Old Testament: the WORD [see John 1:1-3] was and is JESUS CHRIST! The One who wrote His Commandments in stone with His own finger. The One who commands HIS PEOPLE to KILL those who chose to live within their society who did not Obey His Laws!

That is to say… that God of the Bible says of Himself: "…'I AM the LORD, I CHANGE NOT…'" (Mal.3:6 KJV).

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Heb.13:8 NLT)

In other words… the "capital punishment" prescribed by the God of the Old Testament for "sin" doesn't change with the Testament.

And neither does the "Mercy and Forgiveness" set forth by the God of the Old Testament change with the New Testament; because Jesus Christ is that Old Testament God.

"If the LORD your God [Jesus Christ] enlarges your territory [and gives you the rich and bountiful Central American continent; emphasis, mine], as He solemnly promised your ancestors, and gives you the land He promised them, YOU MUST DESIGNATE THREE ADDITIONAL CITIES OF REFUGE

[we in this nation never set up such "cities of refuge" in our society in accordance with the Scriptures. Nor do you hear of any such establishments set up in any society anywhere in this world, today. We are cursed instead with vile, overcrowded prisons. The god of this world, whom we have ignorantly put in charge of our lives, does not have the world set up in accordance with God's Commandments, Laws, statutes and ordinances].

"(He will give you this land if you obey ALL THE COMMANDMENTS I HAVE GIVEN YOU - if you ALWAYS LOVE THE LORD [Jesus Christ] and walk in His ways.)

[Jesus Christ, the LORD God of the Old Testament, was offering to that generation of Abraham's children the blessings that America has enjoyed for past few decades. But they didn't obey the LORD's Commandments, and didn't Love the LORD, and didn't Walk in His Ways. There was a "requirement" to be met before they could receive this "national blessing" from God [Jesus Christ]. But they didn't Obey God's Commandments… they didn't Love the LORD… and they didn't walk in God's ways. They never received the blessings God was offering them… their descendants did; the past few centuries of America's generations. However, we didn't receive it because we 'kept God's Commandments, or Love the LORD, or walk in His Ways'… but because the period of God's 'withholding punishment' expired; His 'year-for-a-day' withholding principle - see the '40 years wandering in the wilderness punishment God placed upon that disobedient generation - Num.14:33-35.]

"That way YOU WILL PREVENT THE DEATH OF INNOCENT PEOPLE in the land the LORD your God is giving you as A SPECIAL POSSESSION, and you will not be held responsible for murder. BUT suppose someone hates a neighbor and deliberately ambushes and murders that neighbor and then escapes to one of the cities of refuge. In that case, the leaders of the murderer's hometown must have the murderer brought back from the city of refuge and handed over to the dead person's avenger [next of kin] TO BE KILLED. DO NOT FEEL SORRY FOR THAT MURDERER! PURGE THE GUILT OF MURDER FROM ISRAEL [from America] SO ALL MAY GO WELL WITH YOU." (Deut.19:8-13 NLT)

This is the SAME LORD [Jesus Christ] who, Obediently and with Love in His heart, came in the flesh to DIE FOR OUR MISERABLE SINS, the cause of all our sorrows, suffering and misery. He did not do it for His sins!

OUR CREATOR allowed Himself TO BE MURDERED BY HIS OWN CREATION [His own future brothers and sisters] so that our subsequent Faith and Trust in the Power of His Perfect Shed Blood could PURCHASE THEM BACK FROM THE GOD TO WHOM THEIR FIRST PARENTS SOLD THEM!

So that men may have their lawless pasts blotted out, be forgiven, and begin to "serve their New Master."

Emulating Him by Obeying His Laws, Loving Him, and Walking in His Righteous, Giving, Loving Ways. God has never abrogated "capital punishment"… in the Old Testament or the New. He has always commanded His Children to OBEY HIS VOICE! To NOT SIN… to NOT disobey His Commandments [I John 3:4]: the breaking of which DEMANDS THE PENALTY OF DEATH!

"Because that Abraham OBEYED MY VOICE, and kept My charge, Me Commandments, My statutes, and My laws." (Gen.26:5)

"Now therefore, my son, OBEY MY VOICE according to that which I command thee." (Gen.27:8)

"Thou shalt therefore OBEY THE VOICE of the LORD thy God, and do His Commandments and His statutes…" (Deut.27:10).

"Now therefore, if ye will OBEY MY VOICE indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me ABOVE ALL PEOPLE [nations]: for all the earth is Mine." (Ex.19:5)

Disobedience to the law [sinning] HURTS EVERYONE… not just the sinner. It hurts the sinner… the one sinned against… the entire families of both the sinner and the one sinned against. And when you magnify that by every sinning [disobedient] man, woman and child on the face of the earth: THE WHOLE WORLD SUFFERS… is miserable, in pain, crying, and filled with bloodshed and death.

And why is that? It's because "sin" -- disobedience to the law - DOESN'T GET PUNISHED IN THIS WORLD!

God's Forgiveness and Mercy are for those who LOVE HIM… who OBEY HIS LAWS… and who WALK IN HIS LOVING, MERCIFUL, CARING WAYS toward others. It's those who REPENT OF HAVING DISOBEYED GOD'S LAWS who receive His Grace and Mercy and Forgiveness - NOT THOSE WHO STUBBORNLY REFUSE TO REPENT, and who love to do evil. [see the 2nd Commandment]:

"…'For I [Jesus Christ, the Creator LORD God of the Old Testament - John 1:1-3] the LORD thy Godam a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third generation of THEM THAT HATE ME; and shewing [showing] MERCY unto thousands of them [or the thousandth generation of them] THAT LOVE ME, and KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS.'" (Ex.20:5-6 KJV)

That brief, ancient "Personal rule of God Himself over Abraham's children" recorded in the Old Testament didn't work. Not because God's "harsh rule" [to the thinking of the people] was a bad thing… but because "the people were typical carnal minded people" whose flesh and blood nature was, and has always been:

"…HOSTILE TO GOD. It never did Obey God's Laws, AND IT NEVER WILL!" (Rom.8:7 NLT)

"For if that FIRST COVENANT had been faultless, there could have been no room for a Second one. For, because He was dissatisfied WITH HIS PEOPLE [not with the covenant, or agreement they made with Him to OBEY His Laws], He said: 'See; THE TIME IS COMING,' says the LORD, 'when I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah, unlike the one that I made with their forefathers the day I took them by the hand to lead them out from the land of Egypt[biblical symbol for SIN], for THEY DID NOT ABIDE BY THEIR COVENANT [agreement; marriage vow] WITH ME…" (Heb.8:7-9 WNT William's New Testament)

The big lesson for each generation of mankind to learn is to Love and Respect one another - the one most important lesson of Life that man's selfish, rebellious nature keeps getting in the way of… and blinding man to [thanks to the god of this world whom he worships; and who approves, wholeheartedly, with their disobedience to God's Laws].

That's why God's ultimate plan involves CHANGING MAN'S NATURE from selfish, rebellious flesh… to SPIRIT!

"...in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the Last Trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised WITH BODIES NOT SUBJECT TO DECAY, and WE SHALL ALL BE CHANGED. For this decaying part of us must put on the body that can never decay, and this part once capable of dying must put on the body that CAN NEVER DIE." (I Cor.15:52 WNT)

When you read in the New Testament passages like:

"…'Healthy people don't need a doctor - sick people do.' Then He added, 'Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ''I WANT YOU TO BE MERCIFUL; I DON'T WANT YOUR SACRIFICES.'' For I have come to call sinners, not those who think they are already good enough.'" (Matt.9:12-13 NLT)

God is calling to men who are sorry [repentant] for having disobeyed the LORD… not those who are unable to hear God's Truth due to the deceptions of the god of this world, or who hear the Truth, yet, absolutely refuse to Obey.

It's the ones who repent of their disobedience and turn to God in Obedience who receive His Mercy:

"With My Authority, take this message OF REPENTANCE to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: 'THERE IS FORGIVENESS FOR ALL WHO TURN TO ME.'" (Luke 24:47 NLT)

God's Mercy is for all who LOVE HIM and KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS… not for the unmerciful, the stubbornly disobedient, the incorrigibly wicked lawless ones who love to sin. These have the LORD's "capital punishment" awaiting them.

Not in this world, of course, but in the Judgment. When He returns to rule the earth, it won't just be to rule over a tiny remnant of Israelites… but to rule over THE ENTIRE EARTH… ALL THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH:

"…'when the Son of Man comes in His Glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit upon His Glorious throne. ALL THE [remnant] NATIONS[who survive the coming Great Tribulation] WILL BE GATHERED IN HIS PRESENCE, and He will SEPARATE THEM as a Shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep AT HIS RIGHT HAND and the goats AT HIS LEFT. Then the KING [Jesus Christ] will say to those on the Right, 'Come, YOU WHO ARE BLESSED BY MY FATHER, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world… Then the KING will turn to those on the Left and say, 'AWAY WITH YOU, you cursed ones, into the Eternal Fire PREPARED FOR THE DEVIL AND HIS DEMONS! … '" (Matt.25:31-41 NLT).

When the LORD comes back and rules over the entire earth, over all the nations - His Rule shall be as absolute as it was when He delivered the Israelites from Egypt, anciently [for God changes not!].

And with the Devil, his demons, and all of their spiritual deception removed from every human heart… everyone will have the same opportunity to receive God's MERCY… or His PUNISHMENT… according to each of their attitudes toward Him.

Do they LOVE Him and His Laws; or do they HATE Him and His Laws?

God isn't against "capital punishment." He's against stubborn disobedience to His Laws.

Obedience to His Laws [Loving, Caring about, and Respecting others] brings Happiness and Joy and Fulfillment to people… not grief and misery.

God is against what the tears, misery, suffering and death that "stubborn disobedience to His Laws [sin]" does to people. And He is all about REMOVING THE TEARS, MISERY, SUFFERING and DEATH that sin [disobedience] causes.

In the world that's coming; the New Earth revealed in Revelation 21:

"…God is now among His people! He will Live with them… God Himself will be with them. HE WILL REMOVE ALL OF THEIR SORROWS, and THERE WILL BE NO MORE DEATH or SORROW or CRYING or PAIN. For the old world AND ITS EVILS [its disobedience] ARE GONE FOREVER." (Rev.21:3-4 NLT)

And He does that in the coming Judgment, by REMOVING ALL THOSE WHO STUBBORNLY REFUSE TO OBEY HIM: by removing all those who wickedly THUMB THEIR NOSE AT HIS GRACE, MERCY and FORGIVENESS.

And that "removal" is called "capital punishment":

"'And now about these ENEMIES OF MINE who DIDN'T WANT ME TO BE THEIR KING - bring them in and EXECUTE THEM RIGHT HERE IN MY PRESENCE.'" [Luke 19:27 NLT)

God is not against "capital punishment"… because it's necessary to remove disobedience from His Children's Lives.

God's Ten Commandments are His "Laws of Love!" Love and Respect toward man's Creator… and Love and Respect toward one another. They are His Laws, that when they are learned and obeyed, they lead to the development of RIGHTEOUS and PERFECT GODLY CHARACTER!

"O HOW I LOVE THY LAW!..." King David prayed. [Ps.119:97]

"Great PEACE have they which LOVE THY LAW: and nothing shall offend them." (Ps.119:165)

They are Laws of Love that this world, and its god, and those who worship him HATE!

And when disobedient men break those Laws and hate and kill one another… there is no cause for "capital punishment" to be conducted. There's no reason for the god of this world to "punish" men for it. The resulting sorrow, hatred, suffering, misery, death and destruction it creates in the world brings demented joy, happiness and delight to Satan and his demons.

It's little wonder that there is no Peace in a world ruled over by a "lawless god."

It's SATAN who is against "capital punishment." Because it's HE who is the FATHER [originator] of DISOBEDIENCE! [John 8:44]

And it's HE who has men searching the Scriptures for "verses" that seem to be "against capital punishment." So that these deceived men might continue their lives of disobedience with a clear conscience.

Answer 2

In John 8:1-11, the Jews would have stoned a woman to death for adultery, but Jesus prevented them from doing so. This is the one New Testament verse that shows Christian opposition to capital punishment.