Monday, May 31, 2021

Weekly Bible Study – May 31, 2021; What does the Bible say about the death penalty or capital punishment?

cross-1-2

Scripture References, Word & Phrase descriptions: the “Logos Reftagger” scripture links are hover pop-up active, meaning the scripture reference will just pop-up if you hover your cursor over it (don’t click on the link, just hover your cursor over it), when finished reading, hover your cursor off the scripture reference link. If the Reftagger pop-up doesn’t show all the verses, left click on the “More” button in the Reftagger pop-up window and it will take you to the online bible. If RefTagger pop-ups don’t work on your computer, that’s OK, try right clicking the link then open in new tab or window; or if that doesn’t work, you can always use your Bible to look up the verses. Word or Phrase definition links may not have a website that opens.

Prepare yourself for learning the Word of God!

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge [confess] your known unconfessed sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father).

1 John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (known sins) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [your unknown or forgotten sins] ." NKJV [New King James Version] [italics added]; we call this REBOUND, read the full doctrine as to “why” we need to use 1 John 1:9 to grow spiritually. REBOUND

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, that He is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to simply exercise faith alone in Jesus Christ alone eternal life; when you do, you will instantly receive Eternal Life: John 3:16, 5:24, 6:47, 20:30, 31.

John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]

Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-15, 16, 17, 18, says: "14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Study to show yourself approved to God!

35929761866_72b3191cfb_o

Grace Bible Church Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary: God’s Word is taught Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday

STUDY TITLE:

What does the Bible say about the death penalty or capital punishment?

cross-1-2

Scripture References, Word & Phrase descriptions: the “Logos Reftagger” scripture links are hover pop-up active, meaning the scripture reference will just pop-up if you hover your cursor over it (don’t click on the link, just hover your cursor over it), when finished reading, hover your cursor off the scripture reference link. If the Reftagger pop-up doesn’t show all the verses, left click on the “More” button in the Reftagger pop-up window and it will take you to the online bible. If RefTagger pop-ups don’t work on your computer, that’s OK, try right clicking the link then open in new tab or window; or if that doesn’t work, you can always use your Bible to look up the verses. Word or Phrase definition links may not have a website that opens.

Prepare yourself for learning the Word of God!

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge [confess] your known unconfessed sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father).

1 John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (known sins) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [your unknown or forgotten sins] ." NKJV [New King James Version] [italics added]; we call this REBOUND, read the full doctrine as to “why” we need to use 1 John 1:9 to grow spiritually. REBOUND

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, that He is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to simply exercise faith alone in Jesus Christ alone eternal life; when you do, you will instantly receive Eternal Life: John 3:16, 5:24, 6:47, 20:30, 31.

John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]

Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-15, 16, 17, 18, says: "14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Study to show yourself approved to God!

35929761866_72b3191cfb_o

Grace Bible Church Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary: God’s Word is taught Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday

STUDY TITLE:

What does the Bible say about the death penalty or capital punishment?

One of the most misunderstood subjects concerning our LORD is for those of you who believe or have been taught that John the Baptist was alive in the womb of our LORD’s mother, Mary’s cousin Elizabeth.

Luk 1:41, And it came about that when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Notice a few things concerning when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, and the baby leaped in her womb. It was what Elizabeth heard that caused the embryo or the fetus to leap in Elizabeth’s womb, it was NOT what John the Baptist heard but it was a response that who was not even one day old as of yet that caused it to leap.

Secondly, it was because Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit that caused the response. Also, remember what Mary was told by the angel when our LORD was in her womb in Luk 1:35, “therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called [not is called] shall be called the Son of GOD.”

We are also told in the Old Testament that you should give a “life for life” but if there is a miscarriage it is not considered to be a life; Exo 21:2-23.

This is a very important doctrine, as you will see, because it answers a lot of questions that believers have concerning who they are and what the LORD has called them to.

Now, throughout the Old Testament, there is a principle that the LORD established concerning a life for life which we call capital punishment.

1. “What does the Bible say about the death penalty or capital punishment?”

2. The Old Testament law commanded the death penalty for various acts: murder (Exo 21:12), kidnaping (Exo 21:16), bestiality Exo 22:19, adultery; Lev 20:10), homosexuality (Lev 20:13), being a false prophet (Deut 13:5), prostitution and rape (Deut 22:24), and several other crimes.

However, GOD often showed mercy when the death penalty was due. David committed adultery and murder, yet GOD did not demand his life be taken (2Sa 11:1-5, 14-17; 2Sa 12:13). GOD established capital punishment in the first Dispensation.

In Gen 9:6, “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of GOD He made man.”

It’s interesting that every dispensation has capital punishment as a command. In fact, when the Pharisees brought a woman who was caught in the act of adultery to Jesus and asked HIM if she should be stoned, Jesus replied, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” (Jn 8:7).

There are times when the LORD intervenes and uses HIS sovereign will to handle capital punishment.

Jn 8:1-11, But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. And early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and {began} to teach them. And the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. “Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” And they were saying this, testing Him, in order that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him {be the} first to throw a stone at her.” And again He stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And when they heard it, they {began} to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the midst. And straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” And she said, “No one, LORD.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go your way. From now on sin no more.”

This means that there were times that should not be used to indicate that Jesus rejected capital punishment in all instances. Jesus was simply exposing the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. The Pharisees wanted to trick Jesus into breaking the Old Testament law; they did not truly care about the woman being stoned (where was the man who was caught in adultery? You can tell this is a set-up just because the man isn’t there.

Now, GOD is the One who instituted capital punishment and GOD is the One who chose to give mercy. The apostle Paul definitely recognized the power of the government to institute capital punishment where appropriate (Rm 13:1-7).

How should a Christian view the death penalty?

First, we must remember that GOD has instituted capital punishment in HIS Word; therefore, it would be presumptuous of us to think that we could institute a higher standard. GOD has the highest standard of any being; HE is perfect and therefore HE knows perfectly what the human race can handle and what it cannot.

The point is, It is unbiblical to claim that GOD opposes the death penalty in all instances. Christians should never rejoice when the death penalty is employed, but at the same time, Christians should not fight against the government’s right to execute the perpetrators of the most evil of crimes; Rm 13:1-8.

Now, Let’s establish the fact that there is mobility found in the female but it is the mobility extension of the mother.

In Exo 21:22-23, “And if men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she has a miscarriage, yet there is no further injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband may demand of him; and he shall pay as the judges decide. But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life,”

Now, is this a contradiction?

No, this is what our LORD established for all generations.

Notice a few things about this passage.

1. In Exo 21:22-23, two men are fighting with each other.

2. “A woman with child has a miscarriage because of the man hitting the other man.”

3. Yet, there is no further injury – referring to the miscarriage.

4. If the woman recovered and the baby was aborted then her husband, has the right to ask for life to be given for life.

5. Therefore, we can conclude that there was no life in the womb which is why a miscarriage is not considered a life.

6. He shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband may demand of him; and he shall pay as the judges decide.”

But, notice the miscarriage did not demand life for life and that is because there is no life in the woman that had a miscarriage.

Exo 21:23, “But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life,” because there is no life in the womb then a dead fetus and a miscarriage.

This is so important because it tells us when life begins for all of us. There are times when GOD might reveal mercy to one who was guilty and then stop the capital punishment as He did with David.

Now, when you have a subject like this which has a lot of different opinions, we should be sure that ours is the correct one.

We also have the fact that GOD was not the GOD of our LORD in the womb but only outside of the womb; Psa 22:10, Upon Thee I was cast from birth; Thou hast been my GOD from my mother’s womb.

Notice that David says concerning His LORD in Psa 22:10, Upon Thee [LORD] I was cast from birth; Thou hast been my GOD [not in my womb] but from His mother’s womb.

And notice that our LORD was cast from birth upon HIS GOD. Also notice that David said; “Thou hast been my GOD from my mother’s womb not in my mother’s womb.”

We also need to listen to the words of our LORD and that is why Jn 3:7 says, “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ — NOT CONCEIVED AGAIN.

The point is that when you were born physically alive, and therefore you have received the first imputation of human life to your soul began when you came forth from being in your mother’s womb when life truly exists.

This is when your life truly began because there is life in the womb but it is biological life which is the extension of the woman’s life , it is not a human life or humans soul until the fetus comes forth from the woman and then you have neshumah, the breath of life imputed to you as the first imputation.

I know this will be difficult for some of you to understand but I ask that you bear with me and let show you what the Bible has to say. This is extremely important because it will answer a lot of questions that some people have including why GOD is the one who chose your parents.

GOD chose both your father and your mother, in spite of your opinions and your questions, which I will seek to answer which is, “Why did GOD chose them to be my parents?”

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

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