What the Bible Says About the Death Penalty for Murderers, Rapists, and Child Molesters
An Indiana man named Michael Middaugh was sent to prison in 2006 for child molesting. He was released from prison last year. He failed to register as a sex offender, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Before he could be apprehended, he raped an Amish wife and mother while she was home alone.
A London man named Reynhard Sinaga was sentenced this month to life in prison for the sexual assault of nearly 200 men and having committed 136 anal rapes. The case against him was easy to make as he had videos of almost all of his assaults which he kept on two cell phones.
A Colorado man named Christopher Watts was sentenced to life in prison for killing his wife and three children. At first he claimed his wife killed their kids, and he retaliated by killing her. But three months after being sentenced, he admitted that he had an affair and his pregnant wife found out about it, so he strangled her to death and then his two daughters—with his bare hands.
If you love what is good, pure, and loving, then you hated to read these three stories. They probably turned your stomach and rang in your head. Maybe your face became flush with anger, or your heart became filled with sorrow. What would be a just punishment for these evil, sordid, and perverse men? I hope your answer was "death." You might be concerned about where your moral compass is pointing and your sympathy for innocent victims if that's not the thought you had.
Deuteronomy 22:25-27 says that a rapist "shall die" because rape "is like that of a man attacking and murdering his neighbor." According to God's Law, rape should be tried the same as murder, and justice for murder is the death penalty. Numbers 35:16 says, "The murderer shall be put to death." Numbers 35:17 says, "The murderer shall be put to death." Numbers 35:18 says, "The murderer shall be put to death." The avenger of blood shall execute him (Numbers 35:19).
But when I stated this on Twitter earlier this week, many Christians demonstrated confusion about these issues. That's not terribly surprising since God's Law is seldom taught in our churches. What I said was this: "I don't believe rapists and child molesters should go to jail. I believe they should go to their graves (Deuteronomy 22:25-27). Convicted rapists, molesters, and murderers deserve the death penalty. They get a few days to make peace with God, and then they're sent to meet Him."
Can a man be forgiven a sin as heinous as murder, rape, or pedophilia? Absolutely. The grace of God covers all sin by faith in Jesus Christ, the shedding of His blood as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Preach the gospel to victims and victimizers! Don't withhold this message of saving grace from anyone. But that doesn't mean they won't face earthly consequences for their actions.
We are obligated—commanded—to exercise justice. Deuteronomy 1:16 and Proverbs 31:9 says, "Judge righteously." Jesus also said, "Judge with right judgment" (John 7:24). Christians especially should understand this. We worship a just and holy God, whose "work is perfect, for all His ways are justice" (Deuteronomy 32:4). We should want our civil laws to conform with God's perfect Law.
But Christians on Twitter either didn't understand this concept, or they disagreed with it altogether. (It's bad enough if one is ignorant of the law, far worse to disagree with it.) Here are just a few of over a hundred responses that I received:
"What about those guilty of adultery? Should we kill them, too?"
—Jimmy (Charlotte, NC)
"Should we also execute anyone who doesn't obey the Sabbath?"
—Matt (Albuquerque, NM)
"Should we give stubborn and rebellious sons the death penalty also?"
—Joshua (Archdale, NC)
Notice the similarity in all three responses. If we're going to give someone the death penalty according to Old Testament law for murder, rape, or pedophilia, shouldn't we also give them the death penalty according to the Old Testament law for adultery, Sabbath breaking, and lazy drunkenness (Deuteronomy 21:18-21)? I do have an opinion regarding justice for adulterers and sluggards. For now, to these three questions I will answer "No." Here's why.
Keep in mind that the Law equates rape with murder. The two are to be tried the same. Hundreds of years prior to giving the Law to Moses and Israel, God said the following to Noah in Genesis 9:5-6: "For your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of a man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in His own image."
In other words, a life for a life is an absolute principle bound up in nature, a moral law defined by the Creator God and imposed upon every living creature. Man has been made in the image of God; therefore, the death of a man by any other man or living creature is the same as an assault on the image of God Himself. If a man kills a man, the murderer is to be put to death. If an animal kills a man, the animal is to be put to death. And who is obligated to carry out this justice? "By man shall his blood be shed." To not carry out justice would be to blaspheme God and not hold sacred that which is made in His image—namely, the inherent value of men and women, boys and girls.
Carrying this principle of fair justice forward, God also established this in His Law: "It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot" (Deuteronomy 19:21). This is why, I would further argue, we would understand the death penalty for adultery, Sabbath breaking, or lazy drunkenness to be in a separate category of laws that are not naturally binding moral laws. A person who breaks the Sabbath is not guilty of taking anyone's life. The Sabbath Laws met a different criteria than moral laws and laws of just measures (Deuteronomy 25:13-16).
By the way, that principle in Deuteronomy 19:21 comes right after it is said that if someone is falsely accused, then the one who accused falsely gets the penalty that the accused would have received if he were guilty. So if a woman falsely accused a man of rape, she should get the death penalty. This not only ensures justice for victims, but it also helps to prevent false accusations.
Many who oppose the death penalty say they are against it because too many people have been falsely accused. I would argue that one of the primary reasons false accusations happen is because the law isn't fair. If those who falsely accuse were to receive the sentence of the one they tried to frame, false accusations are less likely to happen. False convictions will still happen—we are, after all, a sinful and flawed people. But these unfortunate occurrences are no excuse not to do justice. As image bearers of God, we must exercise the justice of God.
"How do you fit thought crimes into that equation? Reference 1 John 3:15, whosoever hates his brother is a murderer."
—David (PA)
Jesus most prominently spoke of this in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:21-30): if a man hates his brother, it is the same as if he murdered his brother in his heart. But Jesus said this so that you may know that you are not righteous, for God will judge even the thoughts and the intentions of the heart. Turn to Jesus Christ, and you will live. No where does Scripture impose upon man to give a person the death penalty for thought-crimes. Judicial consequences are given for wicked actions, not unexpressed thoughts.
"Once I saw a pastor who forgave another Pastor/Missionary who in his old life had raped/killed his family in front of him. He was a member of an Irregular army in Central America. They serve together now. If Jesus judged these things in a different way, why should we do it otherwise?"
—Victor (Bogota, D.C., Colombia)
I think we've all heard stories of someone who committed a violent crime and received forgiveness from gracious Christians. Last year, the world saw a young man named Brandt Jean hug his brother's killer in the middle of a court room, and he shared the gospel with her. I think also of the story of Nate Saint, who was killed with four of his missionary friends when they tried to evangelize the Huarorani people in Ecuador. The man who speared Nate eventually became a Christian and was forgiven by Nate's son, Steve. The story is told in the film End of the Spear.
But what does this have to do with trying murderers, rapists, and child molesters in a court of law? Surely you're not arguing that we shouldn't try anyone for anything at all. You say, "If Jesus judged these things in a different way..." Well, Jesus is the supreme Judge, and He gave us the Law. He was not absent from Mount Sinai when the Law was given. Jesus is the one who said, "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea" (Matthew 18:6).
At the final judgment, He will destroy all murderers and the sexually immoral who did not repent and believe in Him (Revelation 21:8). It is through His apostles that He said the government is the avenger of blood, given authority by God to punish wrong-doers (Romans 13:4). To be a Christian in favor of abolishing the death penalty would be to desire to live in God's kingdom but not be in favor of all of the King's laws. Is that where you want to land?
"What about people who deny the Son of God three times? What about Pharisees who kill Christians?"
—Stephen (Indiana, PA)
This of course is in reference to Peter (who denied Jesus three times) and Paul (who killed Christians before he became one himself). It's funny that Stephen singled out those two men because Peter and Paul wrote in favor of the death penalty (see Romans 13:1-7 and 1 Peter 2:13-17).
The incident concerning Peter doesn't have to do with the civil law, although we would certainly deserve death for denying Christ. Jesus said, "For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels" (Mark 8:38); and, "Whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 10:33). As we know, Peter repented with tears, and Jesus forgave and reinstated him.
As for the second example, Paul knew the Law better than anyone and said he'd accept a just sentence of death. In Acts 25:11, he said, "If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not escape death." But the thing he was being tried for, he was not guilty of. Paul said it was by the grace of God he was made an apostle (Romans 1:5). But again, this does not excuse us from our responsibility to try murderers, rapists, and child molesters in a court of law.
Stephen, it turns out, is a pastor and an author, whose writings have been featured through both The Gospel Coalition and Desiring God. Knowing this, I expected a little more thoughtful interaction from him than most others. I complimented his bio, and I asked him, "Biblically, why should a murderer not get the death penalty?" But Stephen didn't seem interested in pleasantries. Rather than engaging the subject, he blew me off and accused me of "odd proof texting" and "wonky" exegesis. If this is the way pastors and Bible bloggers engage this subject, it's no wonder our people are ignorant.
"This is the most anti-Jesus post I've seen in a while. No one is beyond redemption. Jesus tells those people to go and sin no more, not to go to your graves. We are called to forgive. Ending the life of another image bearer is not consistent with the heart of God."
—Kenny (Silverton, OR)
Yes, and like I said, even for sins such as these, a person can still receive forgiveness. That doesn't mean we don't do justice. If a man raped and murdered your sister, and he received the death penalty for his crime, and while awaiting his execution he repented of his sin, you must forgive him. But the just sentence of death should still be carried out, and this is not ungracious, nor does it nullify your forgiveness. The grace of God is demonstrated in that the man's sins have been forgiven by faith in Christ, and upon death he will live forever with God instead of burning in an eternal hell.
Kenny's Twitter was full of a lot of "anti-Jesus" rhetoric and imagery. So he really had no place to accuse anyone of being "anti-Jesus."
"Yikes. Paul would’ve had a short ministry. David wouldn’t have seen much of his Kingly reign. Moses wouldn’t have ever been called to free the Israelites. If you allow them to 'make peace with God,' and I'm assuming you mean repentance, then those sins are wiped away."
—Jillian (MO)
So if a person says, "I repent," and gives their life to Christ, we should commute their sentence? I would say that Jillian is pitting God's love against God's justice, but her approach is driven by personal feelings, not the love of God.
I find it odd that people seem to be a whole lot more concerned with the preservation of violent criminals than for the broken, shattered victims they leave in their wake. If I may be so bold, I'd be willing to wager that this is virtue signalling, and these concerned persons are not actually visiting prisons to share the gospel with violent criminals.
Go back up to the introduction and read the story of Michael Middaugh. He was in jail for 13 years for child molesting, got out, and raped again. Had God's justice been rightly exercised by the people made in His image, that woman would not have been raped. To love God's justice is to love people. To not care about God's justice is to not care about people. Proverbs 17:15 says, "He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord."
"Would you be willing to pull the trigger? I don’t necessarily disagree with your sentiment. One of my closest friends was on death row, he gave his life to Christ, is now living in the community, and has contributed to the salvation of many others. Writing all off isn’t the answer."
—Eric (Australia)
Praise God. And I hope your friend has an even greater appreciation for God's grace than most of us—knowing what he deserved yet God gave him another chance. But tell me—why does this mean that we should not give a murderer the death penalty when God told us that is what we should do? How do you justify that biblically? Would you tell God, "Look, I had this experience with a friend that contradicts what you've commanded"?
Would I be willing to pull the trigger? Absolutely. I own a gun for the purpose of protecting my family. I would have no problem putting down an intruder, and according to Exodus 22:2, there would be no blood-guilt on my hands for it. Because I care about people in light of the Law and justice of God, that is why I hold the views that I do—punishing the wicked and protecting the innocent. I favor the death penalty because I'm pro-life, not despite it. This is not a conflicting worldview.
"Art thou a Theonomist?"
—Justin (Cleveland, OH)
No, I am not trying to implement all of the Old Testament laws in America (hence why I don't favor the death penalty for working on Sunday). All of our civic laws have to start somewhere. They begin with God's law. Justin probably meant well with his question, but there were others who accused me of being a theonomist. If you tell a person they are in sin, and you point them to God's word, they may call you a legalist. If you tell a person that one of our societal laws is wrong, and you point them to God's Law, they may call you a theonomist.
"All the Gabriels I know, are ***holes. You, sir, fit the pattern perfectly."
—Bryan (Les Piles, France)
Well, that settles it! Thanks, science.
"Mmmm... You’re missing the part where God considers your sins no less or greater than your neighbor, including thy rapist neighbor."
—Samantha (Hartford, WI)
Have I given the impression that there are parts of the Bible I don't like or haven't considered? I am a wretched, awful sinner worthy of death—no question about that. By the grace of God, I'm saved by faith in my Lord Jesus Christ, who died for my sins and rose from the grave, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish under the just wrath of God burning against the unrighteousness that I once walked in, but now I walk in His everlasting life!
But while all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), no where does the Bible say that all sins are the same. In fact, the Spirit says that sexual sins are worse than other sins (1 Corinthians 6:18). As stated earlier, a person who has hatred in their heart has murdered in their heart, but that doesn't mean they're going to be on trial for murder. You don't treat all sins the same, and neither does God.
"Many on this thread are conflating God's mercy in salvation with how Christians should seek to practically order society and apply the Scriptures to all of life. To all dissenters, if we don't use God's law as the basis of rule, then what?"
—Jason (Hoschton, GA)
Exactly. If we don't use God's Law for the basis of our laws, what else is there? Sinful wicked people deciding the fate of sinful wicked people? I think we all know how that turns out. Everyone becomes a law unto themselves doing what is "right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25, Proverbs 21:2).
Abolishing the death penalty in the name of "grace" is antinomian, not justice. Refusing to enact and exercise just laws doesn't protect people—it makes victims of people. If we love people, we will love God's Law, and we will follow it. For it is God's Law that says, "Love your neighbor as yourself."
So what is a Christian to do? Well, how aware are you in what is going on in your own local, civic government? Follow court cases in your community. Write to your mayor, city council, county jail, or local judges. Attend city council meetings. Vote for those who are the most just in their jurisprudence. Raise awareness in your church. Write letters to candidates and ask questions. Go down to the jail and share the gospel, if you're able. These are just a few suggestions. Justice takes work. But if we who know God aren't doing it, who does that leave?
At the same time, let us not neglect or overlook those who are the victims of injustice. The church needs to love them and care for them. It's easy for a victim to be filled with bitterness and rage, shaking a fist at God rather than reaching out to Him. Even victims need the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. He saves the crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). So let us open our mouths and judge righteously.
