I appreciate your questions and
thoughts about capital punishment. Your questions are good. 1. Are we to follow Christ's
example while he was on earth? Yes.
In what situation would Christ take another man's life? I don't
know. But I do know that to use Christ example to set aside any teaching from other
inspired teachers of the New Testament is a mistake. Christ said to His Apostles there
were many other things He wished He could tell them at that time, but they weren't ready
for them at that time. The Holy Spirit would come upon them and guide them into all truth.
The remainder of the New Testament is the fulfillment of the Lord's promise in that
matter, including Paul's teaching in Romans 13.
While it is certainly true that the government does many things
which are wrong, what God ordained the government to do in Romans 13 is not wrong. He
declared the government to be His ministers to execute wrath on the children of
disobedience and that they bear not the sword in vain. While I might agree with you on a
personal basis that capital punishment is not good because a man can be converted and
might be reached for heaven, it doesn't change the fact Scripture ordained it to begin
with.
Personally I favor every opportunity for one to repent. You might
think of the times God had the very men you mention, that is Moses and David, to carry out
capital punishment against others. When something is ordained of God I must not try to
make Scripture fit what I would like for it to say to fit my ideas. That is true not only
of this topic but of all others. I want always to go to God's word to learn what to
believe, not to prove what I'm already convinced is right.
Leon Barnes