Topical Sermons - Executable Outlines

Mark A. Copeland
in many other civilizations since first given to God
2. In it, we find that capital punishment was proscribed for the following crimes:
a. Premeditated murder - Exo 21:12-14
b. Parental abuse - Exo 21:15
c. Kidnapping - Exo 21:16
d. Cursing parents - Exo 21:17
e. Striking an expecting mother which causes the child to born prematurely and dies - Exo
21:22-25
f. Failure to keep a killer animal from killing - Exo 21:28-29
g. Killing a thief in revenge - Exo 22:2,3
h. Sorcery - Exo 22:18
i. Bestiality - Exo 22:19
j. Adultery - Lev 20:10
k. Incest - Lev 20:11-12
l. Homosexuality - Lev 20:13
m. Marrying both mother and daughter - Lev 20:14
n. Being a medium or spiritist - Lev 20:27
o. Breaking the Sabbath - Num 15:32-26
B. WAS THE LAW A GOOD LAW...?
1. Paul said that it was “holy and just and good” - Ro 7:12
2. While the religious aspects of the Law was temporary (cf. Ga 3:23-25), the civil law served
its purpose well: to govern and preserve a nation
3. Who would presume to say they could improve upon such a civil code of ethics?
a. Many have arrogantly presumed they could do better
b. And countries have gotten worse, not better!
[Certainly under the Old Covenant capital punishment was ordained of God. But we live under the New
Testament, not the Old; what does the New Testament say?]
III. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
A. THE PURPOSE OF THE NEW COVENANT...
1. Unlike the Old Covenant, the New Covenant is not designed to govern or regulate civil
governments
a. It is designed for those in Christ’s kingdom, which is spiritual in nature - Jn 18:36
b. Its purpose is to help man achieving and maintaining a right relationship with God
c. So for the most part, it does not concern itself with telling men of the world how to
regulate their civil affairs
2. But in defining our relationship to civil authorities while subject to a Higher Law, there are
references which reveal God’s attitude toward capital punishment
B. REFERENCES TO CAPITAL PUNISHMENT...
1. Take a look at Ro 13:1-7
a. Governmental authorities are established by God
b. They serve as ministers of God, as “an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices
evil”
c. When a government fulfills its responsibility upon those who are evil...
1) It “does not bear the sword in vain”
Topical Sermons 51