Bulletin Articles: Full Article for Record Number 1032
May A Christian Be An Executioner?
by Larry Ray Hafley
"May a Christian serve as a punitive agent for the civil government? The arguments of each side of this debate seem so persuasive that it is difficult to decide. What does the Bible teach?"
The Spirit says that such an one is "the minister of God." "For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil" (Rom. 13:4). Serving as "the minister of God," does he sin? I think not (Cf. 1 Sam. 15:3, 33--Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.... And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal). Does the alien sinner sin when he does the same work? If so, has God authorized men to be his ministers of sin?
Paul sought protection based on his Roman citizenship (Acts 22:24 30; 23:10 24, 31 33). Soldiers were assigned to deliver him, "to bring him safe(ly)." Now, had one of soldiers been a Christian and had he executed one who attacked Paul, would he have been a sinner? If so, would Paul have been an accessory after the fact?
Would I want to be an executioner? No. Could I be one and not sin? I think so. There are those who disagree. I respect their judgment and would not want them to violate their consciences.
Some say that capital punishment is "legalized murder." Could one collect fines from those who have been fined? Some might say that a fine is "legalized extortion." Could one be a jailer? Some might say that to imprison someone is to be guilty of "legalized kidnapping." As the minister of God, I believe one could collect a fine, incarcerate a prisoner, and execute a murderer (Lev. 24:12; Matt. 22:21; Matt. 26:52; Acts 25:11; Rom. 13:1-4).
