THE MORAL ISSUE OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

Text- Romans 13:1-7

Introduction


Tonight I would like to continue with my series of messages on biblical morality.

Last Sunday night we learned that the basis of morality is not our own human reasoning, rationalization, humanistic teachings or psychology, but rather the inspired word of God.

In preaching this series of messages I am going to ask you to participate in this study by doing two things.

First, if you find any articles in the news paper or a magazine that deals with a moral issue, I would like to encourage you to bring it with you and read it so we can talk about it.

The second way that I would like you to participate is by discussing several moral dilemmas that go along with the specific moral issue we will be studying.

These moral dilemmas are taken from the game of choices in our church library.

The first moral issue I would like us to consider that has had a great amount of publicity during the last month is the death penalty or capital punishment.

Two Texas men, sentenced to die in the electric chair on the same day, were led down to the room in which they would meet their maker.  The priest had given them last rites, the formal speech had been given by the warden, and a final prayer had been said among the participants.  The warden, turning to the first man, solemnly asked, "Son, do you have a last request?"  To which the man replied, "Yes sir, I do. I love dance music. Could you please play the Macarena for me one last time?"  "Certainly," replied the warden. He turned to the other man and asked, "Well, what about you, son? What is your final request?"  "Please," said the condemned man, "kill me first."

Our text is found in Romans 13:1-7 which we will get to later on, but first I’d like us to understand more about what the Bible says about the death penalty in three major areas.