Updated American Standard Version
Giving Bible readers what God said not what translators think God meant
The Bible contains references to the use of capital punishment in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. In the Old Testament, capital punishment was prescribed for a variety of offenses, including murder, adultery, rape, and blasphemy, among others. The death penalty was often carried out by stoning, beheading, or by other means.
The objective of this article will be to determine if the death penalty, as imposed by modern-day countries is biblical. What is the Bible’s point of view? Undeniably, this is an ethical issue overflowing with passion, for we are talking about a human life, both that of the victim and the offender, the greatest gift from God. Are modern-day nations qualified and authorized to determine such issues as life and death?