Is America Really the Greatest Country on Earth?

I keep hearing American Christians confidently and proudly declaring that the United States is the greatest country on earth.

I find this troubling, not just because I believe it is incorrect, but because I think that many of those who say this have set up their country as an idol. And idolatry is a grave sin.

I am not American

Before I go any further, I should say that I am not an American myself. I think some Americans will therefore probably be offended by me giving my opinion here.

Nevertheless, I believe I am justified in doing so. If some American Christians are guilty of idolatry in this area, as I suspect they are, then if I can help to counteract this, I will be doing them good. I am only trying to make constructive criticism that builds people up. I am not trying to push anyone down.

Besides, it is my sincere belief that my own country, the United Kingdom, is even worse than the U.S. So I am in no way writing from some imagined position of superiority. And if American Christians want to write criticizing the U.K., then as long as the criticism is fair – which it isn’t difficult to believe it would be – then I would be the first to say “Amen.”

When the late British queen was still alive, I actually wrote an article encouraging British Christians not to idolize her, so I have a track record of criticizing my own country in this sort of way anyway. I haven’t written an article specifically directed towards British Christians who think that the U.K. today is a great country, for the simple reason that I have hardly ever heard any British Christian say that.

What counts as a great country in God’s sight?

When considering this topic, we first need to think through what we mean by the greatness of a country.

As Christians we obviously want to have the perspective that God would have on this issue, what Paul refers to in 1 Corinthians 2:16 as “the mind of Christ.” So we are really asking what God sees as greatness in a country.

A good place to start is Luke 16:15, where Jesus says in no uncertain terms:

“For what is highly admired by people is revolting in God’s sight.”

The things that the world admires and is impressed by are usually things that are totally unimpressive to God. And this surely applies when considering whether countries are great or not.

So, for example, the U.S. is the wealthiest country on earth. But we know from Scripture that wealth doesn’t impress God at all.

For instance, in Revelation 3:14-22 we read how the risen Jesus sharply rebukes the church in Laodicea. Materially this church was well off. But Jesus describes it as “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked” (v. 17) because of its sins. And if God ignores wealth when forming a judgment on how impressive a church is, it makes sense to think that He would do the same when forming a judgment on how impressive a country is.

So the wealth of the U.S. certainly doesn’t mean that it is the greatest country on earth. Nor does its power. Here 1 Corinthians 1:27 is relevant, where Paul says that “God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong.” It is true that these words are about individual people, but the words tell us about God’s perspective, and it makes sense to think that they would apply to countries too. God is unimpressed by power.

Instead of thinking along the lines of wealth, power, opportunity or anything like that, I would suggest that the issue of how great a country is boils down to one simple thing. Surely in God’s sight the greatest country on earth is the one that pleases Him the most. Surely it is the country where the laws are most pleasing to Him and where the people act most in line with His will. The whole Bible from cover to cover would lead us to think this, wouldn’t it?

Is America the most pleasing country to God?

So our question about whether America is the greatest country on earth is really about whether America pleases God more than all other countries on earth.

I don’t pretend to have special access to God’s mind on this point. But even so, I find it impossible to believe that the U.S. is the country that pleases Him the most. Some of the evils that are tolerated and practiced in America are truly horrifying.

Let’s start with abortion. This is a monstrous evil that has claimed the lives of millions of unborn babies over the last half century or so in the U.S. It is true that Roe v. Wade has finally been overturned, but this is unlikely to reduce overall abortion rates more than a little for the country as a whole. And widespread abortion is not something that has been forced on an unwilling population by the American government. It is what most U.S. citizens want.

Of course, there are countries where abortion laws are even more relaxed than in the U.S. and where even more of this kind of evil occurs. But there are also more than a few countries where abortion is much more tightly controlled. In some parts of the world, the value of unborn children is set much higher than in America.

I would suggest that this issue on its own clearly disqualifies the U.S. from being the greatest country on earth.

But let’s think about another issue too, so-called “gay marriage.” Arrogant Western countries, including the U.S., have dared to try to alter God’s created order for marriage by claiming that it is possible for two men or two women to get married. Like abortion, this is not something that has been foisted on the people against their will by the government. It is what most American citizens want, and it is a massive insult to God.

It is important to understand that there are many countries where people wouldn’t dream of trying to change marriage in this way. In many parts of the world, the vast majority of the population rightly sees “gay marriage” as unnatural and an affront to God.

I really don’t think I need to provide any more evidence to make my case. How can American Christians possibly claim that their country is the greatest on earth? Do they think God overlooks the unborn babies being cut to pieces every day? Do they think He overlooks being insulted when the husband-wife relationship that mirrors the holy relationship between Christ and the church is discarded in order to promote perversion? Do they think the fact that many other countries displease Him far less in these areas is a trivial matter?

Regardless of how great America may or may not have been in the past, at the present time it is surely not the greatest country on earth.

God is not mocked

In Galatians 6:7 Paul tells his readers:

“God is not mocked.”

Of course this isn’t to be taken literally, as if people don’t actually mock God. God is mocked all the time, whether explicitly or whether implicitly in things like abortion and “gay marriage.”

What these words mean is that no one mocks God and gets away with it without repentance. Either they will repent and find forgiveness for their mockery, or they will be punished for it.

I would encourage American Christians who think that their country is the greatest on earth to ponder these words.

For my own part as a British Christian, I would never even contemplate saying that the U.K. is the greatest country on earth or anything remotely close to that. It is an evil place that is piling up its sins against almighty God, and it wouldn’t surprise me if it is down near the bottom of the list in His sight.

Which are the greatest countries?

So if America isn’t the greatest country on earth, which one is? I am not at all confident about the answer to this question. But if I had to guess, I would say that the best countries today are probably some of those in sub-Saharan Africa that have a lot of Christians.

The worldview in these countries tends to be much more grounded than in the West. There is more of a humility before God, an understanding that human beings are creatures under His mighty hand, who have obligations to fit in with His created order.

To be fair, even the best countries are full of sinful people committing sins. So perhaps we should refer to the least bad countries rather than the greatest ones. But I would guess that some of these African ones are top of the list.

 

See also:

The Will of the People: A Big Idol among Christians Today

“Human Rights”: A Big Idol among Christians Today

Most People in Western Countries Completely Misunderstand What Human Beings Are

A Plea to British Christians Not to Idolise the Queen

Using the Bible as a Filter

In 2 Timothy 3:16 the apostle Paul says something about the purpose of the Bible: 

‘All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for rebuking, for correction, for training in uprightness.’ 

Actually, to be precise, when Paul wrote this he was referring to what we know as the Old Testament. But what he says applies just as much to the New Testament too. 

The Bible as a filter 

One good way of thinking about the Bible is as a filter. 

As we live our lives, we are constantly bombarded by ideas of all sorts. There are ideas that are common in the cultures we live in. And, as Christians, there are ideas that are held by the Christian circles we are part of. 

If we imagine all these ideas coming down a big pipe towards us, the Bible can be pictured as a filter that allows some ideas through and keeps others out. 

Importantly, however, we need to be proactive in letting Scripture work in this way. The Bible’s work of filtration doesn’t just happen automatically. Instead, we will often need to weigh things up, to spend some time thinking about whether various ideas fit with biblical teaching. 

In 1 Thessalonians 5:21 Paul tells his readers: 

‘Test everything; hold on to what is good.’ 

Using the Bible as a filter really just means doing what Paul instructs in this verse. It means to make it a habit to think about the values of things in the light of Scripture and to reject anything that doesn’t pass the test. 

Using the values of mainstream Western culture as a filter 

Sadly, there are many professing Christians who get things the wrong way round. Instead of using the Bible as a filter, they use something else to filter out parts of biblical teaching. 

To begin with, there are those who use the values of mainstream Western culture as a filter. 

For example, the Bible has a lot to say about sexual issues and the roles of men and women. And what it teaches on these topics often sharply contradicts mainstream views in modern Western culture. 

Instead of using the Bible as a filter to block out harmful ideas in areas like these, there are many who block out biblical teaching when it doesn’t fit with Western values. 

However, one of the main reasons God has given us the Bible is so that the biases and mistakes of cultural ideas can be filtered out. In moral issues, every culture gets some things right and some things wrong in God’s sight. Scripture is essential for determining whether various ideas are in line with His will. 

Many professing Christians today think they know better than the Bible, whereas in reality they have been deceived. 

Using denominational beliefs as a filter 

There are also many who go wrong by using denominational traditions to filter out biblical teaching. 

No two denominations of the church agree on everything as regards Christian doctrine and practice. I would suggest that anyone who thinks there is a denomination that has got it all right is being very naive. Instead, each denomination has strengths and weaknesses when compared to others. 

That is not to say that overall no denomination is better than any other. Some are much more in line with the will of God than others are. But the idea that any denomination avoids all mistakes is very unrealistic. 

There are, sadly, many Christians who never stop to question the beliefs of their denomination. Instead of using the Bible as a filter to hold denominational ideas up to scrutiny, they do the opposite. Parts of Scripture that contradict, or at least fit awkwardly with, the views of a certain denomination are often just brushed aside. 

Again, one of the main reasons God has given us Scripture is so that mistakes in Christian doctrine or practice can be corrected. If we refuse to allow the ideas of the denominations we are part of to be challenged by carefully examining them in the light of biblical teaching, we are not using the Bible as we should. 

Avoiding idolatry 

Whenever we use something else to filter out biblical teaching, we are guilty of idolatry. We have set up a man-made system of deciding what to accept and reject that is vastly inferior to the one God has provided. At best this will cause problems, at worst it will lead to disaster. 

Instead, what we need to do is humbly accept the filter that God has provided, the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. And we need to actively use this filter by constantly weighing things up. 

 

See also: 

Christians Need to Put Everything to the Test 

Beware of Slipping Away from Believing in the Bible 

Beware of Becoming Attached to Church Traditions 

Fighting Temptations to Believe What We Want to Believe

How Dangerous Is Harry Potter?

Over the last 30 years or so Harry Potter has been a real phenomenon. Vast numbers of people around the world have read or watched the books and films, which feature the title character and his friends. Millions are gripped, especially children. 

Although most people in the Western world are very positive about Harry Potter, not everyone agrees. There has been widespread opposition from many Christians. 

The reason why so many Christians complain is that Harry and his friends use witchcraft. Nor is this just a sideline of what they do. Using witchcraft is right at the heart of what these characters do and who they are. This is enough for many believers to reject these films and books outright. 

There are more than a few Christians, however, who are ready to stand up for Harry Potter. They argue that we mustn’t lose sight of the fact that the story of Harry and his friends is set in a fantasy world, not our real world. And they argue too that the witchcraft in this fantasy world isn’t the same as witchcraft in the real world. This means, so the argument goes, that the books and films are not leading children to actually start practising witchcraft. It is also said that Harry Potter encourages virtues such as loyalty and kindness. 

So what are we to make of all this? What should the Christian attitude to Harry Potter be? Is it an abomination? Or is it actually a positive thing? Or does it simply have some big pros and cons? 

I believe that these books and films are near the abomination end of the scale. I am sure they cause a lot more harm than good, and in what follows I will give reasons why I believe this. 

WITCHCRAFT IN OUR ACTUAL WORLD 

Before turning to look specifically at Harry Potter, I need to say something about witchcraft in our actual world. 

Every Christian needs to understand very clearly that witchcraft is a real thing. There really are witches who really do use witchcraft. Genuine witchcraft uses the ability of evil spirits to perform various supernatural acts. This is the real source of power behind it, even if the people involved are often unaware of this. 

Sometimes the terms ‘sorcery’ and ‘magic’ are used to refer to witchcraft. Defining things can be complicated by the fact that some people use ‘witchcraft’, ‘magic’ and ‘sorcery’ interchangeably, while others use the words to mean different things. 

For our purposes in this article, when I refer to ‘witchcraft’ I will be using the word broadly to include any evil, demonically empowered act that might be referred to by ‘sorcery’ or ‘magic’ as well. 

Biblical passages that condemn witchcraft 

Given that witchcraft uses demonic powers, it is no surprise that the Bible roundly condemns it. The following are some important passages: 

In Deuteronomy 18:10-12 instructions are given to the Israelites: 

‘10 There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer 11 or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, 12 for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD.’ 

(Scripture readings in this article are from the English Standard Version.) 

Nothing in later biblical revelation suggests that the principles in these verses in Deuteronomy no longer apply today. 

In Acts 19:18-19 Luke tells us what some Christian converts in Ephesus did: 

‘18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all.’ 

Luke clearly portrays this burning of books on magic/witchcraft as a good thing. 

In Galatians 5:19-20 Paul tells the Galatian churches: 

‘19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.’ 

Paul is explicit here that those who practise sorcery/witchcraft will not inherit the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God in this verse refers to final, eternal salvation. In other words, Paul is saying that those who unrepentantly practise witchcraft are on track for hell. 

In Revelation 21:8 God gives a stark warning: 

‘But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.’ 

Again, this is very clear that those who unrepentantly practise sorcery/witchcraft are on track for hell. 

There are other biblical passages too that condemn witchcraft, but even the few that I have quoted should leave us in no doubt that witchcraft is a grave evil and God hates it. 

Attitudes to witchcraft in mainstream Western culture 

Mainstream Western culture distinguishes between so-called black magic or black witchcraft on the one hand, and so-called white magic or white witchcraft on the other. The black forms are designed to harm people in various ways, whereas the white forms are not designed to cause harm. 

Mainstream Westerners are usually not opposed to white witchcraft. Many don’t believe that there is any real power in witchcraft, and those who take this view don’t tend to be against what they see as harmless make-believe. Many others do accept that there is real power in witchcraft, but they are not opposed to white witchcraft, since it doesn’t aim to harm people. 

Comparing mainstream Western and Christian attitudes 

It is difficult to overstate the difference between a mainstream Western worldview and a Christian worldview. In reality, if not always in theory, the mainstream Western worldview sees human beings, and not God, as the centre of things. So if something doesn’t harm a human being, it is usually seen as acceptable. 

Sadly, many Christians have been very influenced by this outlook. However, whether something harms people or not is not the key issue. The key thing is whether it offends God. And there are many things that offend God without causing direct harm to people. 

Witchcraft in all its forms offends God, for two reasons: 

First, when a person practises witchcraft, they are stepping outside the place of human beings in the created order. All witchcraft involves engaging in supernatural activity without reference to God. But humans are simply not designed to do this. This is not part of our mandate. 

Second, as I have already noted, all witchcraft involves using demonic power, whether people are aware of this or not. And obviously God doesn’t want people to use evil power. It is worth noting too that most people who practise witchcraft end up with demonic problems as a result. 

It is essential, then, for Christians to understand that all witchcraft in our real world is evil and dangerous. It may be true that black witchcraft is even worse than white witchcraft, but even the white variety is thoroughly evil in God’s sight. 

WHAT SHOULD WE MAKE OF HARRY POTTER? 

Let’s turn now to think specifically about Harry Potter. There are several reasons to believe that this series of books and films is harmful, especially to children. 

Desensitisation to the fact that witchcraft is evil 

First, we should be in no doubt that the Harry Potter books and films serve to desensitise many people, especially children, to the fact that witchcraft in the real world is evil. 

Everyone should shudder when they hear the word ‘witchcraft’, and children should be encouraged to be repulsed by this practice. Every child should be taught that witchcraft is a real thing and that it is always evil. However, having a work of fiction in which the heroes are children who use witchcraft can only hinder children understanding this. 

There are some Christians who make a big deal of the fact that the witchcraft in the Harry Potter fantasy world and the witchcraft in the real world are not the same. However, it is still the case that in the storyline of the series Harry and his friends explicitly use witchcraft of a sort. This can only work against children being repulsed by the witchcraft that exists in our real world. 

An increase in the practice of witchcraft 

Second, in reading up on this topic I found anecdotal evidence that Harry Potter is helping to fuel an increase in the number of people who practise witchcraft. 

Apparently, in bookshops it is not uncommon for Harry Potter books to be found on the shelf next to books on real witchcraft. It seems too that the practice of witchcraft is on the rise in Western countries, and witches themselves seem to agree that Harry Potter has contributed to this. 

Nothing about this should surprise us. Huge numbers of children adore the Harry Potter books and films and the witchcraft in that fantasy world. For some of these children, when they discover that there is such a thing as witchcraft in our real world, they want to get involved. 

Similarities between witchcraft in the real and fantasy worlds 

Third, the differences between witchcraft in the real world and witchcraft in Harry Potter are not great enough to say that the former is evil and the latter is acceptable. 

In the real world, witchcraft is wrong because it involves operating in the supernatural realm without reference to God. But the same is true of the witchcraft in the Harry Potter fantasy world. 

Other fantasy stories 

Fourth, appealing to other fantasy stories in support of Harry Potter is very unconvincing. 

One argument that is used by some Christians who are in favour of these books and films goes in this way: 

Fairy tales are harmless stories, but they often have magical elements. Furthermore, J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis were Christian authors, whose works are helpful in portraying biblical truth, and their heroes sometimes use magical powers. It is inconsistent to approve of fairy tales, Tolkien’s The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, and Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia stories, and also to disapprove of Harry Potter. 

In response to this, there are a number of points to make: 

(1) It is true that we should always be as consistent as possible. However, this should be done by disapproving of bad things in fairy tales, Tolkien and Lewis and not by approving of bad things in Harry Potter. 

(2) I think many magical elements in fairy tales are problematic and harmful. In any case, Harry Potter seems a lot worse than fairy tales generally. In the Harry Potter books and films the big thing that the main characters are known for is using witchcraft. This goes beyond what is typically found in fairy tales. 

(3) I think Tolkien is very overrated in terms of his positive influence on the Christian faith. I would challenge the idea that his works have helped to promote gospel truth. What is more, some pagan religious groups today appeal to ideas that are found in Tolkien. 

(4) I think Lewis is also overrated to an extent. It is true that a lot of what he taught is good, and he had some extremely helpful insights. Nevertheless, he also had some seriously wrong ideas too. 

Besides, Lewis seems to have had a very different attitude to witchcraft from what we find in Harry Potter. In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe the witch is an evil character, and I am not aware of any witch in The Chronicles of Narnia stories that is portrayed as a good character. There is nothing wrong with having witches in children’s fiction, as long as they are portrayed as evil. 

Summing up 

There are good reasons, then, for thinking that Harry Potter is harmful, especially to children: 

These books and films desensitise people, especially children, to the evil of witchcraft in the real world. 

They are helping to fuel an increase in the practice of witchcraft. 

The differences between real and Harry Potter-style witchcraft are not great enough to say that one is evil and the other is acceptable. 

It is unwarranted to appeal to other fantasy writers as a way to support Harry Potter. 

An analogy 

Let me give an analogy to help me try to make my point. 

Suppose there is a children’s story set in a fantasy world where the main characters are children, but instead of using witchcraft, they spend their time explicitly taking class A drugs. This is the main thing they do. And suppose too that these drugs are not precisely identical to class A drugs that exist in our real word, but that they are very similar to drugs such as fentanyl, heroin and crack cocaine. 

Let’s imagine also that the story doesn’t teach that it is wrong for these children to behave in this way. And finally, let’s suppose that this story is extremely popular among children and that some adults want it to be read in schools. 

Imagine the outrage from parents! People would be horrified! And rightly so. 

Why would they be appalled? Simply because taking class A drugs is a very bad thing to do. So to have a children’s story where the main characters do this sets an appalling example to children. 

If someone were to try to defend this story by saying that it is set in a fantasy world and not the real world, and that in this fantasy world taking class A drugs is acceptable, they would be told in no uncertain terms that that was a hopelessly weak excuse. Or if someone were to claim that the drugs in the fantasy world are not identical to drugs in our real world, so no harm is done, they also would be told where to go. 

I believe that Harry Potter is very similar to this scenario. Harry and his friends don’t take class A drugs. But they do something just as bad, namely, use supernatural powers without reference to God, i.e., witchcraft. 

I am sure that many Christians who are reading this will think that my analogy is a poor one. They will think that in a fantasy world, as in the real world, taking class A drugs has to be much worse than so-called white witchcraft. 

I would suggest that the reason why so many Christians don’t feel the same about witchcraft as they do about taking class A drugs is because, unknowingly, they have been massively influenced by the values of modern Western culture. I come back to the point I made at the beginning of the article. In mainstream Western culture today there is little or no place for God. So if an activity involves causing unnecessary harm to a human being, it is seen as wrong, but if it doesn’t involve doing this to a human being, it is usually seen as acceptable. 

However, the whole starting point of this worldview is mistaken. Instead of asking whether an activity causes pain to humans, we should start by asking whether it causes pain to God. And there are many things that pain God without causing direct pain to human beings. 

Huge numbers of Christians today have a very faulty worldview, because they have been very influenced by secular Western thinking. Many have simply not grasped that God hates many things that don’t cause direct pain to humans, including witchcraft. So they haven’t understood that it is extremely inappropriate to have a children’s fantasy story in which the main characters do something similar to witchcraft in the real world. 

PRACTICAL STEPS 

What practical steps, then, should Christians take in response to Harry Potter? 

Avoid the books and films 

First, I think that as a general rule it is best even for adults to avoid these books and films. 

Each Christian would need to follow their own conscience in this matter. However, I would be surprised if it was God’s will for believers to spend their leisure time being exposed to such an evil subject matter. Watching pornography, for example, is wrong, so why would we think that watching or reading about witchcraft, even fantasy witchcraft, is any better? 

Parenting 

Second, Christian parents need to take great care to protect their children from harmful influences from these books and films. 

I think normally this will mean keeping children, especially young ones, away from Harry Potter. I appreciate how difficult this must be for parents today, especially when there is so much peer pressure on children to follow the crowd, and also when these books are often read in schools. 

Perhaps it may sometimes be God’s will for Christian parents to allow their children to be exposed to some of the books and films while at the same time warning them of the evils of witchcraft. But I would at least question that. The subject matter is just so awful. 

Book-burning 

Finally, there is the issue of book-burning to consider. 

In the last three decades various Christian groups have got into the news because they have publicly burned Harry Potter books. 

I don’t think burning these books is an overreaction. Public burning of magic books is exactly what we find approved of in Acts 19:19. 

It is true that the books referred to in this verse had to do with magic/witchcraft in our real world, not the witchcraft of a fantasy world. Nevertheless, there doesn’t seem to be much of a difference between burning books on real witchcraft and burning ones on fantasy witchcraft. 

A decision to publicly burn books shouldn’t be taken lightly, however. There may well be times when, for one reason or another, God might not want Harry Potter books to be burned in public. So Christians who are considering this would need to take the matter to the Lord in prayer. 

 

See also: 

Learning to Discern the Attacks of Evil Spirits 

The Importance of Ministering to People Afflicted by Demons 

Christians Need to Put Everything to the Test

Most People in Western Countries Completely Misunderstand What Human Beings Are 

Should Christians Support the Death Penalty for Murder? – Part 2

Part 1 of this article can be found here.

ACTS 25:11

Another relevant passage for our purposes, albeit a less important one than the texts we have already looked at, is Acts 25:11. In this verse Paul says to the Roman procurator Festus: 

“If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death.”

Three alternative interpretations

There are three alternative ways in which we could interpret what Paul says in this verse.

Interpretation (1): Paul is saying that if he has done anything for which he deserves to die according to Roman law, then he isn’t seeking to escape death.

Under this interpretation, Paul’s focus is not on whether or not God says that he deserves to die. Instead, he is simply looking at things from the perspective of Roman law.

Interpretation (2): Paul is saying that if he has done anything for which he deserves to die according to God, then he isn’t seeking to escape death.

Under this interpretation, Paul’s focus is not on whether or not Roman law says that he deserves to die. Instead, he is looking at things from God’s perspective.

Interpretation (3): Paul is saying that if he has done anything for which he deserves to die according to Roman law and according to God, then he isn’t seeking to escape death.

Under this interpretation, Paul is looking at things both from the perspective of Roman law and from God’s perspective.

Any of these interpretations could be the correct one, although (3) is probably the most natural, followed by (1) and then (2).

If (2) or (3) is correct, then Paul is saying that if God’s standpoint is that he deserves to die, he is not seeking to escape death. This strongly implies that capital punishment is sometimes acceptable in God’s sight. And it probably implies too that there are times when it is not just acceptable but should happen.

If (1) is correct, and Paul is just talking about whether or not he deserves to die according to Roman law, things are less clear. Nevertheless, the fact that he says “I do not seek to escape death” most naturally suggests that he believes that there were times when Roman executions were in line with the will of God.

Summing up

There are admittedly uncertainties about how we should interpret Paul’s words in this verse. But we can say two things.

First, on balance, what he says here counts against the view that capital punishment is always wrong.

And second, what he says also fits a bit better with the view that capital punishment should happen at times than with the view that it is just an optional punishment.

DOING GOOD TO THOSE WHO TREAT US BADLY

So far we have looked at biblical passages that support capital punishment.

However, we also need to look at some passages that are often said to show that this punishment is not God’s will today.

One common argument appeals to the teaching of Jesus on doing good to those who treat us badly.

For example, in Matt 5:38-41 He says: 

“38 You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.”

The argument

The argument goes along these lines:

The big ethical principle in the teaching of Jesus is love, radical love that is expressed even by doing good to those who treat us badly. To inflict the death penalty is a severe way of responding to those who do wrong, and it is not possible to reconcile this kind of punishment with a desire to love wrongdoers.

The response

This is actually a weak argument, and there are a number of points to make in reply:

(1) To use Jesus’ teaching about doing good to those who treat us badly as an argument against capital punishment is to compare apples with oranges. A personal response to a wrong we have suffered is a very different thing from the nation state’s response when a citizen commits a serious crime.

When Jesus tells us not to retaliate against those who treat us badly and to do good to them, He means this quite literally. It is true that there are exceptional situations when acting to bless people who mistreat us will actually cause more harm than good. But as a general rule, if someone treats us badly we should aim to act in ways that bless them in return.

However, it should be obvious that it would be wrong for the state to follow this sort of principle. The state is hardly supposed to go out of its way to bless and benefit criminals! Instead, there is a consensus – rightly, of course – that the state needs to inflict punishment of some sort on those who commit serious crimes.

So it should be clear that Jesus’ teaching about doing good to those who treat us badly is not a comment on how the state should treat criminals. And this should make us cautious about using what He says in passages like this one to draw conclusions about capital punishment.

(2) We need to take account of all biblical revelation on the nature of God.

Scripture reveals God to be not only a God of great love but also a God of severe judgment. For example, Jesus Himself teaches repeatedly on the horror and reality of hell (e.g., in Matt 5:22, 29-30; 18:8-9; Mark 9:43-48).

So it simply won’t do to build a picture of the nature and will of God from a select group of biblical texts. Instead, we need to take account of the whole Bible. And if we do this, we find that it is often His will to inflict severe punishments.

(3) We need to take especial account of what Paul writes in Romans.

In Rom 12:19-20 he teaches about non-retaliation and doing good to those who treat us badly: 

“19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ 20 To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’”

What Paul says here closely mirrors what Jesus says in passages like Matt 5:38-41.

Yet Rom 12:19-20 is followed almost immediately by Rom 13:1-5, that we looked at above, which teaches about the state being God’s instrument of punishment. And, as we saw too, v. 4 of this passage seems quite strongly to imply that the state has the right to inflict capital punishment at times.

Given that Paul’s teaching on non-retaliation and blessing enemies doesn’t contradict the state’s right to inflict capital punishment, there is no need to think that Jesus’ teaching on non-retaliation and blessing enemies contradicts this either.

Summing up

What Jesus says about the importance of loving enemies should therefore not lead us to think that it is wrong for the state to execute murderers.

THE WOMAN CAUGHT IN ADULTERY

Another argument used by those who say that capital punishment for murder is wrong today appeals to the account of the woman caught in adultery that is found in what is commonly referred to as John 7:53-8:11.

The argument

The argument goes along these lines:

In this biblical passage we find Jesus superseding the instruction to put adulterers to death as found in the Law of Moses. Because He did this, it makes sense to think that He would have had the same attitude to those who were guilty of murder. Even though the OT prescribed a death sentence for murderers, Jesus brought a new principle that abolished capital punishment of any kind.

The response

This is another weak argument, and there are a couple of points to make in reply.

(1) To begin with, it is questionable how much authority this story actually has.

Although the story is commonly regarded as one of the best known Bible passages today, it was almost certainly not originally a part of John’s Gospel:

First, the vocabulary and style of this passage show some differences from the rest of this Gospel.

Second, if we remove it, the transition from 7:52 to 8:12 is a good one.

Third, it is not in our earliest surviving copies of John.

And fourth, it is not even in our earliest surviving commentaries on this Gospel. In the extensive commentaries on John by Origen (lived late 2nd through mid 3rd century) and by John Chrysostom (lived mid 4th through early 5th century) the commentators show no knowledge of this passage at all!

New Testament textual analysts today – including very conservative scholars – are therefore widely agreed that this passage was not in the original text.

If this story wasn’t originally part of the Gospel, that doesn’t prove that it shouldn’t be regarded as Scripture. Potentially God could have inspired the story as Scripture and later caused Christians to include  it in the Bible.

This does seem rather doubtful, however. It just seems strange for God to create an add-on in this way. If He wanted it to be part of Scripture, why would He not have made it part of the original text?

We do better, then, to think that this story should not be regarded as a part of the Bible.

On the other hand, however, it is very difficult to believe that what this story teaches is misleading or even that it has no positive value. Throughout church history probably a majority of Christians have, in good faith, had copies of John’s Gospel that included this passage. Surely God wouldn’t have let that happen if this passage was harmful. Besides, countless Christians have testified that He has spoken to them through the passage.

To cut a long story short, we do best to conclude that this passage stems from a historical event in Jesus’ ministry and that it contains very good Christian teaching.

Nevertheless, it should probably not be regarded as a genuine part of the Bible, so its value for deciding on matters of capital punishment today is limited.

(2) Even more importantly, it is essential to recognise that this story specifically concerns Jesus’ attitude to the death penalty for adultery. So, regardless of how we interpret the story, it is unwarranted to conclude from it that Jesus would have been against the death penalty for murder.

Old Testament teaching that adulterers should be put to death originates in the Law of Moses, which the NT tells us was temporary (Gal 3:23-25). By contrast, OT teaching that murderers should be put to death originates, as we have seen, in Gen 9:5-6, a passage that apparently gives principles that will last as long as this earth does.

Summing up

The story of the woman caught in adultery should therefore not lead us to think that it is wrong today for the state to execute murderers.

EZEKIEL 33

Another common argument against capital punishment today appeals to Ezek 33:11, where God tells the prophet Ezekiel to say to the people of Judah: 

“Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?”

The argument

The argument goes along these lines:

In this verse God says that He gains no pleasure from the death of those who do evil, and that He wants them to turn from their evil and live. Here God is giving a principle that goes deeper than the earlier OT commands to inflict capital punishment. He is saying that in fact His higher purpose is that wrongdoers should not be put to death but that they should be given a chance to repent. And this surely includes murderers. So Christians today should follow this principle by rejecting capital punishment in all circumstances.

The response

This is another weak argument, and there are a few points to make in reply:

(1) To begin with, there is a minor point. The death in view in this verse is not the death penalty administered by people but a death that God himself will inflict. And it probably refers both to physical death and also punishment after physical death.

These differences mean that we should be cautious about using what this verse says to draw firm conclusions about capital punishment today.

(2) Next, there is another relatively minor point. In this verse God isn’t saying that He prefers the wicked not dying to the wicked dying. Instead, He assumes that being wicked and dying naturally go hand in hand, and He is saying that He prefers people not being wicked to the wicked dying. We could paraphrase God’s words in this verse as: “I would much rather that you are not wicked than that you are wicked and die.”

(3) Third, we must take care not to read too much out of what this verse tells us.

It is true that in the verse God says that He wants those who are already wicked to turn from their wickedness and so avoid His punishment. So at first sight this might seem to suggest that it is not His will for murderers (who are obviously already wicked) to be put to death, but instead that He wants them to repent and so avoid His punishment.

It is quite right to say that in this verse God is giving a general principle that He wants wrongdoers to repent and so avoid His punishment. However, crucially, it is unwarranted to claim that this principle is the whole story on the issue of sin and punishment. There could potentially be other relevant factors as well, even some that are in tension with this principle.

As it happens, we know that there is at least one other factor in tension with this principle. We know that the time came shortly after Ezekiel prophesied, when God’s patience with Judah ran out and He destroyed Jerusalem by the hands of the Babylonians. So, even though God’s will expressed in this verse is for people to repent and avoid His judgment, we know that this isn’t the whole story, since He later acted to stop people having the opportunity to repent.

In other words, we know that a time came later when God decided that inflicting punishment was more important than allowing people the opportunity to repent, which was a situation that was an exception to the principle of Ezek 33.11.

Therefore, given that we have this exceptional example of where God chose punishment over mercy, it is not difficult to think that there could be yet another exceptional circumstance in which He, at least usually, chooses punishment over mercy, i.e., the death penalty for murder. So we could potentially say that the general principle in this verse is that God wants people to repent and avoid punishment, but that in cases of murder something else takes precedence, which is that murderers should suffer the death penalty.

In short, it is reading too much out of this verse to claim that it shows that the death penalty for murder is wrong. The verse gives a general principle that God wants wrongdoers to repent and avoid punishment, but we know that this principle isn’t the whole story on the issue of sin and punishment.

Summing up

Ezekiel 33:11 is therefore not strong support for the view that capital punishment for murder today is wrong.

SUMMARY

Let’s now draw together what we have found.

We have seen that Gen 9:5-6 gives an instruction that people who commit premeditated murder (and possibly some lesser degrees of killing too) should be executed by human beings. However, we have also seen that there seem to be exceptions to this principle in the Bible itself.

We have found that Rom 13:1-5 quite strongly implies that the nation state has a God-given authority to use capital punishment at times. And we also saw that this passage most naturally suggests that the state should use capital punishment rather than just may use this punishment if it wishes.

We have found that Acts 25:11 provides some weaker support for capital punishment.

Finally, we have seen that Jesus’ teaching on doing good to those who mistreat us, the story of the woman caught in adultery, and Ezek 33:11 provide no convincing reason to oppose the death penalty for murder today.

HOW DO WE SEEK TO APPLY GEN 9:5-6 TODAY?

Of the passages we have looked at, Gen 9:5-6 is by far the most important, because it specifically says that murderers should be executed. On the other hand, however, we mustn’t forget about the exceptional examples of Cain, Moses, David and Saul.

So what should we do today? Is it more important to follow what Gen 9:5-6 says? Or should we be more influenced by these exceptions?

We should surely follow Gen 9:5-6. This passage contains a specific instruction given by God, something that He actually tells human beings of all following centuries to do. We should therefore support the death penalty for premeditated murder, and possibly for some lesser degrees of killing too.

Of course, in many parts of the world the death penalty is not used. Where this is the case, Christians should speak out in support of this punishment for murder.

However, we should also speak out just as strongly against bias in enforcing the death penalty. In some places where capital punishment is used, people’s ethnic group or financial status can increase or decrease their likelihood of being executed. This is an appalling injustice.

Finally, as we saw in Rom 13:1-5, it is the state that has been given the task by God of inflicting capital punishment. Christians must never take matters into their own hands to try to enforce this punishment when the state fails to execute as it should.

See also my articles:

The Justice and Mercy of God

American Christians and Gun Control

Does the Oral Contraceptive Pill Cause Abortions?

How Seriously Should Christians Take Warnings of Climate Change?