Theological term
Death Penalty
3 sermons · All terms
The Sixth Commandment, Part 2
The sixth commandment's prohibition of murder raises pressing questions about the lawfulness of capital punishment — questions this study addresses by examining common objections, both biblical and pragmatic. Working through passages in Genesis 9, Romans 12–13, Matthew 5, and John 8, the study argues that none of these texts undermines the death penalty; rather, each, rightly interpreted, confirms that the civil magistrate is God's ordained avenger, armed with the sword to execute retributive justice. The account of the woman caught in adultery is shown to uphold, not overturn, the law of Moses, since Jesus' appeal to qualified witnesses is itself a requirement of that law. Believers are called to embrace the whole counsel of God on civil justice, including its consistency with — not contradiction of — the free offer of the gospel.
2 Samuel 3:22-39
The assassination of Abner by Joab in 2 Samuel 3:22–39 exposes the destructive power of envy and selfish ambition, contrasted with David's careful maintenance of covenant integrity and political innocence. Joab's murder of Abner — motivated not only by a desire to avenge his brother Asahel but by fear that Abner's rise would diminish his own standing — illustrates Calvin's warning that ambition is the most mortal evil that can befall the church. David's public mourning, fivefold curse upon Joab, and lament over Abner are examined as covenantal and diplomatic acts flowing from genuine righteousness rather than self-interest. The passage calls believers to guard their own hearts against the same envy and selfishness visible in these ancient figures, and to take encouragement that God builds his kingdom through and despite such human wickedness.
The Sanctity of Life
The sanctity of human life is grounded not in sentiment but in the biblical doctrine that God created man in his own image — a dignity that persists after the fall and extends to every category of person, including the preborn. Exodus 21:22–25 is examined as a text that directly addresses the legal standing of the unborn: the lex talionis applied to a premature birth demonstrates that God's law protects prenatal life with the same weight it protects any other. The sermon then takes up the wickedness of murder across its biblical dimensions — divine prohibition, divine hatred, divine observation, and divine punishment, including eternal judgment — while insisting that the church's primary instrument against these evils is the preaching of the gospel and the doctrine of justification by faith alone, under which even those guilty of abortion may find forgiveness in Christ.