Monday, February 18, 2013

TWISTING THE SCRIPTURES? MATTHEW 25 VERSE 40



           Opponents of capital punishment gathered at the Utah State Capitol to hold a rally during the final appeals. The protest was attended by Gardner's family, and was organized by Utahans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. The protest also included the support of Brian King of the Utah House of Representatives, who pledged to urge the legislature to reconsider the use of the capital punishment. This event happened during the final appeals of Ronnie Lee Gardner who would eventually be executed by firing squad on 18 June 2010 in Utah.


A protester against capital punishment in Utah holds a sign citing Matthew 25:40.
            During the protest, I was particularly disturbed by a protestor against capital punishment who held up a sign citing Matthew 25 verse 40. I was speechless that the protestor could twist the scripture and used it out of context. That verse was Jesus parable about The Sheep and the Goats, not about God being against capital punishment. If the protestor wants to use that verse properly, he should be telling it to those violent criminals on Death Row and preach to them that they had treated their victims badly and they should repent of murder. Do not tell that to the state who is obeying God in protecting the state from evildoers.

            Want to know what is the right context to use it? Martin Luther will explain more in his The Large Catechism, Thou Shalt Not Kill. (Please go to this blog post, http://bornagainchristians2012.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/thou-shalt-not-kill-devotion-of-week.html)

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CHRISTIANITY AND CAPITAL PUNISHMENT, PLEASE GO TO THE FOLLOWING LINKS:

1. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Genesis 9 verse 6

2. John Calvin’s commentary on Romans 13 verse 4

3. Thou Shalt Not Kill & The New Testament

4. Saint Thomas Aquinas in defense of the death penalty

5. John Murray (Page 122 of Principles of Conduct)

6. Born Again Christian Journalist, Peter Hitchens

7. The Last Rites

8. Article 37 of the 39 Articles of Religion in 1571

9. Avery Cardinal Dulles’s article: First Things ~ Catholicism & Capital Punishment

10. Professor Walter Bern’s article: Religion and the Death Penalty: Can’t have one without the other?

11. Philip Jensen’s article: Bali Bombers

12. Justice Antonin Scalia’s article: God’s Justice and Ours

13. Gleason Leonard Archer, Jr. on the Two Witnesses rule

14. Fulton John Sheen on a Just Punishment

15. Charles Caldwell Ryrie on the sixth commandment

16. Dr. James Dobson’s interviews Ted Bundy

17. Kerby Anderson’s article: "John 8 is a Condemnation of Capital Punishment!"

18. The Sixth Commandment explained.

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