Q&A Home > C > Capital Punishment In your following answer on capital punishment http://www.suscopts.org/q&a/index.php?qid=32&catid=61 you stated that our Church isn't against capital punishment and mainly quoted the Old Testament in support of this. If the case is so, then what prevents us from using the other old testament punishments such as stoning the people who don't obey their parents (Deut 21:18-21), stoning adulterers (Deut 22:22), stoning people who have served other gods or things (Deut 17:2-5)? What about the other punishments in the Old Testament, why don't we follow them too? The New Testament is not only the time of grace, love and mercy but also of justice. Compared to the Old Testament, there is no verse in the New Testament against capital punishment or a change in God's stand regarding it Our Lord Jesus Christ said to St. Peter "But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword" (Mt 26:52). Our Lord referred to the Old Testament commandment saying "For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death. But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God' then he need not honor his father or mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition" (Mt 15:4-6). See also Romans 13:1-5.
In the holy book of Revelation we read "And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" (Rev 6:10).
With regard to sin and the subsequent punishment by stoning, it has been changed in the New Testament "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first" (Jn 8:7).
Note that not all sinners were subjected to capital punishment but those who took the life of another person. The Lord's command is clear regarding the blood of another person that it should be avenged and this, as I mentioned, did not change in the New Testament.
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