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Originally Posted by Katczinsky  Hmmm, it's an interesting theory. So does Jesus' anti-death penalty stance supersede the many death penalty sentences God lays out in the Old Testament? If Jesus is God then it seems as if God changes his mind a lot for a perfect all-knowing being; either that or he suffers from cognitive dissonance. Either way he flip-flops more than John Kerry in a waffle house; someone who we didn't want running our country... let alone the universe. | Well, my point in that original post was that yeah, God does present death as the penalty in the Old Testament, a lot. However, the catch is that it declares EVERYONE as guilty. The New Testament writers point out that the reason we can't judge is because we're all deserving of death. Quote:
Romans 2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
Hebrews 7:19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
| The thing with Jesus, He never said our sins were any less deserving of death than they were in the Old Testament. With the adulteress, He never said she wasn't worthy of death. The very fact that He forgave her and acknowledged she'd sinned by saying "go and sin no more" shows otherwise.
Rather, He came to show that we all need to repent or else perish because we're all equally guilty of death. He reminded us that the Law can't justify any of us; we're all sinners, from Mary and the apostles to the parson giving the Sunday message.
We need to fall on God's mercy because our good works can never earn us acceptance with God, and God is just - why should He continue to show us mercy if we will not show mercy to others? Quote:
Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 18:23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
| It's not that God is any less just than in the Old Testament, or that the sentence of death has changed at all since God gave the Law. It's that through Jesus we can find God's mercy, and in the Old Testament there are many examples of God's mercy as well. It's that asking for and receiving God's mercy makes us accountable to show that same mercy and forgiveness to everyone else we meet. |