Capital Punishment in Historic Protestantism

An argument from the historic Protestant perspective.

By Elijah Gritsavage

 

Current State of Capital Punishment in the United States

The death penalty is slowing going away in the United States. According to the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), there were only 23 new death sentences in 2023. This is in line with the trend of decline dating back to the late 1990s.  

The ethics of the death penalty has been the topic of much discussion, and thoughts on what other forms of punishment or rehabilitation may be better for our justice system and society have increased in recent years. Such a focus misses the core of the issue.  

The death penalty must be used because it would be an abdication of the role of the civil magistrate not to administer it and would be entirely unjust to the American people to refrain from using it. (READ MORE: Charlie Kirk, RIP: Christian, Father, Friend to Democracy)

 

Modern Christian’s View of the Death Penalty 

Many Christians today seem to have been swept into the raging river of being overly empathetic in which they argue it is loving to spare the life of a criminal deserving of death. Their underlying assumption of this thought is that the termination of life can never be the best decision. Opponents of the death penalty use language appealing to the idea that it is not our place to judge but God’s, choosing not to provide an alternative rational or Scriptural argument but rather speak in generalizations from a critical standpoint of “moral authority.” (READ MORE: Remembering Voddie Baucham)

The article Why Christians Must Reject the Death Penalty by Matthew Tyson is a prime example of this. In the article, Tyson argues against the death penalty in the same manner described above.  

Tyson argues that violence in all forms is a result of the fall. This makes for a curious dilemma considering that Christ’s triumphant return will include the vanquishing of all who stand against Him. He further asserts that the way of Christ is transformation, in which we Christians invite others into a transformational encounter with the Truth, a claim with a noticeable lack in argumentative substance. 

Finally, Tyson asserts that Paul never references capital punishment in the passage from Romans 13:3-4; part of a larger passage in which God commands submission to the governing authorities and makes clear the offices have been given authority by Him. This type of modern, progressive, “Christian” approach to the death penalty is a complete and total misunderstanding of capital punishment and its role in the hands of the civil magistrate.  

 

Capital Punishment in Historic Protestantism 

The historic Protestant tradition provides key justifications for the death penalty. I am defining historic Protestantism as the three magisterial sects: the Reformed, Lutheran, and Anglican traditions. The men associated with each of these historic Protestant traditions, John Calvin, Martin Luther, Thomas Cranmer, and John Knox, all affirmed capital punishment as an action prescribed and commanded by God.

Thomas Cranmer helped edit The Necessary Doctrine and Erudition for Any Christian Man, which argues:

“The authority of kings and princes is given them of God… And therefore they bear the sword, which signifieth that they have power, not only to correct inferior offenses, but also to put malefactors to death for greater crimes…”  

Martin Luther’s most famous writing on capital punishment is found within Temporal Authority: To What Extent It Should Be Obeyed. Luther writes:

“For God has instituted the sword to punish the wicked, protect the good, and preserve peace. If someone sheds blood, his blood shall also be shed. That is the law and command of God, who therefore has established the sword in the world to punish sin and to restrain the wicked.”  

In his Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin writes:

“The magistrate bears the sword by the authority of God, for the punishment of crimes; and therefore, it is not only lawful, but it is his duty to punish the guilty by death, when the law of God or the rule of justice requires it”.  

John Knox goes even further in An Appellation to the Scottish Nobility and Estates, writing:

“The sword of justice is God’s, and is given to princes and rulers for one end: that they should punish the wicked and maintain the good. To spare the wicked is no less sin before God than to kill the innocent… Therefore, if they fail to punish malefactors, murderers, and blasphemers, the sword they bear is profaned, and they are guilty before God for the blood which is shed by the wicked, whom they suffer to live.”  

These excerpts provide a snippet of the positions these men held concerning the execution of justice and the death penalty. It is clear modern Protestantism has diverged from their historic convictions regarding this issue. (READ MORE: Charlie Kirk: An Education in Truth)

 

We Must Go Back 

It is imperative that we as Protestants reclaim the proper understanding Calvin, Luther, Cranmer, and Knox had of capital punishment and its role in the hands of the civil magistrate.

With the heinous murders of Iryna Zarutska and Charlie Kirk recently making national headlines, we are once again reminded of the atrocities depraved man is capable of. There is much that is wrong with our current justice system. A return of quick and swift executions for those deserving should be welcomed by Americans and even more by Protestants. 

Such a return would not only improve our society but would be just. It is clear our Protestant forefathers believed this, and we would do well to reclaim that heritage. 

 

 

About the Author

Elijah Gritsavage is a junior at Grove City College. Majoring in History, he is also pursuing minors in Classical Christian Education, Philosophy, and Political Science. He is a marketing fellow with the Institute for Faith and Freedom, and a contributing writer for CheckPoint News. A native of Western North Carolina, he enjoys working out, reading, studying theology, defending the West, and spending time with family. He hopes his work will glorify Christ.

READ MORE BY ELIJAH GRITSAVAGE: Leadership in a Time of Crisis

 

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READ MORE ON POLITICS: The Constitution: A Partisan Document?

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are those of the writer alone and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grove City College, the Institute for Faith and Freedom, or their affiliates.

Cover Image: Photo by Humble Lamb on Unsplash (Cropped)