Christians and the death penalty

Should a Christian support the death penalty?

God has given his representatives in government the right to exercise the death penalty if they so choose (Romans 13:4). Christians who live in a state or country where the government carries out capital punishment will want to recognize that their government has authority from God to punish criminals that way. Christians who live in a state or country where the government punishes by incarceration instead of the death penalty will want to recognize that their government has authority from God to punish criminals that way. While God allows for governments to punish criminals by means of the death penalty, he does not command that they do so. Governmental leaders can decide by law how, and to what degree, they will punish criminals.

Christians will abide by the laws of their state or country, unless such laws contradict God’s word (Acts 5:29).