When Is Killing Lawful?

In the King James Version of the Bible, Exodus 20:13, is translated “Thou shalt not kill.” The more accurate translation, as it is rendered in most modern versions of the Bible, is “You shall not murder.” There is a distinction between killing and murder. Not all killing is wrong.I was recently at a Bible study held at my church. We got into a discussion about abortion and whether or not it is murder. This led to other related topics such as the death penalty, war, and self-defense, all of which involve killing of one kind or another. It was a lively discussion to say the least, however, I am very glad to report no one got killed.

Personally, I think the Bible makes very clear distinctions. There are two types of killing addressed in the Bible. There is lawful killing and unlawful killing. It is crucial to know the difference. And, it doesn’t matter how emotional one gets over the topic, it has to be God’s Word that rules.

The lawful taking of a person’s life would include the death penalty. God delegated this responsibility to human government beginning as early as Genesis, Chapter 9:6, “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man.”

As the Bible progresses it gets more specific as to how the death penalty should be carried out (Exodus 21-23; Numbers 35:30, 31 are a few references). Even the Apostle Paul acknowledged the state’s authority (Romans 13, Acts 25:11) to use “the sword” and execute criminals.

Another instance where lawful killing is condoned is in the act of self-defense. Scripture gives this very clear example in Exodus 22:2 as to when self-defense would be appropriate. “If the thief is caught while breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there will be no bloodguiltiness on his account. But if the sun has risen on him, there will be bloodguiltiness on his account.” There are many other verses that deal with the preservation of life, protecting the innocent, and using physical force to defend or protect.

Finally, there is war. We can debate which wars are appropriate but in certain cases war is a valid biblical option. The Old Testament is full of wars and many of them take place at the direct command of God. Please, take time to read Joshua 11:6-15. This account can make some recoil at the horror of it, but we can’t deny it happened. Some slough it off and say ”Well, that is the God of the Old Testament.” I’m not sure what that means but I’ve heard people use that argument. I thought we had the same God in the New Testament. Did I miss something?

Hope I have left you with something to think about. It’s a tough issue, but I think Scripture is clear on it. This is what I think. What about you?