NOT THE LORD’S MOUTHPIECE was the headline of Rev. Clifford Hall’s letter in the October 4 edition of the Sunday Sun, which was a response to my letter published October 1.
The Rev. Hall, in his obvious support of Pope Francis’ call for the universal abolition of capital punishment for murder, cited a list of other offences which were also punishable by death under the Mosaic law, as recorded in the pages of the Old Testament, of which he advised: “Do stop treating as gospel what may well be the precepts of men.” Apparently Bro. Hall does not believe the biblical teaching that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Tim. 3:16).
If the biblical authors are not inspired by God, are we expected to believe that the Pope is and that his pronouncements are not just the precepts of men?
Capital punishment for murder was instituted by God on a universal scale long before the Mosaic law/covenant with its many other capital crimes which were specifically only for the Israelites and their proselytes who lived under that economy. This was understood by many Jewish rabbis through the centuries (cf. Acts 15:10).
Capital punishment for murder was and still is a part of the Noachian covenant which applies to all men for all time (Gen. 9: 1-17).
Under the New Testament/Covenant in Christ many of the capital crimes imposed under the Mosaic law/covenant have been done away with (cf. Jn. 8: 1-11; Heb. 8: 13) but capital punishment for murder, as part of the universal everlasting Noachian covenant, has been maintained by God (Rom. 13:1-4).
– Roger Marshall
