Capital Punishment

So I'm slowing down a bit now, sadly, with my studies in Romans, aided by my trusty stuart olyott commentary. But it just such a BEEF of a book, it's quite hard to digest as they say... so maybe it's better to slow down a bit and let it sink in.

A day or two ago I read chapter 13v1-7 where the following things are said:

v1-2 "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no
authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have
been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is
rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring
judgment on themselves."

v4 "...he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for
he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath
to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

And in his commentary, Olyott chats about the implications of these verses for capital punishment. I'd always though vaaaaaaaaaaguely ish, that capital punishment these days was wrong... because humans are fallible and can get it wrong. Whereas you'd have thought that the capital punishment condoned in the Old Testament was like... in/unfallible because God would like....say so... or something?

Anyhow... these verses have made me think again... especially in the reasons for why capital punishment should be exercised. Before I would have said vaguely maybe to punish them, but really death would be only a doorway to where the real punishment would come from. And maybe as a bit of a deterrant too, to other criminals.

However... Stuart Olyott says that that kind of "deterrant" thinking... is Humanism, and holds a lower value on the sanctity of life. That if someone takes a life, the just punishment is to take their life. And if you see that punishment as just a deterrant to others, then you don't see murder as such a serious crime as would warrant the death penalty.

hmm.... needs some more pondering i think. I'm open to being corrected here.

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on life in general... im moving into my apartment tomorrow i think and i went to another church in ganshoren yesterday. have been catching up on emails, going to look round other rooms with lucy aaaand went to ikea today to get stuff for my new place that i couldn't bring with me on the eurostar! :)