CCP65: On the Death Penalty

In this week’s conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discussed capital punishment - something that both Christians and non-Christians wrestle with. Old Testament Scriptures reveal that capital punishment was used for a number of offenses; however, Jesus brought many Old Testament laws to completion during His time on Earth. The Bible has shaped American thinking since the country’s foundation, and our laws say that the states have the right to take a life. But where should Christians land on this?

Episode Links

There is an ongoing news story that Dr. White shared recently through the Daily Headline News that prompted today’s discussion. It’s about a man in Oklahoma who is on death row who has had his execution stayed nine times to date. The details of the case have many questioning whether he should be punished with the death penalty. Here are two recent articles:

Emily Belz, “How an Oklahoma Death Penalty Case Shook Up Evangelical Views on Execution,”
Christianity Today, May 10, 2023.

Diana Chandler, “Oklahoma Pastor Advocates for Life of Convicted Man on Death Row,”
Baptist Press, May 23, 2023.

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