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Old 05-24-2009, 06:08 PM
Bro. Parrish
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Quote:
Originally Posted by boaz212 View Post
Someone made a statement while discussing the capital punishment issue said it was a bad translation in Exd 20:13 Thou shalt not kill. The word kill should have been "murder".
I believe the KJV is correct. But can anyone shed more light on the word selection "kill" instead of "murder" for me?
Thanks in advance.
Well Boaz, I don't know why God chose that word, but I can tell you the word "KILL" was good enough for the Apostle Paul, who echoed it in Rom. 13:9, and in that same chapter Paul reminded us that Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the FULFILLING OF THE LAW. To put it plainly, I think God expects people who read His book to have a little common sense.

For example, if we were to take the words THOU SHALT NOT KILL as an absolute, then how would we eat the meat of animals? Don't laugh, there are many religious people on the earth today who will NOT KILL A COW because of their religion. If we were to take the words THOU SHALT NOT KILL as an absolute, then how would we have defended our land and loved ones from the Japanese? There are conscientious objectors who would not fight for their country because of that verse, yet we serve the SAME GOD who instructs Israel to "smite and utterly destroy" the inhabitants of other regions (e.g. Deut 7:1-4, Joshua 6:16-21). If we study the COMPLETE Bible, the answers make themselves clear and obvious, without the need to change the Word of God. As a result, I never felt the urge to publish a new version and change the word "kill" to anything else.

In light of the ENTIRE revelation of God's complete and inerrant Word (including the Old Testament exactly as it is written), it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to think that the God of the Bible is always opposed to KILLING, therefore I am left with the conclusion that God is obviously talking about the murder of innocent humans. Since God Himself established capital punishment as a frightening deterrent against human violence long BEFORE THE LAW OF MOSES, way back in Gen. 9:6, I am also left with the conclusion that God expects us to retain the death penalty for certain people even to this day. That's my take on it.

Last edited by Bro. Parrish; 05-24-2009 at 06:18 PM.