The Bible and Just Punishment

Of course it was unjust for Him, for He was pure. But we are deserving of such punishment because we are totally depraved sinners. In addition to the Scripture which Brother Witcher has pointed out, I point out:

1. "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit."

2. "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls."

3. "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out; and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die."

4. "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree."

Again, I'm speaking in spiritual terms not political terms. I have no desire to see crucifixion revived (though if it were I could not say it was an unjust punishment).

I am simply saying that whole basis of the gospel is that Christ died in our place. He died the death we deserved to die. How, then, can any Christian say crucifixion is an unjust punishment for any one of us?

Mark Osgatharp

 

Artimaeus,

Christ suffered the death we deserved to die which was crucifixion. That says we deserved crucifixion. But you are probably correct in saying that He did not suffer crucifixon so that we would not suffer it; because it is unlikely that many of us would ever have received our just penalty here on earth.

Rather, He suffered crucifixion so that we would not be tormented in hell fire, day and night, without rest, for ever and ever. To say that we deserved the torture of hell but not the torture of crucifixion is quibbling at best. You do believe we deserve the torture of hell, don't you?

This discussion reminds me of an experience I had several years ago. I attended a Bible conference in South Carolina. There was an elderly man there from Virginia who did not believe in eternal torment for the damned. This became a matter of small controversy early in the conference.

A couple of days later, before breakfast, the old gentleman was thumbing through some books in the library of the church where the conference was being held. He came accross a drawing where the British were preparing to exectue a man. The man had his hands tied behind his back and a canon pointed at his face.

The elderly man brought the book to me and held it up and, very emotionally, asked me if I thought this was a just punishment. I told him it was and that if every one of us got it we would only have gotten what we deserved. I then referred him to the following Scripture wherein David administered just punishment to the wicked Ammonites:

"And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it. And he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.

And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick-kiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem."

Mark Osgatharp