This document provides information about a Bible study on the death penalty. It includes sections on the history of the death penalty in Ohio, debates around the issue, and biblical passages related to capital punishment. The student is asked to write observations about a proverbs verse, discuss ways the verse could help interactions, and comprehend challenges discussing immigration and connecting life issues to God's narrative. It also notes options for biblical perspectives on whether Scripture forbids, mandates, or permits the death penalty.

1. Bible Notebook
Go to the next section in Bible Notebook; complete the following.
Unit Title – Death Penalty
Unit Memory Verse
• Write down Scripture
• Proverbs 18:17 - In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward
and cross-examines.
• Observation
• Write down 2 observations that you notice about this verse
• Application
• Write down 1-2 ways this could help your interactions with others

2. SWBAT
Comprehend current cultural issues and trends on immigrationComprehend
Discuss challenging issues with “gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15)Discuss
Connect life issues to God’s overarching narrativeConnect
Formulate perspectives and ministry aims based upon biblical wisdom.Formulate

3. Debates
• Death Penalty? If so, how?
• Moral? Constitutional?
• Murder?
• Rape?
• Age Limits?
• Does it stop crime?
• Should it be more public?

4. Should the death
penalty be allowed
in America?

9. Ohio
• 1972 – Supreme Court declared death penalty unconstitutional
• 1981 – New death penalty law came into effect in Ohio
• 1993 - Option of Death
• A bill granting prisoners the option to choose between death by electrocution or
lethal injection was passed and signed into law by former Governor George V.
Voinovich.
• The Death Row inmate would be asked to choose between the two methods seven
days before the scheduled execution. The law stipulated that if the prisoner did not
choose, the default method of execution would be death by electrocution.
• 1995 - Death Row was relocated to the Mansfield Correctional Institution in Mansfield,
Ohio. The "Death House" remains at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility. All
executions, whether male or female, take place at the Southern Ohio Correctional
Facility.
• 2001 - On November 15, 2001, Governor Bob Taft signed House Bill 362 eliminating
the electric chair as a form of execution. The only method of execution in Ohio is lethal
injection.

10. Contemporary Moral Issues
Death Penalty
History in America
1. 1608 - The first recorded execution - Jamestown
colony of Virginia.
2. 1612 - Virginia enacted the Divine, Moral and
Martial Laws – option of death penalty for even
minor offenses (stealing grapes, killing chickens)

11. Contemporary Moral Issues
Death Penalty
History in America
3. 1834 – Pennsylvania, 1st state to carry out
executions in correctional facilities.
4. 1846 – Michigan, 1st state to abolish the death
penalty for all crimes except treason.
5. 1930’s - more executions than in any other
decade in American history (avg 167/yr)
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12. Contemporary Moral Issues
Death Penalty
History in America
6. 1972 - Supreme Court suspends death penalty.
7. 1977 – Reenacted, execution of Gary Gilmore by
firing squad in Utah.
8. 1986 – Supreme Court banned execution of
insane persons, required a thorough process to
determine mental competency.

13. Contemporary Moral Issues
Death Penalty
History in America
9. 1992 - Death penalty cannot be used if crime is
committed when under 18.
a. George Stinney, 14 yrs old, 1944
10. 1994 - Violent Crime Control and Law
Enforcement Act, expanded death penalty to 60
crimes, 3 of which do not involve murder
(espionage, treason, and drug trafficking in large
amounts).

15. Bell Work
• Take out your Bible and Bible Journal
(notes – Capital Punishment)
• Read Exodus 22:1-4
• Does this impact your view of capital
punishment/just killings?
Procedures
Go to your seat
Quiet
Phones Away

16. Why/when was the
person executed?
Find as many
contextual details as
possible.
Do you agree with the
decision?

17. Is there racial disparity within the system?

18. 8th
Amendment
Excessive bail shall not be
required, nor excessive fines
imposed, nor cruel and
unusual punishments
inflicted.

19. Does the death penalty prevent crime? Should
executions be made more public?

21. Bell Work
• Watch Video
• Share the gospel to a
friend near you.

23. Ohio • 1972 – Supreme Court declared death penalty unconstitutional
• 1981 – New death penalty law came into effect in Ohio
• 1993 - Option of Death
• A bill granting prisoners the option to choose between death by electrocution or
lethal injection was passed and signed into law by former Governor George V.
Voinovich.
• The Death Row inmate would be asked to choose between the two methods
seven days before the scheduled execution. The law stipulated that if the
prisoner did not choose, the default method of execution would be death by
electrocution.
• 1995 - Death Row was relocated to the Mansfield Correctional Institution in
Mansfield, Ohio. The "Death House" remains at the Southern Ohio Correctional
Facility. All executions, whether male or female, take place at the Southern Ohio
Correctional Facility.
• 2001 - On November 15, 2001, Governor Bob Taft signed House Bill 362 eliminating
the electric chair as a form of execution. The only method of execution in Ohio is
lethal injection.

24. Is the death penalty the best option?
Economically
Stopping
Crime
Giving Closure
to the Family
of Victims
Honoring the
Bible
Honoring the
Constitution

25. Bible
• Murder takes place when someone kills another human without divine permission.
• There are three instances in Scripture when God gives permission/orders humans to kill other humans
• Conclusion: These three instances are not murder.
Syllogism
• 1. Self-Defense
• Exodus 22:2
If a thief is caught breaking in and is struck so that he dies, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed
• Castle Law
• 2. Just-War
• Ecclesiastes 3:8 declares, “There is…a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.”
• 1 Samuel 15:18 says, “Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them
until you have wiped them out.”
• 3. Death Penalty
• Genesis 9:6 - “Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has
God made mankind” (Exodus 21:12, 2 Samuel 11:1-5, 14-17, Exodus 21:16, Romans 6:23, Exodus 22:19,
Romans 5:8, Leviticus 20:10, John 8:1-11, Leviticus 20:13, Deuteronomy 13:5,Romans 13:1-7, Deuteronomy
22:24).
• Romans 13: 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers
do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the
wrongdoer.
The Bible assumes that killing is wrong excluding:

26. Roles for
Various
Spheres
Personal
Family
Church
Government
Romans 12 – “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave
room for God’s wrath” (19)
Romans 13 – “rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They
are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on
the wrongdoer.”

27. Best Bible Verse
Against Capital
Punishment
John 7:53-8:11 – Woman caught in
adultery

28. Most Significant Textual
Variants
There are only two disputed variant
passages in the New Testament that are
more than two verses in length (Mark 16:9-
20; John 7:53-8:11).
THE WOMAN CAUGHT IN ADULTERY

29. Best
Argument for
Capital
Punishment
The Bible supports capital punishment as just in every era of history.
Genesis 9 – Pre-
Mosaic
Mosaic – Multiple
Examples
Judges (7) – Achan Monarchy
Greco-Roman –
Romans 13
To avoid relativism, humans must rely on external source (Bible).
“Eye for an Eye” in Bible = Appropriate/Just Consequences
“Eye for an Eye” in Hammurabi = Exact Consequences
Kill my daughter … I’ll get to kill your daughter
Government officials are “God’s servants”; they are “agents of wrath” that
are called “to bring punishment on the wrongdoer” (Romans 13).

30. Capital Punishment – By the Category
Yes Inconclusive No
Bible – Death penalty is the
prescribed consequence for
murder (Gen 9). Thus, DP is not
intrinsically evil and the best
consequence for murder.
Constitution – “Cruel and unusual
punishment”
Stopping Crime
Giving Closure to Families
Coming to Christ
Protecting Innocent
(historically – no
Very Recently – better)
Economics – America
Racial Equality (span of American
history)
The government should work towards a more objective and accurate expression
of the death penalty (wait or elevate requirements)

32. Options
• Scripture forbids death penalty
• Scripture mandates death penalty
• Scripture permits death penalty

33. The Law, as given to Moses on Mt. Sinai, ordained execution
for several offenses: murder (but not accidental killings),
striking or cursing a parent, kidnapping, adultery, incest,
bestiality, sodomy, rape of a betrothed virgin, witchcraft,
incorrigible delinquency, breaking the Sabbath, blasphemy,
sacrificing to false gods, oppressing the weak, and other
transgressions. (See Exod. 21, 22, 35; Lev. 20 & 24; Deut. 21-
24.)
• Prisonfellowship.org