Sen. Lynn Hutchings, Jesus & The Death Penalty
Dudley Sharp, 2/17/19
Wyoming Sen. Hutchings is getting some bad feedback because of very poor reporting and little to no understanding of very well known, 2000 year old, solid Christian teachings.
Sadly, many folks just like to pile on, with zero effort at understanding the perspectives of others.
Sen. Hutchings' thoughts follow a well traveled line of accepted biblical teachings.
Let's start with bad reporting, again.
Hutchings never equated the Passion of the Christ to the execution of murderers or used it as the reason to execute murderers. One reporter, simply, made that up as a bit of egregious editorializing and others ran with it.
Left out of all reporting, of course, but quite clear in the 2/14/19 Wyoming Senate recording, was Sen. Hutchings consideration of the death penalty in the context of some of our worst mass shootings.
All of the reporters at the hearing heard that and, as far as I have been able to tell, none reported that. Pretty bad but, I guess, a very unfortunate sign of the times.
Her only religious quote at the hearing, was this:
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Basic, accepted Christian teaching, for 2000 years, as detailed, below, and as, sadly, not so identified by reporting or by the standard internet lynch mob.
Then we have, obvious, false testimony by Sen. Boner, completely, unmentioned in the media. Journalism.
Moving on . . .
Biblical realities, as well known by Sen. Hutchings and, likely by many with any basic understanding of Christianity
1) Legally, Pontius Pilate, the proper legal Roman authority, sentenced Jesus to death for, allegedly, claiming to be King of the Jews, a treasonous offense which, under Roman law, was punishable by death. Jesus did not defend Himself.
It is, simply true, that God chose the law of man, the death penalty, as the vehicle for the Perfect sacrifice. I am not sure if anyone has, ever, questioned that biblical narrative.
2) God establishes, with man, His death penalty support, first, in Genesis 9:6, around 2000 BC, written down by Moses around 1440 BC, way prior to Jesus' execution, and that support has, never gone away, as the Noahic Covenant is for all peoples, for all time.
3) It appears, pretty clear, at least, to me, that Sen. Hutchings looked at God's choosing man's law of the death penalty, in this specific, very unique case, as another, of many, examples of God's known support of the earthly death penalty, which, of course, by reason and example, it was.
I wouldn't use that example because the context of the Passion of the Christ is a very different context than the execution of murderers. One is the Perfect Sacrifice of the Perfect Innocent, the other is the execution of known murderers.
4) God chose the legal death penalty for Jesus to pay for the sins of man. As such, some can, understandably, see that God provides additional support for the death penalty being the proper sanction for some crimes, as, originally, established within Genesis 9:6.
5) Jesus took upon Himself all of the guilt and sins of mankind. As St. Jerome, stated, just below, Jesus took on all of that guilt upon Himself and was executed as a guilty among the guilty. Some Christians would find it clear that God approved of the execution of the guilty, with that being one of many examples.
"If no crime deserves the death penalty, then it is hard to see why it was fitting that Christ be put to death for our sins and crucified among thieves. St. Thomas Aquinas quotes a gloss of St. Jerome on Matthew 27: ‘As Christ became accursed of the cross for us, for our salvation He was crucified as a guilty one among the guilty.’ That Christ be put to death as a guilty person, presupposes that death is a fitting punishment for those who are guilty." Prof. Michael Pakaluk, The Death Penalty: An Opposing Viewpoints Series Book, Greenhaven Press, 1991
6) Jesus was executed/sacrificed as the required price for our sins. He, intentionally, did not defend Himself. By His making, His execution was willful and intentional, as it had to be.
7) Christians, of course, find both trials - there was a religious trial by the Sanhedrin , prior to Pilate's - were political shams and that Jesus was innocent of all charges, as He had to be.
8) Jesus was the Innocent Lamb of God, the only pathway through which His sacrifice could pay that heavy price for all that guilt and sin. The Perfect Innocent makes all the world's sins, His own, and because of that, His execution is the only justifiable payment for those sins, making it the gateway to man's salvation.
Aren't those basic Christian teachings, with the senator's comments, precisely along those lines?
She's not equating Jesus crucifixion to our death penalty. She is saying that God used the legal death penalty as the method for the sacrifice and, as true, it continues God's well known approval of an earthly death penalty. I wouldn't use the Passion of the Christ in that manner, but the Senator is free to and it is hard to deny her logic, if I have it right.
I think many people will have difficulty putting the crucifixion of Jesus, remotely, into the realm of the executions of murderers. I know I and many others do. However, that is, simply, a matter of perspective. Christian scholars and laymen have differences of opinions on many issues and they always will. This is one of many.
I look at the Passion of the Christ as a singular event in history, whereby nothing else should be compared to it. Others are free to disagree.
Here are some, additional, readings. Sincerely, Dudley Sharp
New Testament Death Penalty Support Overwhelming
ProDPinNC: New Testament Death Penalty Support Overwhelming
