Old Testament reading: Deuteronomy 19-21
Whoever said punishment fails to deter crime never read Deuteronomy 19:15-21 (or Ecclesiastes 8:11). In this text, the law says if a man sues his brother and is found as a false witness, whatever punishment he intended for his brother would be meted out to him. Verse 20 tells the reason: “And those who remain shall hear and fear, and hereafter they shall not again commit such evil among you.” So punishment IS a deterrent to future evil. In Deuteronomy 21:18-21 we see the “familiar” text of stoning rebellious children. The text is clear that this is not some capricious or reactionary process. Verse 18 says the parents have chastened the rebellious son to no avail. Only then is he to be brought to the elders and a case made against him. Then he is to be stoned by all the men of the city. Again, we see this is a deterrent as “all Israel will hear and fear.” It wouldn’t take many of these for the rest to get the point. So it is with crime and punishment today. We need more physical punishment in our system. Those who commit lesser crimes should be physically punished as well as provide financial restitution for their crimes. Such would surely lead to fewer lifelong criminals. Call it “early intervention.”
New Testament reading: Galatians 1-3
“We’re all on the same side.” Most of us have heard our religious friends make this or a similar statement. Paul refutes such thinking as he speaks of the one true gospel in Galatians 1:6-9. English translations have a difficult time showing the contrast in verses 6 and 7. In this text, Paul marveled that the brethren were turning from “the grace of Christ to a different gospel, which is not another.” The word translated “different” is from the Greek hetero, meaning “not of the same kind” (Thayer). It is rendered “altered” in Luke 9:29. The use of “another” in verse 7 comes from the Greek allo, meaning one of the same kind. It is from this word we get our English term “ally,” which is one who stands beside us as one. Thus, any teaching that does not conform to the one true gospel, (e.g., does not teach the necessity of baptism – Mark 16:16), is not on the same side. The person so teaching should not be considered as our enemy, but rather the doctrine taught must be opposed as it is devoid of the grace of Christ.
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