Page 102 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

CAPERNAUM - CAPTIVITY

This included the Reformed Confession of 1534, the death of the murderer long before the giving of the Law
Helvetic Confession of 1536, the Belgic Confession of (Ge. 9:6).
1561, and the Westminster Confession of 1643. The The deterrent effect of capital punishment. Some think
Baptist Philadelphia Confession of Faith, 1742, says the the Mosaic law was barbaric in its dealings with serious
66 books of the Bible were “immediately inspired by crime. On the contrary. It is barbaric to allow
God, and, by his singular care and providence, kept pure wickedness to go unpunished. When severe justice is not
in all ages, are therefore authentical; so as in all meted out to capital offenders, evil spreads like leaven
controversies of religion the church is finally to appeal throughout society. The wicked become increasingly
unto them.” The Twenty-Five Articles of faith brazen. Fear of God diminishes. God is not only a God of
formulated by John Wesley in 1784 made this comment love, but a God of holiness and justice. The Bible speaks
as to the authority of the Bible canon: “In the name of of the deterrent factor of capital punishment: De. 13:11;
the Holy Scriptures, we do understand those canonical 17:7,13; 19:20; 21:21; Ro. 13:3-4. The Bible also says
books of the Old and New Testament, of whose that only by taking the life of the murderer can the stain
authority was never any doubt in the church.” This of murder be cleansed from the land (Nu. 35:31-34; De.
statement was followed by a listing of the 66 books of 19:13).
the Bible. To question the authority of any biblical book When compared to the law codes of many ancient
is to fly in the face of the testimony of the Bible itself nations, the Mosaic law seems mild. In Alleged
and of 19 centuries of pious faith. [For a study on the Discrepancies of the Bible, John Haley says: “In the
completion of the Bible, see Inspiration.] [See also English code, about 200 years ago, there were 148
Adam, Apocrypha, Bible, Bible Versions, Daniel, capital crimes, ‘many of them of a trivial nature, as petty
Masoretic Text, Preservation, Timothy.] thefts and trespasses upon property.’ In England, in the
CAPERNAUM (village of Nahum). A city on the 18th to century, it was a capital crime to break down the
northern shore of the Sea of Galilee (Mt. 4:13; 8:5; mound of a fish-pond, to cut down a cherry-tree in an
11:23; 17:24; Jn. 4:46; 6:17, 24, 59). orchard, to steal a handkerchief or other trifle, above
CAPHTOR (cup). De. 2:23. the value of twelve pence, privately from another’s
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. It is not murder to put person. In Sir William Blackstone’s time (A.D.
criminals to death for heinous crimes. The Bible plainly 1723-1780), no less than 160 offences (almost ten times
says that the man who takes a life is to forfeit his own as many as the Mosaic code), were declared by act of
life (Ge. 9:6). The Law of Moses called for capital parliament to be capital crimes, worthy of instant
punishment in at least 11 categories of crime: murder death.’ These facts should silence those who are
(Le. 24:17; Nu. 35:116-19; De. 19:11-13), idolatry (Le. perpetually inveighing against the ‘barbarity of the
20:2; De. 13:6-10; 17:2-7), witchcraft (Le. 20:27), Mosaic code.” [See Adultery, Blaspheme, Cities of
adultery (Le. 20:10; De. 22:21-24), homosexuality (Le. Refuge, Die the Death, Idolatry, Kill, Pacifism,
20:13), bestiality (Le. 20:15, 16), rape (De. 22:25-27), Presumptuous, Sodomy, Witchcraft.]
incest (Le. 20:17), blasphemy (Le. 24:11-16,23), CAPPODOCIA. An elevated table-land, intersected by
presumption (De. 17:12-13), kidnapping (De. 24:7), mountain chains in the eastern part of Asia Minor,
and rebellion against parents (Le. 20:9) bounded on the N. by Pontus, W. by Lycaonia, S. by
The avenger of death in O.T. times was a relative or Cilicia, and E. by Syria and Armenia Minor (Young) (Ac.
friend of the victim who put the murderer to death (De. 2:9; 1 Pe. 1:1).
19:11-13). [See Avenger of Blood.] God allowed this; in CAPTAIN. An officer over a number of soldiers (2 Sa.
fact He required it (Nu. 35:16-19), and made cities of 18:2; 2 Ki. 1:9; Ac. 21:31-32).
refuge as a provision for those who had killed someone CAPTIVITY. Bondage in a foreign land. In the Bible,
accidentally. In this dispensation God has given civil captivity usually refers to Israel’s captivity. There have
government the authority to put offenders to death. In been four major captivities: (1) The captivity in Egypt
Ro. 13 we see that God has given nations the authority (Ex. 1-4). (2) The captivity of the northern tribes in
to “bear the sword” against evil. This obviously refers to Assyria (2 Ki. 15:29 17:6-23). (3) The captivity of the
capital punishment. The sword certainly does not speak southern tribes (Judah) in Babylon (2 Ki. 24-25). This
of a fine or of imprisonment! We do not believe God was the 70 year captivity (Je. 25:8-12; Ezr. 1). (4) The
wants the civil government today to impose the Mosaic worldwide captivity following the destruction of
law. This Law was intended for a Theocracy, but there Jerusalem by Roman armies in 70 A.D. It is from this
are certain heinous crimes against humanity, captivity that the Jews have begun to return to Palestine
particularly murder and rape, which require the death in recent decades.
penalty in any dispensation. God’s Word called for the

102 Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity