What does the Bible teach about killing?

In the Old Testament, when Moses gave the Ten Commandments to the Israelites he included the following commandment – “Thou shalt not kill.” (Deuteronomy 5:17 KJV)  However, if you look at the New International Version of the Bible, the commandment is phrased – “You shall not murder.”

 

This sensitive topic in the Bible seems straight-forward, since taking another person’s life seems like the simple answer.  Some people believe it wrong to kill a person for any reason, and they sometimes equate killing to murder.  Just look at all of the people who are conscientious objectors to serving in the military or opponents of the death penalty.

 

On the contrary, there is a huge difference between killing and murdering someone.  Consider the moral and ethical decisions that law enforcement officers and military personnel have to make during their line of duty?  Anybody who considers joining the military needs to understand this difference, long before they ever raise their hand and get sworn into the military.  When a service member is riding around in a military vehicle and forced to make a decision to shoot somebody in the line of duty, they need to have these moral and ethical issues sorted out ahead of time.  You can say the same thing about the tough decisions that many of our valuable police officers must face every day as they serve and protect our communities.

  

The original Hebrew word for kill/murder in the Ten Commandments is ratsach, which means to dash in pieces as killing a person…especially to murder.  In other words, the emphasis is on the needless taking of another person’s life by murdering them.  Obviously, there were many Old Testament books written about the battles and wars of the Israelites, so the notion that killing is absolutely condemned by the Bible is quickly eliminated.  Take for instance when King David slew the giant Philistine with a sling and a stone, the text used the original Hebrew word muwth which means figuratively or literally to slay or kill…not murder, like in the Ten Commandments.  (I Samuel 17:50)  Additionally, death was often a punishment for unlawful acts, such as adultery, in the Old Testament. (Deuteronomy 22:20-25)

Even in the New Testament, Apostle Paul includes murders – not killings – in his lists of sinful behaviors, regardless if you use the King James Version or New International Version of the Bible. (Romans 1:29; Galatians 5:21)  Paul also recognized that the justice system of the various governments often included death as a punishment, in that he instructed believers to do the right thing by submitting themselves to the God-ordained laws of the land “…for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason.” (Romans 13:4 NIV, italics added for emphasis)  In fact Jesus Christ instructed Simon Peter to put away his sword, after he cut off an ear from one of the servants coming to arrest Jesus.  Of notice, Jesus Christ did not tell Simon Peter to get rid of his sword, since he understood its importance for defensive purposes.  (Matthew 26:50-56; John 18:10-11)

In summary, Scripture commands individuals not to murder – or maliciously kill – another person.  Killing is only permitted as a last resort, under the conditions of protecting one’s life, defending one’s nation or executing lawful justice.  As believers mature, they will understand the importance of avoiding the use of such measures, unless absolutely necessary.

What does the Bible teach about deceitfulness?

Does getting the right end results always justify the means of accomplishing our goals?  So often we hear – what harm does it cause to say a little white lie, if it helps gets things done or resolve a misunderstanding?  On a short-term basis, you can often get quick results by playing around with the “wiggle room” in a situation, simply by taking part of the facts and quoting them out of context in a convincing manner.  Long-term though, the same results are usually not achieved as people usually catch onto the little ploys to deceive and/or manipulate them into doing something against their principles.

In some churches, pastors or church leaders may try to mislead the congregation by quoting Bible verses out of context and twisting the words around to accomplish a particular short-term goal, such as trying to get them to give more money to the church.  As a result, many believers may often overlook the minor discrepancies of the misquoted verses, since they are usually shamed into giving more money to the church.  However, over time, many of these same believers will get tired of these same deceptive antics used to manipulate and/or coerce their feelings into financially supporting the church, especially once they realize their money may be going to support a church that does not practice integrity.

 

Similarly, you can see the same practices played among friends or family members in a disagreement or argument, as one or more of the parties involved may try to pull the facts of the situation out of context.  A lot of people who are trying to peacefully resolve a disagreement in a prompt manner may actually become infuriated, if they realize that someone is not being truthful in the situation.  As a result, many arguments that could have been easily resolved in a matter of a few minutes with truthful dialogue instead end up as broken friendships and/or relationships due to a lack of trust.  In other words, how can you peacefully resolve a dispute among people with integrity…if one or more people are not being completely honest?

Even in the business world, deceit is often considered a rampant part of doing business in many circles.  How many times have you known people who have experienced buyer’s remorse after falling for switch and bait techniques, where a business advertises a nicer product while at the same time actually selling you a cheaper product?  Consider some of those car dealerships that try to have you sign the dotted line in purchasing a used car at a great price with financing, just to find out that they want to try recouping some of their losses by adding on a lot of other expensive things to your bill…such as window etching for possible auto theft or gap insurance because all of the hidden add-ons increased your loan-to-debt ratio.

In Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans, deceit was included among a list of several sinful behaviors.  He also instructed the Colossians not to lie to one another, because it was considered one of the many practices associated with a believer’s former sinful life.

“Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.  They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity.  They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice.” (Romans 1: 28-29 NIV, italics added for emphasis)

“Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices.”  (Colossians 3:9 NIV)

Overall, believers and churches should refrain from using any deceitful tactics in how they handle their personal or business affairs with others.  The reason being, it can sometimes take years to build up trust and respect with others, but all of that can be lost within minutes by not being honest and truthful.  Simply said, the end result does not always justify the means…if people try to accomplish goals by using deceitful practices.  As believers mature, they will understand the importance of handling all of their personal and business matters with integrity.