A lot of people I know believe some people should be killed for their crimes, even crimes such as stealing but especially killing.  But I was wondering, would God punish us for killing someone else that did wrong?  I believe so, but what does the Bible say on it?

Sincerely,
Do No Harm

Dear Do No Harm,

God authorizes governments to punish its citizens as it deems fit.  God has given governments the ‘sword of terror’ to bring wrath down upon evildoers (Rom 13:3-4).  God allowed the government of Israel to stone criminals (Lev 20:27) for various acts of wickedness against man and God. Stoning definitely would count as capital punishment!

Government authority and individual authority are different things, though.  God tells us that we aren’t to take vengeance upon ourselves (Rom 12:18-19), but instead, we are to do good to our enemies (Rom 12:20). We are to turn the other cheek (Matt 5:39) and go the extra mile with people (Matt 5:41).  The government has the right to punish ‘an eye for an eye’, but we as individuals do not (Matt 5:38-39).

     Does the word "perpetual" in Leviticus 3:17 refer to today?

Sincerely,
Continually Questioning

Dear Continually Questioning,

It refers to today if you are a Jew, but if you are a Christian, it has nothing to do with your life.  Lev 3:17 says that the burnt offering laws were a perpetual law for “your generations”.  The ‘your’ in that context is the Jewish people.  God gave the Old Testament law to the nation of Israel (Deut 4:44).  The word ‘perpetual’ means that something is to be done over and over again, but it doesn’t tell you who it applies to or in what circumstances.

     In Isaiah 24:21, who are the "hosts of heaven on high" or "powers in the heavens above" (NIV)?

Sincerely,
Identity Verification

Dear Identity Verification,

The “hosts of the high ones on high” that Isaiah says will be punished and cast down are synonymous with the “spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” found in Eph 6:12.  These represent the spiritual powers that have attacked and attempted to devour mankind since the beginning.

     I’m trying to learn to communicate with God.  I know we speak to Him through prayer... so does He speak back to us through the Bible?  When I ask for God’s perfect will on a subject, and I ask Him for confirmation in the Bible, and I open it and read on what He says, is the word that I read a promise?  Thank you for explaining, and God bless!

Sincerely,
Looking For Direction

Dear Looking For Direction,

God speaks to us through His Word.  If we want to know God’s desire for our life, we must use the Bible to get our instructions.  Faith comes from the Word (Rom 10:17), and the Bible contains all the information we need for life and godliness (2 Pet 1:3).  If we want to understand what God wants for us, we can find the truth in the sum of His Word (Ps 119:160).  It isn’t as simple as just opening the Bible and putting your finger on a page and looking for a sign; the Bible takes study and effort.
God doesn’t answer our prayers by directly speaking to us, but His Word says that we should pray without doubting (1 Tim 2:8) and that we should ask in faith (Jas 1:6). God says there are very few things that will cause Him to ignore our prayers.  Read “Whose Prayers Count?” for the list of things that will make God turn His back on your prayers.  God never gets tired of hearing from His children.  Christians are to constantly seek Him in prayer.  The most direct example of this is Christ’s parable of the unjust judge in Lk 18:1-5.  Christ taught that parable, so “men ought always to pray and not to grow weary”.  God wants to hear from His people.  So don’t stop asking for help; He is listening.

     Does the Bible say anything that disproves the theory of aliens on Earth?

Sincerely,
Mork

Dear Mork,

The Scriptures don’t say anything directly about aliens, but they do say several things that make sentient life on other planets highly unlikely.

1. God made mankind in His image (Gen 1:26). That is where we get our free will, reason, emotion, conscience, etc. The whole point of alien life is that there is a species of life among the stars that is equal to mankind. God says that man has no equal.
2. In the creation story found in Genesis chapter one, Earth seems to be the central focus of the story. The stars, heavenly bodies, etc. are given only a brisk overview. The implication is that Earth is the center of all organic life; it is the central purpose of the creation. It would be odd for God to leave out the part where He made other life sustaining planets with other sentient beings.
3. Jesus came to die for mankind (1 Cor 15:3) and the people of this world (Jhn 3:16). If there were aliens that had intelligence, souls, and freewill like humanity, wouldn’t God care equally for their souls? If aliens do exist… it seems that they have been left out of the blessing of forgiveness in Christ.

None of these reasons explicitly deny the existence of alien life; it just makes the chances very, very improbable. Perhaps someday we will find some plants, fungus, or bacteria on another planet, but we doubt we will ever find E.T.