That actually was one of the arguments from last night. Since Jesus intervened on the woman's behalf, since He showed mercy, then we as a society should show mercy and allow life without parole. (I'm not saying this was my argument, just what I heard.)

I agree that we've got many on death row that don't belong there and hopefully their innocence will be discovered and they will be redeemed. But as for those who've raped and murdered, and I would add those who've abused children specifically, the wages of sin is death and it should be swift.

Another side of the debate last night was to have public executions and that those would deter the crime rate we have now. How to create acceptable guidelines for such events is a tangent I won't go off on now.

So basically from what you're saying, capital punishment in this country should stop until Jesus returns, at which point He will institute a Godly and acceptable form of justice. Did I get that right?

Since Jesus intervened on the woman's behalf, since He showed mercy, then we as a society should show mercy and allow life without parole.

I must disagree with this interpretation. First, prison was not prescribed in the Law, so this alternative would not be Biblically consistent (except according to Roman law which is not held up by the Word as a model or command for us).

Second, yes, He showed mercy, but I don't think this was in opposition to the Law, nor was He writing a new law. I think the Lord made the clear point that the problem was the sinfulness of those who would be her executioners. The Law was made for a largely righteous people--God's people--a people mostly intent upon Godly obedience. The rulers and people of Jesus' day most certainly did not fit this design. He showed them how they were not fit to pass judgment according to the Law, because they failed to repent of their own sins first. In other words, they were a priori criminals and so could not judge criminal behavior in others. This point (the sinfulness of her accusers--possibly hypocritically so) is plainly spelled out in the passage, while the mercy aspect is nearly an implied afterthought.

As for the mercy the woman received as a result of Jesus' indictment against the would-be stoners, I don't think we have enough information to know why Jesus did not condemn her. Surely, He knew her heart, though, a feat largely unknown by us mortals, and He may have seen repentance there. With such repentance, later to be evidenced by her turning away from sin as He told her, forgiveness and restoration would be hers. By His own character, He could not condemn her then. This assumes something of her heart that is not recorded. Either way, without such crucial details, it would be foolish to be dogmatic about the mercy she fortunately received or to build a doctrine around it.

[I]t should be swift.

There is no such thing as swift justice in our system today.

Another side of the debate last night was to have public executions and that those would deter the crime rate we have now. How to create acceptable guidelines for such events is a tangent I won't go off on now.

This assumes the death penalty is a deterrent. I'm far from convinced of this assumption on any significant scale. If death were assured and swift (a la operant conditioning), it may indeed be a deterrent, but our justice system is wholly designed to prevent any hope of this.

So basically from what you're saying, capital punishment in this country should stop until Jesus returns, at which point He will institute a Godly and acceptable form of justice. Did I get that right?

Not at all, I'm afraid. I'm all for capital punishment. It's one of very few things we do today in this country that is actually Biblical. What I'm against is the modern justice system that can lead to capital punishment. Just because 40% of death-row inmates may be innocent does not mean capital punishment is at fault. It's just as unjust--arguably worse--to spend a lifetime in prison if wrongly convicted. The problems are those corrupt elements in the justice system leading to the errant convictions in the first place.

As soon as I submitted that post, I realized what you meant by the executioners throwing the first stone (they not being worthy to do so because of their own sin).

This argument that Jesus showed mercy on the woman came from the discussion group, not from myself. It is compelling though that Jesus could have thrown the first stone Himself (since He was sinless) yet He chose not to do so.

So much for trying to understand something such as this with little sleep. Thanks for all of the input.

This is a bit off-topic, but I wanted to mention that I think the "first stone" argument is a potential stumbling block for some Christians who believe that Yeshua did away with the "Law" of Moses insofar as the death penalty was concerned. The fact is that Yeshua did not do away with anything (Matt 5:18). His Torah is eternal, and this is stated many times in the Pentateuch.

It is easy to point to the fact that the Torah requires the death of the adulterous woman (Lev 20:10). However, the Torah also requires at least two witnesses to establish the crime (Deu 17:6, Deu 19:15). What Yeshua did was deter any potential witnesses from presenting testimony. He neither violated nor altered the requirements of the Torah; rather, He upheld the whole of the Torah while demonstrating His loving compassion towards the sinner.

I believe that this episode was meant to demonstrate how the Torah can, and should, be applied -- that is, compassionately. God does not look for ways to condemn us; quite the opposite, His will is that all are saved (1 Tim 2:3-4). As I understand it (and this is unconfirmed), the Sanhedrin (the ruling religious body of the Jews prior to the diaspora) was also typically very compassionate when it came to applying the Torah in cases where the death penalty might be applied.

Having said all this, we cannot forget that God's compassion does not alter or abolish the Torah in the slightest. It is the eternal standard by which all will be judged. The choice is not Torah or no Torah, but rather Torah with Yeshua, or Torah without Him. Yeshua's sacrifice provided God a way to show compassion to His children without altering His Torah.

Mat 5:17 "Don't misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to fulfill them.
Mat 5:18 I assure you, until heaven and earth disappear, even the smallest detail of God's law will remain until its purpose is achieved.
Mat 5:19 So if you break the smallest commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God's laws and teaches them will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Rom 6:14 Sin is no longer your master, for you are no longer subject to the law, which enslaves you to sin. Instead, you are free by God's grace.
Rom 6:15 So since God's grace has set us free from the law, does this mean we can go on sinning? Of course not!
Rom 6:16 Don't you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive his approval.
Rom 6:17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you have obeyed with all your heart the new teaching God has given you.
Rom 6:18 Now you are free from sin, your old master, and you have become slaves to your new master, righteousness.
Rom 6:19 I speak this way, using the illustration of slaves and masters, because it is easy to understand. Before, you let yourselves be slaves of impurity and lawlessness. Now you must choose to be slaves of righteousness so that you will become holy.
Rom 6:20 In those days, when you were slaves of sin, you weren't concerned with doing what was right.
Rom 6:21 And what was the result? It was not good, since now you are ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom.
Rom 6:22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Rom 7:4 So this is the point: The law no longer holds you in its power, because you died to its power when you died with Christ on the cross. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, you can produce good fruit, that is, good deeds for God.

Jesus came and fulfilled the sacrificial laws that were foreshadowing what God was going to do through the Lord Jesus.

Hebrews 10:1 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming--not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship....11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13 Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14 because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

The sacrificial, ceremonial, and dietary laws have all been fulfilled either by Jesus or by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, and Christians are under grace not law.

Colossians 2:13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

However, Christians are to the best of their ability keep the two greatest laws that Jesus spoke about and the Apostle Paul gave a further explanation of.

Matthew 22:36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Romans 13:9 The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.