Board index ‹ Specific Bible verses, texts, and passages ‹ Exodus

[Code Robert]

Do people who kill out of self defense or something like that go to heaven?

What about a cop who kills a person holding hostages?

[jimwalton]

The Bible is clear that the people who have the nature of Jesus are the ones who go to heaven, and the people who have the nature of sin don't. It has nothing to do with people who kill out of self-defense. Such things won't keep a person out of heaven.

The command of Exodus 20.13 ("You shall not murder") relates to "Violent killing of a personal enemy; murder; slay; illegal killing inimical to the community; blood-vengeance killing; one who kills out of enmity, deceit, or hatred." It doesn't speak to the issue of killing out of self-defense or something like that.

Brevard Childs says, "The command forbids acts of violence motivated by hatred or malice, and rejects the right of a person to take the law into his own hands out of a feeling of personal injury."

Alan Cole writes, "The law clearly distinguished between planned and accidental or unpremeditated killings (Ex. 21.12-14)."

Maxie Dunnam says, "The prohibition is not against all killing, only unauthorized killing. Gn. 9.6; 1 Sam. 15.3; Lev. 20.10."

In other words, we can confidently conclude that defending oneself, even to the point of killing your attacker, won't keep you out of heaven.