TheoloJeep

Our age has redefined love. It is no longer the biblical love that “does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6). Instead, love is now presented as permissiveness, excuse-making, and endless tolerance. Under this false banner, our culture excuses the vilest sins by labeling them “mental illness,” blaming “systemic oppression,” or shifting responsibility away from the sinner himself.

But biblical love cannot be divorced from justice. True love protects. True love restrains evil. True love stands for the innocent against the wicked. And that means the magistrate, as God’s appointed servant, must punish evil decisively and visibly.

God’s Design for Civil Authority

From the beginning, God has entrusted mankind with the solemn duty of upholding justice. After the flood, God commanded Noah:

“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.” (Genesis 9:6)

This was not vengeance but recognition of human dignity. To assault or kill another person is to assault the very image of God. Justice is demanded precisely because people are precious.

Paul reaffirms this in Romans 13:

“For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. … For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.” (Romans 13:3–4)

The “sword” is not a symbol of rehabilitation but of authority—even the authority to end life when crimes demand it. Far from being unloving, this is an act of love: protecting the community, honoring God’s image, and vindicating the law.

Public Justice in Scripture

Biblical justice was never hidden away. In the Mosaic Law, punishments were carried out before the community:

“So you shall purge the evil from your midst. And all Israel shall hear and fear and never again do any such wickedness as this among you.” (Deuteronomy 13:11)

Deterrence was explicit. Ecclesiastes 8:11 warns:

“Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.”

Delayed, hidden, or excused justice emboldens sin.

Even the crucifixion of Christ was public. Rome’s intent was deterrence—making an example of rebels against Caesar. But God used it as the supreme demonstration of His justice and mercy. Jesus was lifted up for the world to see, bearing the wrath our sins deserved (John 19:20; Romans 3:25–26). The most righteous public execution in history was also the most merciful.

The Purpose of Public Execution

Why does justice need to be visible?

Deterrence – Fear of consequences restrains evil. When punishment is public, others learn.

Vindication of the law – Justice must be seen to be trusted. Hidden justice undermines the law.

Protection of the innocent – Some crimes are so grievous that the perpetrators must be permanently removed. This is mercy for the community.

Moral instruction – Public justice teaches that sin is real, consequences are serious, and righteousness is worth pursuing.

Historical Testimonies to Public Justice

Ancient Rome

Rome understood deterrence. Crucifixions were deliberately staged on roadsides and city gates so all would see and fear. The Jewish historian Josephus records mass crucifixions after revolts, noting their horror was meant to quell further rebellion. Seneca, the Roman philosopher, described crucifixion as a “spectacle” of state power. Rome’s justice was cruel, but it was effective in communicating that crime had consequences.

Medieval and Reformation Europe

Throughout Europe, executions took place in marketplaces, town squares, or at city gates. Chroniclers observed that these events impressed moral lessons upon entire communities. John Calvin affirmed this principle, writing in his Institutes:

“The Lord has not only testified that the office of magistrate is holy and lawful, but also strongly commended it to us by calling them his ministers. … They have a commission from God, to exercise vengeance upon evil-doers, and a lawful defense for the oppressed.”

The Reformers did not shrink from affirming the magistrate’s duty to punish visibly and righteously.

Puritan New England

In colonial America, public punishment was central. Executions were carried out openly, but so were lesser punishments like stocks, whippings, and public shaming. The Puritans believed that sin was not merely private but communal—it corrupted the whole people if left unchecked.

Cotton Mather once preached at an execution, warning:

“Let the sight of this wretched man be a warning unto you all, that you do not bring yourselves unto such a wretched condition.”

Public justice became both a deterrent and a call to repentance.

The Modern Decline

By contrast, modern justice is sterilized. Executions are hidden behind closed doors, stripped of public meaning. Decades of appeals erase deterrence. Heinous crimes are explained away as products of environment or psychology. In this climate, the criminal becomes the victim, while true victims are forgotten. Society is left without fear of the law and without respect for righteousness.

The Gospel Connection

The gospel itself rests on public justice. Paul says God displayed Christ “to show His righteousness” (Romans 3:25–26). Sin was not excused; it was punished, visibly, on the cross. And because Christ bore that punishment, mercy is offered to all who repent and believe.

This means public justice points us to two realities:

Sin is so serious it demands death. God’s mercy is so great He provided a substitute.

Justice and love met in the open at Calvary.

A Call for Righteous Justice

Bringing back public executions is not about vengeance or bloodlust. It is about restoring God’s design for civil justice: swift, righteous, and visible. When carried out lawfully, under proper authority, and with sobriety, such justice deters evil, protects the innocent, and instructs the community.

To neglect this is not compassion—it is negligence. To excuse or conceal justice is to embolden wickedness and abandon the vulnerable.

True love demands true justice. And true justice must be seen.

Conclusion

Our culture cries out “love others,” but in practice it excuses evil and makes excuses for the guilty. It has forgotten that sin springs from within the human heart, not from circumstances. It has forgotten that love and justice are two sides of the same coin.

The magistrate who punishes evil does not act in hatred but in obedience to God’s calling. Public justice, rightly applied, is good for society because it restrains evil, teaches righteousness, and protects the innocent.

Above all, it points to the cross—the most righteous public execution in history—where God displayed His justice, satisfied His wrath, and extended mercy to sinners.

If we truly love our neighbors, we will not wink at evil. We will call for justice to be done—and to be done righteously, in the sight of all.