Capital punishment, as ordained by God, is the only way to reduce crime into a lasting form. While there are many who would refute this statement, the Bible stands its ground when it comes to the issue of capital punishment. The Bible has supported and will continue to support capital punishment. Since God was the first to institute capital punishment, we should look to His Word to find its origin. Capital punishment was instituted when God told Adam and Eve "...in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die." Genesis 9:6 also refers to capital punishment by stating, “Whoever sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed.” Exodus 21:12 echoes this saying with, “He that smiteth a man, that he die, shall surely be put to death.” According to the Bible, if a man kills another man, he must be put to death immediately. He must not be allowed to talk his way out of this situation. The Bible is very clear that punishment for a crime should be swift and sure. Some argue that capital punishment can only be found in the Old Testament, and the New Testament is all about love and forgiveness. However, in Matthew 5:17, Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to abolish the law or the prophets: I am not come to abolish, but to fulfill.” Jesus did not abrogate all the laws of the Old Testament nor did he invent new ones, but on the contrary he came to fulfill the law and the prophets. Yes, Jesus came as a loving and merciful God, but he also came by submitting to the authority of man, which ultimately led to his death. But does man's authority really belong to man? Does man possess the authority with which to execute criminals? Jesus Himself said in John 19:11, while speaking to Pilate before His crucifixion: “You could have no power… middle of the paper… and He is also a perfect, righteous, and holy God who cannot even look at sin. He has the power to forgive, but the punishment for the crime must still be carried out. A great example of this was the thief on the cross next to Christ. In his final hours on this earth he accepted Christ as his Savior, but God did not take him off the cross because he believed. No, he still had to endure the punishment for the crimes he had committed. Jesus Christ is another good example. He didn't even deserve to die. He was innocent! Yet He submitted to the cross to pay for the sins of humanity. Sin will always have consequences, and just because God is willing to forgive sin, that doesn't mean He will also eliminate its consequences. What a criminal sows in crime, he will reap accordingly, whether those consequences come from the justice system or from a perfectly just God in heaven..