Luigi Mangione, the man accused of assassinating United Health CEO Brian Thompson in broad daylight, has reignited the national debate over the death penalty.
As calls for capital punishment intensify, Pastor Jack Hibbs is speaking out, urging believers to consider what the Bible actually says about justice, mercy and the role of civil government.
“The death penalty is not new,” Hibbs said. “It would only be new to people who are not educated.” From ancient civilizations to modern governments, capital punishment has always existed in one form or another. But for Hibbs, the issue isn’t about trends—it’s about truth.
“The Bible does not say, ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ Nowhere in the Bible does it say that. It says, ‘Thou shalt not murder.’ There’s a difference.”
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God’s Law and Civil Justice
Hibbs roots his position not in emotion, but in Scripture. “You shall not murder was known before the Ten Commandments were ever given,” he explained. “God has written His truth on the heart of the human who’s been created in the image of God.”
While many argue that Christians should focus only on forgiveness, Hibbs says that misses the point of civil justice. “Forgiveness is personal. Justice is societal,” he said. “The state of New York is not a person. It’s the law. And the state of New York says you’re going to be shot or you’re going to be hung or you’re going to be electrocuted. That’s justice.”
Referencing Romans 13, Hibbs added, “The authority who has been appointed by God does not bear their sword in vain.”
The Case of Luigi Mangione
Hibbs brought his message into sharp focus with a disturbing modern example. He described the murder of Brian Thompson, CEO of United Health, who was allegedly assassinated in broad daylight by Mangione.
“Luigi came up behind him, dressed like a criminal,” Hibbs said. “In the middle of the day, he’s wearing a hoodie tightly pulled around his head… puts the bullet of his pistol… and blows the head up and murders, murders Brian Thompson.”
Mangione fled the scene and was later apprehended. “Was Luigi Mangione guilty? He dressed for the crime. He fled the scene. By his actions, he admits that he’s guilty. Period.”
The case, now under scrutiny with calls for the death penalty, has exposed a troubling cultural dynamic that Hibbs doesn’t shy away from. “People are saying Luigi Mangione is handsome… there are women who have expressed their desire to marry him. That’s a disease in the brain,” he said. “Everybody knows who Luigi Mangione is, but you probably don’t even remember Brian Thompson.”
Emotional Arguments vs. Biblical Authority
For Hibbs, the disconnect in culture today is due to a lack of biblical grounding. “People are going to make emotional arguments to what God’s word has declared and what even natural law declares,” he said.
He emphasized the biblical foundation for capital punishment, citing Exodus 21 where crimes such as murder, rape, and bestiality are met with death. “A life for a life. This is moral law that is written on the human heart.”
And what about the woman caught in adultery in the New Testament?
“Yes, Jesus told the Pharisees, ‘Whoever is without sin, let him throw the first stone.’ But He never said the law was wrong. He never said she shouldn’t be punished. He just exposed their hypocrisy,” Hibbs said.
Justice and the Gospel
Hibbs proposed a biblically inspired solution to capital punishment that combines justice with mercy.
“If I were the attorney general of the United States,” he said, “I would issue a decree that we are calling for all states to implement the death penalty… only after the gospel has been given to the convicted for two weeks. Every day the gospel will be presented… and at the end of two weeks, they will be either electrocuted or they’ll be hung or shot.”
He concluded with a sobering reminder for the Church. “The death penalty is justice. It is right. It is to be implemented by civil governments, not you, not me. And it’s what God has ordered until He comes again.”
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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
