Featured Punishment and sin

Another thread explored the development of John Calvin's Atonement theory. Calvin was heavily dependent on Augustine and Aquinas, especially on Aquinas' understanding of punishment as a moral response to a crime or to sin.


In relation to sin, what is the purpose of punishment?

 

Insofar as Ezekiel 18:4 Calvin understood the passage to be stating that all belong to God - this to be more than sovereignty but also fatherly love (as Creator) to all mankind - but also implying that vengeance belongs to God. The man who sins will die (see Calvin's commentary).

John Calvin did not have the KJV so he would not have understood "soul" to mean our soul but to mean the person or man (as it initially meant in the KJV).

Ezekiel 18:32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

Here Calvin views this as placing the reason men die on man rather than God. God does not take pleasure in the death of men but desires that they repent and live (again, see Calvin's commentary).

Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Here Calvin interprets this as a warning to fear God who can kill the body (physical life) and condemn to eternal death (Calvin's Commentary).


Revelation 21:7–8 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Concerning the "second death", I don't know but expect that he would believe it was "the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone" reserved for the unbelieving and ungodly (the opposite of what believers inherit).

 

You are telling me what the punishment is (being forsaken from God forever).

I am asking for the purpose or goal of the punishment.

 

Maybe it would be easier to look at this in terms of crime and punishment......we are moving from my topic of intent.


What, in general, is the purpose of punishment?

If I break a law why is punishment necessary?

 

I think you may be mistaken understanding the question of the OP (probably my fault).

I am asking about the purpose of the punishment, not what the punishment is or how it is done.

 

How is punishment justice?

 

I am asking about the purpose of the punishment, not what the punishment is or that it is upon the guilty.

What is the purpose of punishment?


For example, when a child disobeys a parent may punish a child (the punishment is on the child because the child disobeyed). The punishment may be removing a favorite toy for a time.

But the punishment being on the child is not the purpose for the punishment.

The removal of the toy is not the purpose for the punishment.

In this case, the purpose for punishing the disobedient child is discipline, teaching the child not to disobey, and modifying the child's behavior.


In regard to sin, what is the purpose of punishment?

 

This is one of the twofold reason in Aquinas' judicial philosophy.

The idea is that punishment corrects an inequality created by sin. This is a political (rather than moral) view of punishment and sin. It is retributive justice - I sin and therefore need the be punished in order to satisfy a type of debt created by that sin.

 

No, you understood correctly. I did mean punishment rather than discipline.

I was using parental discipline as an example that I was trying to get to the purpose.

Another view of punishment is rehabilitative in the form of punishing an action in order to prevent repetition of the action.

But your post about balance was addressing my question very well.

How does punishment vindicate justice?

 

I am not sure that I understand your meaning.

What I understand you to say is that the purpose of punishment is balance, and that punishment vindicates (shows to be right) justice because punishment was a forewarned consequence.

I can see that something occurring as a consequence of sin (as produced by sin) would be vindication in occurring because it would prove the pronouncement of the result of sin correct.

But I am not sure that I understand this balance concept.

If the purpose of punishment is balance, what exactly are we balancing?

 

Ah. I see.

I wouldn't call that balance but cause and effect.

If sin brings death as a product then it seems that punishment wouldn't serve a purpose.

Using your example - a child touches a hot stove and is burned. The child needn't be punished as the act itself resulted in a lesson learned. The consequence provided a balance to the action without punishment.

You could punish the child for disobeying by restricting him to his room for the evening (after caring for the burn, of course). But punishment would probably be unnecessary....you could just say "that's why I told you never to touch the stove".