What the Bible Says about Murder and What We Do When the World Breaks Open
The last few days in America have felt like one more brutal reminder: violence is not a distant problem. Public events, schools, and public transportation, places we expect to be safe, have been pierced by murder and attempted murder. Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at a university event on September 10, 2025, a politically charged killing that shocked the nation. At the same time, a school shooting in Colorado left students wounded and a shooter dead, and similar tragedies continue to pile up across the country. A young woman was brutally stabbed and murdered. And we will never forget what happened on 9/11 24 years ago. These are not just headlines; they are people. They are our neighbors, our children, our friends. National statistics show that mass shootings and lethal violence remain a persistent scar on our public life.
So what does the Bible say about murder and murderers, and what should Christians actually do when the unthinkable happens?
The plain command “You shall not murder.”
God’s law is simple and unambiguous: “You shall not murder.” (Ex. 20:13). Murder is the taking of human life in a way that violates the image-bearing dignity God has placed in every person. The Bible never soft-pedals this. From Cain and Abel (Genesis 4) to later penal statutes, Scripture treats the shedding of innocent blood as a profound evil and a rupture in the created order.
Genesis 4 shows how the heart’s darkness leads to the deed. After Cain killed Abel, God confronted him: the earth itself received blood, and Cain’s sin was grave in God’s sight (Gen. 4:8-10). This is not merely about law-breaking; it is about rebellion against God’s design for human life.
Murder begins in the heart; Jesus’ radical diagnosis
Jesus raises the bar higher than outward acts: anger, contempt, and hatred are not harmless private feelings; they are the soil in which murder grows.
“You have heard that those of old were told, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.” Matthew 5:21-22, ESV.
And John is even plainer:
“Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” 1 John 3:15, ESV.
The point is this: the Bible is concerned with roots as well as fruit. If we are to be a people who restrain violence, we must take the work of the heart seriously. Repentance, humility, and the gospel are not optional.
God, civil authority, and justice
Scripture affirms both personal responsibility and the role of civil authority. After the Flood, God commanded that human life be guarded by human law:
“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.” Genesis 9:6, ESV.
And Paul teaches that governors are God’s servants, “bearing the sword” to execute wrath on the wrongdoer (Rom. 13:1-4). That does not remove the need for careful, godly restraint and judicial fairness; it reminds us that God has given institutions the responsibility of maintaining justice. Christians should therefore pursue lawful means to see justice done, cooperate with investigations, support fair trials, and advocate for measures that protect the vulnerable while resisting the temptation to take the law into our hands.
Vengeance is God’s, but justice we must seek rightly
“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God…” (Rom. 12:19). That’s not passivity toward evil; it is a refusal to become what we condemn. Christians are called to oppose wrongdoing, to help bring offenders to justice, and to care for victims, but not to rejoice in or enact private vengeance.
When a political killing or mass shooting dominates the news, the line between demanding justice and indulging in partisan fury can blur. We must insist on truth and accountability, but we must guard our souls against the corrosive pleasure of watching an enemy’s fall. Our posture should be grief, resolve for justice, and prayer for repentance.
What a biblical, faithful church does right now
- Pray urgently. For victims, for families, for investigators, for repentance for perpetrators, and for the cooling of violent passions.
- Care practically. Provide counseling, meals, childcare, and financial help for funeral expenses. Practical compassion testifies louder than hashtags.
- Support lawful justice. Encourage cooperation with law enforcement and a fair legal process. Advocate for measures that protect people without scoffing at due process.
- Counter the root with the gospel. Teach about the heart, sin, repentance, and new birth because only Christ changes a heart from murder to mercy.
A word to those who are angry, fearful, or tempted toward hatred
If recent events have stirred anger or thoughts of retribution in you, hear the gospel plainly: your anger can be righteous (against evil), but unchecked anger becomes wrath, malice, and, as Jesus warns, spiritual death. Repent. Seek counsel. Let the church be a place where fury is met with conviction and comfort, and where the road to real change, confession and faith in Christ, is pointed out lovingly but firmly.
A word to those who grieve and fear
If you are mourning a loved one, if your child was hurt, if your neighborhood feels unsafe, we grieve with you. The Scriptures do not offer platitudes; they offer a faithful God. Come to him with honest questions and sorrow. Let a local church be the place you find solidarity, food, practical help, and the gospel that holds even in the grave.
Finally, plain talk about justice, repentance, and hope
Murder is an affront to God and a wound to the whole body of Christ. We must seek justice, care for victims, and support authorities who pursue the law. But we must also remember that only the gospel addresses the heart that kills. The kingdom work is twofold: oppose evil and promote the good. That means grief and righteous action, law and mercy, truth and forgiveness offered in Christ.
Let us not grow callous or content with slogans. Let us pray, weep, serve, and speak truth with courage. Let our churches be places where grief is not mocked, where justice is sought humbly, and where sinners are called to repent and be saved.
A short prayer
Lord of all mercy and justice, we mourn with those who mourn. Be near the broken. Guide the authorities so that they may pursue justice rightly. Soften hearts given to violence; bring repentance where there is guilt. Comfort the grieving with your presence, and make your church a refuge for the hurting. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Savior, who bore our sins and frees us through mercy. Amen.
