The title of this chapter is 'St. Paul's Rejection of Retributive Punishment'. In this chapter Nick comments on what St. Paul says about the role of the government as one reads in the book of Romans (or rather Paul's letter to the Christians at Rome.) Then he combines this Pauline idea with the idea of punishment. Nick's comment on punishment is illuminating, moving away from the traditional discourse on punishment.
So what does Paul say about the role of the government when he says that government is the servant of God to execute... wrath on the wrongdoer. 'Vengeance is mine' says our English translation of the Bible. The Greek word for 'vengeance' there is 'ekdikesis'. And Paul is saying that if there is to be vengeance, it's God's job; not ours. But is 'vengeance' government's job? Is government the 'servant' to execute...wrath on the wrongdoer? Nick argues that the idea that God executes vengeance is different from the idea that says that government who is the 'servant' executes the wrath on the wrongdoer. The state does not execute vengeance; only God does. But what the state does is to punish; not vengeance. But what's the difference between the two?
Vengeance is to pay back evil with evil; it's an eye for an eye kind of thing. Whereas punishment is not quite so. Punishment is to give hard measure but with the intention that includes deterrence, security and reforms. Deterrence so that others will not repeat similar wrongdoing. Reform because such hard measure may serve as a lesson to the wrongdoer and elicit character change. Security because sometimes the person may harm other people if allowed to go on with his usual life. St. Paul does not give a synopsis on a theory of punishment, but understanding punishment with these elements -- deterrence, reform and security -- seems to be a more accurate interpretation than the so called traditional idea that government can punish as if it is exercising vengeance.
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