Does God Punish or Not?
Not long ago, while gathered with my wife at our monthly Marriages in Christ meeting, one of our group companions uttered the phrase “God does not punish.” A few months earlier, a reader had asked me whether it was true that God does not punish, because he had heard the well-known Catholic apologist Frank Morera say so in a preaching. It is not even difficult to find Catholic websites that maintain the same position. In a program by Alejandro Bermúdez, director of CNA (Catholic News Agency), whose service to the Church is beyond question, he commits the same error when he claims that “God never punishes.” The idea has spread so widely among the Catholic faithful that many were perplexed when Pope Benedict XVI affirmed that the world could be punished for its turning away from God in his homily during the opening of the XII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on October 5, 2008. The Pope, however, was saying nothing new, for the notion that God can punish is constant in the Magisterium of his predecessors and in the Universal Magisterium of the Church throughout all ages. Pope John Paul II, in his General Audience of August 13, 2003, speaks of how God does indeed punish, just as the Book of Tobit presents it: “God punishes and has compassion.“
It is for this reason — and with all the respect due to my Catholic friends, including Frank Morera and Alejandro Bermúdez, whose apologetic work in the service of the Church is invaluable — that it is important to clarify this error. For it is an error that stems from a progressivist ideology that has led many people into serious mistakes, including the denial of the existence of hell, which is a dogma of the faith, or even worse, the denial of the necessity of Christ’s expiatory sacrifice on the cross.
Clarifying the Terminology
There is a scholastic saying: “De definitionibus non est disputandum” (“definitions are not up for debate”), because terminological questions are of secondary importance compared to substantive questions of content, and because everyone has the right to choose their own terminology, within certain limits. Nevertheless, it is important that when one makes use of a particular terminology, one explains clearly what one means by it, thereby avoiding misunderstandings and confusion.
In the case of the word “punishment,” we must distinguish between what the word actually means and the way in which many people understand it. Frank Morera, for example, understands it in the following way:
“God does not punish. He who knows the heart of God knows that God does not punish. God is a father — and a good father… a good father does not punish; a good father corrects.”… “It is impossible for God to punish, because punishment comes from hatred, and in God there is no place for hatred; correction, on the other hand, comes from love. God, who is our Father, desires only our edification, and for this reason he corrects us.”
Let us begin by clarifying this: it is not true that punishment is linked to hatred — neither in its meaning, nor in Scripture, nor in the traditional teaching of the Church. Let us see why.
The Meaning of “Punishment” According to the Dictionary
The Spanish Royal Academy Dictionary (Real Academia Española) defines punishment [castigo] as follows:
Punishment.
[T.N.: The following entries are from the Royal Spanish Academy Dictionary (Diccionario de la Real Academia Española — RAE), as the original debate took place in Spanish. In English, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “punishment” as: 1. the act of punishing; 2a. suffering, pain, or loss that serves as retribution; 2b. a penalty inflicted on an offender through judicial procedure; 3. severe, rough, or disastrous treatment. The Oxford English Dictionary similarly defines it as “the infliction or imposition of a penalty as retribution for an offense.” The Spanish RAE entries are retained below as primary sources of the original debate.] (From castigar).
1. m. Penalty imposed on one who has committed a crime or offense.
2. n. Emendation, correction of a work or writing.
3. m. Chile. The action and effect of reducing expenses.
4. n. arch. Reprimand, warning, counsel, admonishment, or correction.
5. m. archaic. Example, warning, teaching.
ser de ~ algo. [to be a punishment/hardship]
1. loc. verb. To be arduous or burdensome.
Castigar.
(From the Latin castigāre).
1. tr. To execute or impose a punishment on one who is guilty.
2. tr. To mortify and afflict.
3. tr. To spur or whip a mount to accelerate its pace.
4. tr. To make an example of (‖ to correct with severity one who has erred).
5. tr. To correct or emend a work or a text.
6. tr. To reduce expenses.
7. tr. To court someone purely as a pastime or out of vanity.
8. tr. arch. To warn, caution, teach.
9. prnl. archaic. To amend, correct, or restrain oneself.
Divine Punishment in Scripture
Both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament we find the notion of divine punishment, but here we must distinguish between temporal punishment — which has a medicinal character and seeks the correction of the sinner so that he may convert and be saved — and eternal punishment, which is part of divine justice as retribution for the definitive rejection of God’s love.
Eternal Punishment
That there is an eternal punishment administered by God is something that cannot be called into doubt without effectively denying almost the entirety of the Bible and the Magisterium of the Church. Jesus Christ states it plainly with regard to those who are condemned: “And these will go away to eternal punishment, and the upright to eternal life” (Mt 25:46). Someone may object that it is not God who punishes but the person who punishes himself; and this is partly true. The person does indeed choose his eternal destiny based on his own decisions and thereby “provokes” the punishment — but it is God who administers justice:
“By your hardness and impenitence of heart, you are storing up retribution for yourself on the day of retribution, when God’s just judgments will be made known. He will repay everyone as their works deserve: to those who by persevering in doing good seek glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but to those who are argumentative and refuse to obey the truth, who follow only what is wrong, he will give anger and fury.” (Rom 2:5-8)
“For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body.” (2 Cor 5:10)
Temporal or Medicinal Punishment
In the Bible, temporal punishment is frequently presented as a medicinal means for purifying the sinner or inviting him to conversion. The Church herself, in her discipline of excommunication, punished with a merciful and medicinal character by excluding from ecclesial communion those whose faults warranted it, so that they might convert. An example of this appears in the First Letter to the Corinthians, where Saint Paul punishes with excommunication a member of the Church who was living in adultery: “It is reported that there is a case of sexual immorality among you — a case of incest, that someone has his father’s wife… In the name of the Lord Jesus and with the power of our Lord Jesus, when you have assembled together, and I am with you in spirit, such a person is to be handed over to Satan for the destruction of his natural self, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord” (1 Cor 5:1, 4-5). However, in his second letter, Saint Paul explains that the punishment was aimed at his conversion and invites the community to forgive him: “The punishment already imposed by the majority is enough for such a person; so the right course now is to forgive him and encourage him — otherwise he might be overwhelmed by too much distress” (2 Cor 2:6-7). Another example is found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which distinguishes between the punishment of the damned and the temporal punishment endured by souls in purgatory: “The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned” (CCC 1031).
In the Old Testament there are abundant examples of punishments from God that have both a medicinal character and the purpose of administering just retribution for sin. Among them we may mention the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the Flood, the threatened destruction of Nineveh, the plagues of Egypt, the punishment of David for his adultery and the murder of Uriah the Hittite, and so on.
The New Testament is no exception. Saint Paul, for example, speaks of how those who received the Eucharist unworthily were punished with illness and even with death:
“Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily is therefore guilty of the body and blood of the Lord… For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body is eating and drinking his own condemnation. That is why many of you are weak and ill and a good number have died.” (1 Cor 11:27, 29-30)
Also mentioned is the punishment of Herod for failing to acknowledge the glory of God, as he fell ill and died:
“On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes and took his seat on the throne, then made a formal speech to them. The people acclaimed him with, ‘It is a god speaking, not a man!’ And at that instant the angel of the Lord struck him down, because he had not given the glory to God. He was eaten by worms and died.” (Acts 12:21-23)
There is also the punishment of Ananias and Sapphira for having lied to the Holy Spirit:
“A man called Ananias — his wife Sapphira was party to it — sold a piece of property; but with his wife’s connivance he kept back part of the proceeds, and brought the rest and presented it at the feet of the apostles. Peter said, ‘Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you should lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the money from the land? While you still owned the land, wasn’t it yours? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money yours to do with as you liked? What put this scheme into your mind? It is not to men that you have lied, but to God.’ When Ananias heard these words he fell down dead. And a great fear came upon everyone present. The younger men got up, wrapped up the body, carried it out and buried it. About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter challenged her, ‘Tell me, was this the price you sold the land for?’ ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘that was the price.’ Peter then said, ‘Why did you and your husband agree to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Listen, at the door are the footsteps of those who buried your husband; they will carry you out, too.’ Instantly she fell at his feet and died. When the young men came in they found she was dead, and they carried her out and buried her by her husband.” (Acts 5:1-10)
And in addition to these there are more cases, such as Zechariah being struck mute for his disbelief when the birth of John the Baptist was announced to him by the angel Gabriel (Lk 1:20) [T.N.: the original Spanish text reads “la muerte de Juan Bautista” (the death), which appears to be a typographical error; Lk 1:20 refers to the announcement of John’s birth/conception, not his death], and so on.
It is so absurd to deny God’s punishment that it implies contradicting the very divine commandments themselves, for in them God clearly states the possibility of punishing those who disobey:
“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” (Ex 20:7)
For this reason I insist, before continuing, that it must be clear that temporal punishment does not exclude but rather encompasses correction, as is evident from Scripture:
“You punish us for our guilt, what we treasure most crumbles away like a moth-eaten rag; each person is no more than a puff of wind.” (Ps 39:12)
“As he is merciful, so too does he chastise; he judges each person as his deeds deserve.” (Sir 16:12) [T.N.: The verse numbering may vary by edition; the author cites Sir 47:13 in the Spanish original. Readers should verify against their NJB edition.]
“Rod and reprimand bestow wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame on his mother.” (Prov 29:15)
“for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.” (Prov 3:12)
“…but when we are judged by the Lord, we are corrected so as not to be condemned with the world.” (1 Cor 11:32)
“Have you forgotten that encouraging text in which you are addressed as sons? ‘My son, do not scorn correction from the Lord, do not resent his training.'” (Heb 12:5)
“‘For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves and chastises every son whom he receives.'” (Heb 12:6)
Furthermore, this punishment that God imposes on the sinner is not merely a corrective or deterrent measure; it also pursues the expiation of the offense inflicted upon God and the restoration of the moral order disturbed by sin.
Punishment in the Early Church
The Early Church interpreted eternal punishment in the same way — as the retribution of divine justice for unrepented sinful acts — and temporal punishment as a medicinal correction intended to invite the sinner to conversion. Saint Clement of Rome, who was ordained a priest by Saint Peter himself and also served as Bishop of Rome, writes in his epistle to the Corinthians an exhortation in which punishment is directly linked with correction and discipline.
Clement of Rome — (year 107)
“Let us receive correction, at which no one ought to take offense. The exhortation with which we admonish one another is good and highly profitable; for it binds us to the will of God. For thus saith the holy Word: ‘The Lord hath severely chastened me, yet hath not given me over to death.’ ‘For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.’ ‘The righteous man,’ saith it, ‘shall chasten me in mercy and reprove me; but let not the oil of sinners make fat my head.’ And again he saith: ‘Blessed is the man whom the Lord reproveth, and reject not thou the correction of the Almighty. For He causes sorrow, and again restores to gladness; He woundeth, and His hands make whole. He shall deliver thee in six troubles, yea, in the seventh no evil shall touch thee. In famine He shall rescue thee from death, and in war He shall free thee from the power of the sword. From the scourge of the tongue He shall hide thee, and thou shalt not fear when evil cometh. Thou shalt laugh at the unrighteous and the wicked, and shalt not be afraid of the beasts of the field. For the wild beasts shall be at peace with thee; then shalt thou know that thy house shall be in peace, and the habitation of thy tabernacle shall not fail; and thou shalt know that thy seed shall be great, and thy children like the grass of the field. And thou shalt come to the grave like ripened corn which is reaped in its season, or like a heap of the threshing-floor gathered together at the right time.’ Ye see, beloved, how great protection is afforded to those who are chastened by the Master; for since He is a kind Father, He chastens us that we may obtain mercy through His holy chastisement.” (1 Clement 56; trans. ANF)
The Shepherd of Hermas — (year 141–155)
The Shepherd of Hermas is a book that was highly regarded in the Early Church, to the point that some of the Holy Fathers considered it canonical. Thanks to the Muratorian Fragment (a parchment from the year 180 containing a list of the inspired books, discovered and published in the fifteenth century), we know it was composed by a certain Hermas, the brother of Pope Pius I, in the city of Rome. In this work, which reflects the most primitive Christian thought, we find that temporal punishment is likewise connected with the corrective discipline that seeks conversion.
“But do thou no longer bear malice against thy children, nor suffer thy sister to have her way, so that they may be cleansed from their former sins. For they will be chastised with a righteous chastisement, unless thou bear malice against them.” (Shepherd of Hermas, Vision 1.3; trans. ANF)
“For as many days as a man indulges in pleasures, so many years will he be tormented. You see, then, that the period of indulgence and deceit is very short, while that of punishment and torment is long.” (Shepherd of Hermas, Similitude 6.4; trans. ANF)
Epistle of Barnabas — (year 130)
This early Christian treatise has been attributed since the beginning of the Church to Barnabas, the collaborator of Saint Paul. It warns that God will punish with condemnation those who die in grave sins, such as idolatry, adultery, murder, theft, and so on:
“But the way of the Black One is crooked and full of cursing; for it is the way of death eternal with punishment, in which are the things that destroy their souls: idolatry, boldness, haughtiness of power, hypocrisy, double-heartedness, adultery, murder, rapine, pride, transgression, treachery, malice, self-sufficiency, enchantments, magic, covetousness, and the want of the fear of God.” (Epistle of Barnabas 20; trans. ANF)
Martyrdom of Polycarp — (year 156–177)
This early Christian document narrates the martyrdom of Saint Polycarp, who was a direct disciple of the Apostle Saint John. It recounts how the Christians preferred to die rather than suffer divine punishment:
“And, giving attendance to the grace of Christ, they despised all the torments of this world, ransoming themselves from eternal punishment in a single hour.” (Martyrdom of Polycarp 2; trans. ANF)
Conclusions
The notion that God does not punish is founded, in some cases, either on a misunderstanding of the meaning of the word “punishment,” or on a superficial and deficient notion of the love of God. As Saint Thomas explains, God is love and wills that all be saved, but He is also just, and as such also wills to punish those who sin. The two are not mutually exclusive: “God wills all men to be saved by His antecedent will; by His consequent will and in justice, He wills the punishment of some.” God can punish to correct us — not out of hatred, but precisely out of love, as we do with our children — as Saint Augustine illustrates: “Nor is the manner in which we chastise our children different from this, that is, in anger and indignation; but we would not chastise them if we did not love them.” It is Jesus Christ who warns each one of us: “the servant who knows what his master wants, but has not even started to carry out those wishes, will receive many strokes of the lash” (Lk 12:47). Is this not punishment? Some will say “correction.” I say that in this case both are one and the same.
Now, in light of all this, one might ask whether diseases, natural disasters, or accidents are punishments from God. To this the answer must be negative. That God punishes is one thing; to assume that diseases, natural disasters, or accidents are punishments from God is quite another. One does not necessarily imply the other, although God may avail Himself of some of these events to punish in a specific circumstance if His will so determines. In the Gospel, for example, Jesus is asked whether the blindness of a certain man was a punishment for his sin or that of his parents, and Jesus answers neither: “As he went along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should have been born blind?’ ‘Neither he nor his parents sinned,’ Jesus answered, ‘he was born blind so that the works of God might be revealed in him.'” (Jn 9:1-3). In another text, however, we see that the illness that brought Herod to death was indeed a punishment for his sin (Acts 12:21-23). In this sense, without a special revelation, it is not possible to be certain whether a given illness is a punishment from God or simply an event of another nature; to assume otherwise would be rashness.
