I was wondering how those who believe Paul (and, by extension, the church) was pronouncing an actual death sentence on this member who was guilty of a grave sin can explain how his spirit/soul is saved in the day of the Lord? How does killing a heretic ensure his salvation?
That is an excellent question, but not pertaining to heretics in general, but rather to those examples of scripture. I've often pondered it in the scriptural cases and hope for mercy. We have examples from the Bible of many Israelites who were in covenant with God but were punished with death. Will some, all, or none of them be in the kingdom of heaven ? I think it unwise to extrapolate and apply doctrines of men in this regard. In the case of the Corinthian we know the sentence was given "that" (in order that) the spirit may be saved. It could be he immediately became I'll unto death but repented. It could be that he died, and his spirit was saved anyway (as would succor the case for Ananias and Sapphira). There is another verse in 1 Cor has another reference. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. Regarding heretics in general, the Gentiles may have used this verse, and misunderstood their Apostle (yet again) to burn people alive for heresy, and so committed grave sins themselves in their zeal, knowingly wicked or ignorantly wicked, to please God. It seems to me if one's word of judgment against a heretic does not trigger a divine judgment, then one does not have God's approval to kill a heretic by another means. The 18th century BC law code promulgated by Babylonian king Hammurabi specifies several crimes in which death by burning was thought appropriate. Looters of houses on fire could be cast into the flames, and priestesses who abandoned cloisters and began frequenting inns and taverns could be punished by being burnt alive. Furthermore, a man who began committing incest with his mother after the death of his father could be ordered by courts to be burned alive.[2]
I see capital punishment granted and confirmed throughout the scriptures. Jesus was treated as a capital criminal and heretic, And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. He upheld capital punishment regarding adultery, with So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. I understand this as she deserved death but could only be stoned by those who had not committed adultery themselves, including the sin of lusting after another. Thus the lesson is to exercise judgment and show mercy when appropriate. Woe to him who executes another outside the King's commandments. Oh look, Oscar Pistorius just received a five year sentence for killing his girlfriend
When they preach works based salvation they have departed from scripture and are left to their carnal mind to devise their own plan. Mormons, Muslims, Catholics, and all other cults do not have the true Son of God as their savior. So the answer to that question is that it doesn't.
He did not die, but chastened unto repentance, though it can be reasoned that a sentence of death could be conducive to coming clean.
It occurs to me that when we see the RC's here showing their support for the power of the church to kill heretics, that that includes US.
I know that many of us non-Catholics have been outright called heretics on this forum.
I would hope that when those Catholics who support the killing of heretics do so, they did not realize that that includes those with whom they are engaging in conversation, aka, US, but who knows? Maybe they DO.
And you imagine the fall out if some Baptist came on board and advocated for the power of the Baptist church to use secular authorities to kill Catholics simply for the fact that they are Catholics and *heretics* in regard to God's word?