Gospel Prism

Just a bit more on suicide from a biblical perspective…

1.

I read a text like 2 Tim 4:6-7:

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Paul was writing this from prison, most likely his last letter before he was executed. He could have killed himself and not let the Romans get to him. But instead, he finished the race. I don’t think a person who commits suicide (besides the fact that they physically can’t) could ever say these verses. How can a person who ends their own life say that they have FOUGHT the good fight, that they have FINISHED, that they KEPT the faith. These are words that end their life, as Paul’s life is ending here, wholly committed to trust in Him even as the last act of his life.

2.

Also, you were saying, “How can suicide (self-murder) be a sin that God looks at as a sin above other sins? What about being murdered by shoplifting?” Another angle, if I may. I go back to the three examples (I found out there are there are a few more in the Bible who committed suicide: Zimri (Killed by setting himself on fire (1 King 16:15-20))), I find that their lives at one time exhibited some faith. Ahithophel was David’s trusted counselor and so I’m sure at one time was a worshipper of God. Saul was God’s anointed. He prophesied with prophets. The zeal of the Lord was once upon Him. And Judas was one who was personally called by Jesus. He left everything to follow Jesus. And so these men exhibited some expressions of faith. But at the same time, these expressions of faith, throughout their lives were co-mingled with their sinful nature. So much so that their faith was never genuine. Instead, they fall much in line with Hebrews 6:4-6:

For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

Ultimately, for these three men, suicide was the FINAL expression of their unbelief. In other words, their sinful nature was exhibited in their hearts throughout their lives, even though they once were enlightened and tasted the heavenly gift. It’s not that suicide was a sin above other sins, but rather it was their final sin that expressed what was always in their heart. To everyone, they could have looked like they had faith. But their failing to finish the race to the end is a final indicator that their faith was never genuine to begin with.

3.

These are the people who contemplated suicide:

Philippian jailer (Acts 16:27) - He tried to kill himself when the prisoners were freed. But he was stopped by Paul and God used him to begin the church in Philippi with Lydia.

Moses (Numbers 11:11-15) - He continually asked God to kill him because the burden of leading His people were too great.

Elijah (1 Kings 19:4) - his depression was so great that he wanted to die.

Job (Job 3:1-26) - His affliction was so great he wanted to die.

Jonah (Jonah 4:8) - He was so angry at the tree being destroyed and God not punishing the Ninevites that he wanted to die.

Notice though that none of these men did die. God would not allow it. And they were still used mightily by Him. For Elijah, God used that brokenness to reveal Himself to Elijah. If he had taken his life, there would have been no revelation (theophany) and no Elisha and the prophetic mission to the North would have ceased. Another dreadful part of suicide is that it ends God’s desire to use people for Himself. In this way it neglects His glory.