Does the Bible say anything about euthanasia?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Euthanasia is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering. The Bible teaches that people do not have the authority to take an innocent life and that God often uses suffering for a bigger purpose. Both of these principles make euthanasia anti-biblical. God created a perfect world, but Adam and Eve’s disobedience introduced suffering and death into the world (Genesis 1–3). The Lord often uses hardships and suffering to draw us closer to Him (. God also uses suffering to build up our character and to reach others. Ultimately, we must trust in God’s promise that, in eternity, we will never have to suffer again.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The sixth of the ten commandments forbids murder (Exodus 20:13). Human beings should not put themselves into the position of deliberately taking someone’s life, including their own.
• Hosea 6:1 speaks of Israel’s hardships in order to bring them back to the Lord.
• The psalmist wrote in 119:67: “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.” Suffering, though difficult, oftentimes encourages us to seek out the Lord. Euthanasia seeks to eliminate that opportunity.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Paul noted that suffering can change us for the better, producing endurance, character, and strengthening our hope in Christ. Realizing this, Paul could write, “we rejoice in our sufferings” (Romans 5:3-6).
• God uses all circumstances, including suffering, for ultimate good (Romans 8:28).
• Paul’s words were supported by his experiences: He endured suffering, including imprisonment. But even while in a stone cell, he realized that his suffering had a purpose in God’s plan: "Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory" (2 Timothy 2:10).
• Passages like the Parable of the Rich Fool in Luke 12:20 and the apostle James’ reminder that God is sovereign (James 4:13-15) show that God alone has the authority to give and take life.
• Revelation 21:4 offers all who suffer the promise that, in eternity, “He [God] will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

When people think of suffering in relation to religion, they often picture the ascetic who intentionally inflicts pain on himself—from wearing hair shirts to extreme fasting to self-flagellation. Those exceptions aside, most of humanity tries to avoid suffering. We pop Tylenol at the twinge of a headache and may think of “fasting” as skipping breakfast.

But real, unintentional suffering exists and has since the Fall (Genesis 3). And we definitely don’t relish it. Even so, God uses suffering for our good. The ultimate example of that is God allowing His Son to experience more pain and suffering than we can imagine—all for our salvation (John 3:16).

In The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis wrote, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." Euthanasia attempts to silence that megaphone by subverting God’s authority over life and putting ours in its place.

We’re not omniscient, though, so we don’t know of all the good that may come out of the pain we or others experience. What we do know is that God has promised to work all things for our good and to wipe away our every tear in eternity. So while many in the world see nothing wrong with euthanasia, the Bible teaches us that it is a sin against God, so Christians should not support it.

UNDERSTAND

• Only God has authority over life and death; euthanasia violates this.
• God uses suffering to shape faith and character.
• God promises an eternal future free from pain and death.

REFLECT

• How have your own experiences with suffering shaped your faith or character?
• How do you struggle to trust God’s sovereignty over life and death during difficult times?
• How can you find hope in God’s promise of a future without pain when facing the reality of suffering?

ENGAGE

• How does understanding God’s purpose in suffering influence our response to euthanasia debates today?
• What challenges arise when balancing compassion for those who suffer with the biblical teaching on the sanctity of life?
• How can the church better support believers who are enduring suffering without resorting to euthanasia?