When Speech Is Met with Murder
Charlie Kirk has been murdered because of his speech. However one judged his words, this act must be named for what it is. When speech is responded to with blood, it is terrorism. The aim was silence, not just of him but of others who share the same message. The intent was to plant fear. Such murder is rebellion against the God who gave both life and truth.
And there is something especially revealing here. Kirk was known for debate, for conversation, for saying, “let’s talk about it.” By killing such a man, the terrorists showed their hand. They were not rejecting his arguments. They were rejecting the very possibility of conversation. This was an act of desperation. When words are met with murder, terror has declared it has no defense except the sword.
The Word of God Speaks
God’s Word does not leave such crimes undefined. “For rulers are not a terror to good work, but to evil… for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword in vain” (Romans 13:3–4, LSB). The state exists to punish evil.
“Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man”(Genesis 9:6, LSB). Murder is not simply against man; it is an assault on God’s image.
Paul warns that approving such crimes is itself wickedness: “Although they know the righteous requirement of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them” (Romans 1:32, LSB).
And Christ Himself warned, “If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well” (John 15:20, LSB). The killing of a Christian for his speech is no surprise in a world that hates Christ. Yet Acts tells us that persecution does not stop the gospel. “Therefore, those who had been scattered went about proclaiming the good news of the word” (Acts 8:4, LSB).
Defining Terror Biblically
Violence aimed to silence the righteous is terror. Murder for speech isn’t just political rebellion. What we are seeing is spiritual war against God’s order. The purpose is fear, but the fruit is condemnation. This kind of terror is the coward’s weapon against the truth.
The Guilt of Complicity
Evil does not end with the one who pulls the trigger. Those who celebrate or approve of the death of a Christian because of his words share the guilt. To advocate or applaud this act is treason against God’s justice. It is to stand with Cain against Abel, with the mob that stoned Stephen, with the persecutors who scattered the church. Such complicity is not neutral. This is sin that cries out for judgment. The guilty must face justice. The guilty will face justice
The Magistrate’s Duty
God gave the sword to rulers to punish crimes like this. When murder is committed to silence the truth, the magistrate must act swiftly and decisively. Calvin wrote, “For if the Lord has appointed them guardians of righteousness and defenders of innocence, they are obligated to give their diligence that God may be honored, that pure religion may flourish, that honesty may be maintained, and that innocence may be safeguarded.”
If rulers fail to punish evil, they invert their calling. They become a terror to the righteous instead of to the wicked. To allow terror to go unanswered is itself an act of injustice.
Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil. (Ecclesiastes 8:11, LSB)
A Word to the Church
Christians must name this evil clearly. Pray for justice. Pray for the comfort of the grieving. But do not be afraid. The blood of the martyrs has always advanced the kingdom. Luther once said, “The blood of the Christians is the seed of the church.” What men mean for terror, God turns to triumph.
Our hope is not in the calm of this age but in the reign of Christ. He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and all authority belongs to Him. Murder cannot silence His Word.
Stand Firm
Church of Christ, do not retreat. Do not let fear make you silent. The world hated Christ, and it will hate those who follow Him. But Christ reigns. His kingdom cannot be shaken.
Terror cannot silence the Word of God. It only proves again what Scripture has promised: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it” (John 1:5).
