Dave Dorsey wrote: | I've seen you post a couple of times about not affirming penal substitutionary atonement. I was curious if you could expound some on your view of the nature and function of the atonement. Was also curious if you could recommend a book that expressed those views further. |
Thanks for asking, Dave. I’d be happy to help in any way I can to answer questions about this. It is actually one of my favorite subjects. (Wednesdays are actually my busiest day of the week, so I may not be able to respond further until late tonight or tomorrow, but again, I am happy to try to answer any questions that may arise as time permits).
I find scriptural support for many of the different models of atonement, except for the penal substitution (PS) view. Essentially, for me it comes down to the questions, “What is the penalty for sin?â€, “What is forgiveness of debt vs payment of debt,†“What does the Bible itself say that Jesus ‘paid’?â€, and, “What is the meaning of the scriptural term, ‘atonement’?†aka, “What is the atonement about? What is the big picture of redemption?â€
As far as the major historic atonement models that I have personally found most persuasive scripturally and logically, I would say that some form of the Christus Victor (CV) model, in which Christ’s victory over sin, death, and Satan effects deliverance for the believer, seems to have the most clear scriptural support of all. That said, as is true with any metaphor, if pressed too far into a literalistic meaning, such as the idea that God literally made a deal with the Devil and paid him off, the concept becomes an absurdity. The point of the terms, “redemption,†“ransom,†“deliver,†etc., is that Christ’s death, burial and resurrection (the gospel), effects freedom from the dominion of sin and Satan for all who believe, they being delivered thereby from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His beloved Son, as Col 1:13 says for example.
I also find the governmental view to have very good explanatory power especially with regard to the issues of God’s pardon/forgiveness, the Law, and how God can be both just and the justifier of the believer, as Rom. 3:21-31 speaks concerning.
One aspect of the atonement of Christ which I find to be included in the previous two views I mentioned, but which merits far more emphasis than it seems to have nowadays, is the cleansing or expiatory aspect. It is not as if God just wanted a legal or financial solution to the problem of our sins. He desired a truly holy, sanctified people, and the only means of that sanctification/cleansing is by the truth, the blood and the Spirit (saving work) of Jesus Christ.
On the CV view, Aulen’s _Christus Victor_ is essential reading. On the Governmental view, Barnes is excellent: https://www.gospeltruth.net/Barnes_atonement/barnesindex.htm as is Miley: https://www.gospeltruth.net/miley/mileyatonementindex.htm
For the cleansing aspect, and for an excellent, relatively brief critique of the penal sub and Anselmian views, Waldenstrom would be the first recommendation I would make: http://www.revivaltheology.net/8_mgt/reconcil.html |
[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12784 2/14/18 11:33 am
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