The Atonement Theory

THE ATONEMENT THEORY

5-18-2016

The website named “The Religious Vortex” (https://thereligiousvortex.com) recently had a post entitled The Atonement Theory which attracted my attention.  Not because I was concerned but due to the idea there were and are several different theories and concepts of the atonement which have been promulgated throughout the church age.

I have never given much thought to the atonement concept.  After my initial comment on the website, I mulled the idea and come up with the following whether right or wrong I don’t know.

The author lists six of the apparently well-known historical versions of the atonement theory which are listed below.

• The Ransom Theory: God deceitfully pays off Satan with a bribe.                       
• Introduced by Origen in the third century CE.
• The earliest of all, originating with the Early Church Fathers, this theory claims that Christ offered himself as a ransom to Satan, not God.
• The Satisfaction Theory: Jesus appeases God by being a ritual human sacrifice.   
• Introduced by Anselem, in the late 11th century CE in his book, Cur Deus Homo (lit. ‘Why the God Man’).
• Jesus Christ suffered the Crucifixion as a substitute for human sin, satisfying God due to Christ’s infinite merit.
• The Moral Theory: Jesus’ death is an example for the rest of humanity to emulate.
• Introduced by Abelard in the 12th century CE.
• Christ’s death was to influence mankind toward moral improvement. This theory denies that Christ died to satisfy any principle of divine justice.
• Teaches instead that His death was designed to greatly impress mankind with a sense of God’s love, resulting in softening their hearts and leading them to repentance.
• The Acceptance Theory: Atonement comes from the arbitrary choice of God   
• Introduced by Scotus circa 1300 CE and William of Occam (Occam’s Razor).
• God could have decided of his own free will to save humanity through the work, and perhaps the death, of an angel, of Adam, of any other human being, or even an animal. But he decided, for his own reasons, to achieve atonement through the torture-death of Jesus
• The Penal (a.k.a. Penal-Substitution) Theory: God’s mercy replaces his wrath after the infinite sacrifice of Jesus
• Introduced by Reformation theologians like John Calvin circa 1520 CE.
• Christ died on the cross as a substitute for sinners. God imputed the guilt of our sins to Christ, and he, in our place, bore the punishment that we deserve.
• This was a full payment for sins, which satisfied both the wrath and the righteousness of God, so that He could forgive sinners without compromising His own holy standard.
• Christus Victor Theory: Jesus voluntarily allowed himself to be executed.
• Introduced by Gustaf Emanuel Hildebrand Aulén in 1930 in his book Christus Victor.
• The atonement is viewed as divine conflict and victory over the hostile powers that hold humanity in subjection – a rescue or liberation of humanity from the slavery of sin.
• It is a drama, a passion story of God triumphing over the powers and liberating humanity from the bondage of sin. As Gustav Aulén writes, “the work of Christ is first and foremost a victory over the powers which hold mankind in bondage: sin, death, and the devil.”

From the Word Study Hebrew & Greek Dictionary

katallagḗ; gen. katallagḗs, fem. noun from katallássō (G2644), to reconcile. Reconciliation, restoration, exchange. A change or reconciliation from a state of enmity between persons to one of friendship. Between God and man it is the result of the apolútrōsis (G629), redemption, the divine act of salvation, the ceasing of God's wrath. In the NT, it means reconciliation, i.e., restoration to divine favor by bringing about a change in man, conversion (Rom_5:11; Rom_11:15), the means or occasion of reconciling the world to God.

Syn.: apokatástasis (G605), restoration.

From an online English dictionary

atonement[ uh-tohn-muhnt]

noun

1.  satisfaction or reparation for a wrong or injury; amends.

2.  the doctrine concerning the reconciliation of God and humankind, especially as accomplished through the life, suffering, and death of Christ.

3.  the experience of humankind's unity with God exemplified by Jesus Christ.

4.  reconciliation; agreement.

synonyms

payment, penance, recompense, redemption, redress, reparation, restitution, satisfaction

From various word studies and dictionaries I have come to the conclusion that atonement essentially defines as:  to restore or to reconcile.  I disagree with the idea of a ransom.

The Word Study Dictionary contains the following definition:  A change or reconciliation from a state of enmity between persons to one of friendship. Between God and man it is the result of the apolútrōsis (G629), redemption, the divine act of salvation, the ceasing of God's wrath. In the NT, it means reconciliation, i.e., restoration to divine favor by bringing about a change in man, conversion. 

It appears obvious to me that the death and resurrection of Jesus was the plan of God from the very beginning of creation.  The blood of the Passover lamb smeared on the doorways of the Hebrew’s houses in Egypt was a sign the death of the first born would be passed over.  Later with the laws of God given to Moses, the sacrificial system required the death of a lamb (or another animal) for the forgiveness of the corporate and individual sins of the people.  This, of course, was a sign, or symbolism, or a form of typology of the death and shed blood of the Lamb of God or Jesus.

Eve was tricked (or duped) to sin against God and Adam willfully followed the action of his helper, Eve, by imitating her act which was contrary to the will of God.  Their punishment consisted of eventually death from natural causes.  As a result, the entire world being a descendant of the original two people also die from natural causes.  In my opinion, even though all die, all will eventually live. 

The overcomers will either not die if they are alive at the return of Jesus Christ and the dead overcomers will be resurrected to life at that time.  The remainder of the dead will be resurrected at the White Throne Judgment.  Some of the resurrected will be given a few stripes and others given many stripes.  Some will be given a short sentence of servitude and others with a much longer servitude sentence according to the laws of God.

Luke 12:47-48 KJV  And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.  (48)  But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

All people born of a human woman must die and all will be resurrected (in my opinion).  Jesus was born of a human woman, although sired by the Holy Spirit, and He was also required to die, although He was without sin.  His resurrection, occurring three days after death, gave evidence to the believers (and the world) that although death is required of every person, a resurrection to eternal life is also guaranteed to every person (although many disagree with this particular theology).

It could be said that certain Biblical passages are misunderstood by theologians and Bible teachers and people.  Isaiah 53:5 (and other passages) appear to indicate that it was the cumulative sins of the earth’s historical population that required the death of Jesus.  The death of Jesus could be the act of God presenting the ultimate sacrifice, of Himself as a man, for the forgiveness of sins.  It a certain way, I suppose it was a requirement of God but not in a sense that the debt was paid in full for evermore with no human response needed, and people are now free to go their own way and do as they please.  There is a requirement of action and faith.

Isaiah 53:5 KJV  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Many claim they believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died and was resurrected.  But do they truly believe that?  Do they attempt to live like Jesus and follow His examples?  Do they have the heart and mind of a Christian or just occasionally go to Church and claim to be a Christian?  John the Baptist said, “the Kingdom of Heaven (or God) is at hand”.  Jesus later said, “Follow Me, for the Kingdom of Heaven (or God) is at hand”.

The death of Jesus, as the Lamb of God, was necessary for the forgiveness of sins by God to the human beings in a similar but ultimate manner as the sacrificial system given by God to the Israelite people through Moses.  By having faith that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and by living one’s life in a manner of the Son of God a person must submit to being a servant of the Kingdom of God with Jesus as the King of the Kingdom and their sins will be forgiven by God.

This allows us to be restored or reconciled to God the creator and be eligible for eternal life at the return of Jesus or it may require restoration with stripes (a few or many) or servitude and teaching through an overcomer (Saint of the Most High) who will be an agent of Jesus the King.  It is my opinion the Lake of Fire and the Fire of God is simply judgment and not eternal suffering in a fiery hell.

Atonement: Is It Payment of Debt or Substitution

ATONEMENT: IS IT PAYMENT OF DEBT OR SUBSTITUTION

The Gospel of Salvation: Part 3

It is toward the end of the Church service.  The piano and organ are playing while the choir and some of the congregation are singing “Just As I Am”.  The preacher or pastor proclaims, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and give your heart to Him.  Come down to the altar and profess your faith in Jesus”.

Is salvation really that simple?  Exactly what is the criteria for believing in Jesus?  Exactly what part of Jesus is someone supposed to profess their faith in?  Difficult questions with generally simple answers offered by some pastors and denominations.  As noted in Part 1, the primary message of Jesus’ teachings was (and is) “repent and follow me” (into the Kingdom of God or Heaven) because “the Kingdom of God is at hand”.

The majority of the teachings, including the parables, of Jesus involved gaining entry or becoming a subject of the Kingdom of God (or Heaven in the Gospel of Matthew).  The teachings of Jesus are very important because they inform us of the protocol for following Him.  However, first, we must repent of our sins (transgressions or disobedience to the laws of God) and then attempt not to repeat them.

Jesus’ first two commands (proclaimed throughout the Gospels) clearly articulate the early church view of the Gospel; that is, repent and follow me! The Gospel according to Jesus is turn from your sins and follow Him. Turn from the world, the kingdom of darkness, sin, selfishness, hatred, and submit to the lordship of Christ, the Kingdom of God, righteousness, holiness, obedience, and love. This is the true Gospel.  Marc Carrier:  The Gospel According to Jesus

The Atonement of God through Jesus

The suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus is extremely important but it is not the only aspect of His life that believers should be concerned with.  As noted in Part 1 sin and disobedience was brought into the world of humankind by the deception of Adam and Eve through the wiles of the Nachash.  The first couple lost their possibly glorified bodies and became typical humans such as all their descendants since that incident.  They were removed from the Edenic garden and placed on real-time earth to make ends meet at the best of their abilities.  They were now under the unwritten but understood “law of sin and death”.  The death of something innocent was required to expiate their sins.  A sheep was first killed as a means to clothe them and they were later apparently taught a type of sacrificial system.  Noah and his family were familiar with the sacrificial system.  Later, Moses and the Israelites (Hebrews) were given a more complete sacrifice and offering structure.  However, the animal sacrifices were all temporary expiations of sin.  Repentance, trusting God, and following the laws of God generally referred to as “faith in God” were required to become a “child of God”.

The Nachash (or Satan, devil, deceiver, accuser, or whatever his actual name happens to be) became the “god of this world” and everyone is his subject and under his authority.  God began to construct His own nation through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob’s 12 sons who were to be an example to the world of the worship of the one, true, God.  Although it did not proceed as might be expected, the world obtained the written instruction of God (the Bible), and the birth, life, death, and resurrection of the Son of God.  Those placing their faith and trust in the one true God were shown mercy from God until the New Covenant pronounced by Jesus Christ.

Jesus, the Son of God, was the innocent Lamb of God, sacrificed for the remission of sins for all people.  Salvation is not as simple as believing that fact – one must repent and follow Jesus: His life and His commandments.

But we see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by God's grace He would experience death on behalf of everyone……to make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. ……Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise shared in their humanity, so that through death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil), and set free those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death…….. so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people.  (Hebrews 2:9-17 NET)

DEFINITION OF ATONEMENT:  Amends or reparation made for an injury or wrong; expiation.  The reconciliation of God and humans brought about by the redemptive life and death of Jesus Christ.

Because of disobedience to the laws of God the Creator, all people with the knowledge of good and evil and thus considered law breakers are to die as told to Adam and Eve.  Yes, we will all die a physical death until the return of Jesus but the spirit of a person, given by God, continues to live in the abyss, in some type of sleep state.  Through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, an atonement was given to us.  He was the ultimate sacrificial Lamb; the spilled blood for the remission of sins; a ransom to God the Father for the sin and death of all.  Those in bondage (to Satan) now have their freedom purchased, if they are willing to follow the King of the Kingdom.

Through selective scripture choosing, it is possible to make the atonement through Jesus a simple thing with no side effects.  Just believe that Jesus died for your sins and continue with business as usual.  Some teach and preach a doctrine related to the Anselm (a Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury, around 1100 AD) “satisfaction” model wherein the crucifixion sacrifice was a once and for all debt payment to God and everything is finished – just believe Christ died as your debt payment to God and anything else appears to be optional (although optional is not necessarily taught just thought).

God did not simply send Jesus to suffer and die so as to satisfy His own justice. Christ was not merely a substitute for our own just punishment for errant behavior, and He did not simply come to earth to take away the penalty of our sin. If this were true, why then did Jesus teach at all? Why did He show us how to live if the atonement was simply a legal transaction?  Marc Carrier:  The Gospel According to Jesus

Since he had committed no sin and had been 100% obedient to the will of God, he was not under the death sentence as the rest of humanity. His death was not required for justice, it was a substitution or a sacrifice for our sin nature.  His blood was not a debt payment but actually cleanses us from sin:  frees us from the law of sin and death; a ransom.

But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.  (1 John 1:7 NET)

The King and His Slaves

"For this reason, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. As he began settling his accounts, a man who owed ten thousand talents was brought to him. Because he was not able to repay it, the lord ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, children, and whatever he possessed, and repayment to be made. Then the slave threw himself to the ground before him, saying, 'Be patient with me, and I will repay you everything.' The lord had compassion on that slave and released him, and forgave him the debt. After he went out, that same slave found one of his fellow slaves who owed him one hundred silver coins. So he grabbed him by the throat and started to choke him, saying, 'Pay back what you owe me!' Then his fellow slave threw himself down and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will repay you.' But he refused. Instead, he went out and threw him in prison until he repaid the debt. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were very upset and went and told their lord everything that had taken place. Then his lord called the first slave and said to him, 'Evil slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me! Should you not have shown mercy to your fellow slave, just as I showed it to you?' And in anger his lord turned him over to the prison guards to torture him until he repaid all he owed. So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive your brother from your heart."   (Matthew 18:23-35 NET)

The Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a King (or God) desiring to settle accounts with His slaves (or subjects).  One is brought before Him with many trespasses but he throws himself to the ground and repents of his sins and promises to follow the King and not repeat his trespasses.  The King had compassion on the slave and forgives him of his debt.  The slave, however, does not keep his word, and has a fellow slave thrown into prison for debts owed.  The King then retracts His compassion and demands the slave repay his debt.

False repentance and a lack of forgiveness does not include one in the Kingdom of God.  The acts and decrees of the King must be followed with repentance at each misstep. 

Closing Statements

The death of Jesus Christ has had many interpretations and doctrines declared through the ages.  These various shades of understanding are most likely the product of the expositor’s desires and expectations.  Jesus is scripturally called the “Lamb of God”, therefore it was a sacrifice for sin.  Since Jesus did not sin, it must have been a substitute for His followers.  It is my opinion His sacrifice ended the sacrificial system for all time.  It is believed the Judeans will rebuild a temple (possibly in the near future) and restart the daily sacrifices but it will not be recognized or honored by God.  The death and resurrection of Jesus also demonstrated that all the spirits of the dead will be resurrected at the return of Christ (and afterward) some for eternal life and others for eternal death in the lake of fire.

During the three days that Jesus was in the tomb, some expositors have speculated that he went to the abyss (bottomless pit) in the section designated as Abraham’s bosom and preached the Kingdom of God (or Heaven) to the spirits that have been residing there since the time of Adam and Eve.  The truth of that is unknown, but it is a thoughtful assessment.