ATONEMENT

WHAT IS THE ATONEMENT?

R.D.ICE

            In the New Testament the blood of Christ is an Old Testament way of speaking of the sacrificial, atoning death of Jesus Christ by which reconciliation between God and His creation was achieved.  Further, the wine at the Last Supper, the night before Jesus' crucifixion, points to the shed blood of Jesus, by which a new covenant was sealed."  [Compact Bible Dictionary]  The new covenant is between God and Christ [Hebrews 10:5,10,12,16-20,38]

            Greek thinking viewed every act of man as having irrevocable consequences.  The deed was done, and to all eternity it could never be undone.  The Christian idea of repentance, forgiveness, and redemption are utterly foreign to this Greek way of thinking about man's future.  Hence the Greek philosophers regarded Christianity as foolish, because it did not fit their understanding of the future.  Compare 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; 2:6-16.

            Even those who have never heard of "Calvinism" have been deeply influenced by it.  Will only a tiny remnant of "elect" be saved???  Is retribution the dominant word???  Does God simply hand us a Bible and say, "Save yourselves - if you can"???

            Christianity affirms that every human being is capable of being redeemed.  The doctrine  of The Resurrection means that the whole of human life - body, soul, spirit [1 Thessalonians 5:23] - is capable of being redeemed because of Jesus Christ.  Christian truth about history affirms both the Cross and the Resurrection.  The Cross is, therefore, not the final word about history.  Resurrection is the final word.  Sin is defeated and death is destroyed!  There is a LIVING HOPE because God All Powerful is at work in His world.  Christianity claims the JESUS "who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption" [1 Corinthians 1:30]

            In Campbell's time, three major theories of atonement were hotly debated.  Campbell, Stone, and Scott each favored a different 'theory.'  John Mark Hicks, H.G.S.R, deals with these in "DISCIPLIANA," Winter, 1996.  Campbell championed the Penal Theory.  Stone championed the Moral Influence Theory stressing God's amazing love.  Scott championed the Governmental Theory.

            There is no formal theory of atonement in the New Testament.  J. F. Bethune-Baker [1906] writes: "Here too it must be noticed that the idea of propitiating God (as one who is angry with a personal feeling against the offender) is foreign to the New Testament.  Propitiation takes place in the matter of sin and of the sinner, altering the character of that which causes alienation from God."  [Hebrews 8:12; John 15:14-17; note Luke 15:20; Matt. 9:36].                     

            Atonement means: PUT RIGHT WITH GOD.  Atonement is an Old Testament word.  In the New Testament it appears only in Romans 5:11 in KJV.  [The KJV NT translates katallassein reconcile/ reconciliation in seven other places].  Under the Law the sacrificial victim died violently.  Atonement for sin and pollution was gained by the death of the victim and the pouring out of blood.  In the New Testament, the "blood of Christ" is an Old Testament way of speaking of the sacrificial and atoning death of Jesus by which peace was brought about between God's Creation and Himself.  [Romans 5:1-5,10-11].   Jesus Christ has made us God's friends!

            It is certain that the apostles understood the whole life of Jesus put into effect this Plan of God for the human race.  The WORD becoming flesh is vital to the whole process of Atonement.  So our knowledge of Jesus and His teachings certainly help us to be redeemed.  Yet His death in itself was one of the instruments by which the whole work of Christ became effective.  The New Testament writers accept this fact and emphasize the results which flow from it.  The work of Christ's putting  us right with God is described in various images and pictures by the sacred writers.

            1. Reconciliation.  When the prodigal son brings himself back, he is reconciled to his father - who runs to meet him!  The father does not need reconciliation.  He has been waiting and hoping for the prodigal to return.  We who were once enemies and aliens are said to be reconciled to God by the death of His Son; and to have won peace  and union with God as the result.  [Romans 5:10-11; 11:15; 2 Cor. 5:18-20].

            2. Redemption.  Man is held in bondage to sin, and has to be purchased or bought with a price out of the slavery in which we are held.  So a ransom has to be paid to secure our freedom for us.  [1 Cor. 6:20; 7:23; Gal. 4:5; Hebrews 9:12,15].

            3. Satisfaction.  Sin is a debt that must be paid.  Death is the wages of sin.  We are debtors to keep the whole law.  We offend in part and are guilty of all.  When Christ is described as being made sin for us, He bore our sins on the tree.  We look to the perfect obedience of His life, death and resurrection.  In Paul's understanding of the Gospel, God set us free when He sent His own Son to be like us sinners and to be a sacrifice for our sin.  God used Christ's body of flesh to condemn sin.  [Romans 6:23; Gal. 5:3; 3:10-14; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24; Hebrews 5:8; 10:9]. 

            4. Sacrifice for sin.  We can see the comparison taught us by the sacrifices of the Law.  Defilement was removed by the offerings of animals of old.  Christ is the Sacrifice: His life and death, pure and free from blemish, as a sacrifice and propitiation which cleanses from sin.  And so propitiation is made.  Thus righteousness is imputed (credited) to the one who believes.  [Phil. 3:9; Hebrews 2:17; 9:19-28; 10:5,10,12,14,26; 1 John 1:7; 2:2; 4:10].

            5. A Covering.  In the Parable of the Wedding Feast, Jesus bring out the idea of the Wedding Garment - a covering which all must have.  This garment is supplied free (grace) and is the identifying factor for every Christian.  We are clothed with the life of Christ (Gal. 3:27).  We let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of us (Romans 13:14)  Compare Psalm 17:8; Isaiah 6:6-7.

            All these must be considered together to understand what Jesus is teaching.  Certainly there are depths that we shall never understand in this world.  Note 1 Cor. 2:13-16.  Perhaps it is enough that we believe Christ, we claim Christ, we act and obey.  We praise God for His great love!!!

 

            PS: Churches of Christ teach that all who die in infancy before the age of accountability are safe.  If "original sin" was ever a true doctrine, we believe it was canceled in the Incarnation.  Jesus truly came as a human being!  [John 1:14; 1 John 4:1-4]

            This being true, what about those babies who were aborted?  If life begins at the moment of conception [unique DNA exists from that moment] every fetus is in fact a child, a unique human being.

            Children who were passed through the fire to Moloch were burned as living sacrifices in the worship of this heathen idol. This is clearly infanticide and likely even those who advocate abortion would be horrified by such human sacrifice. According as we believe, all such who were killed in infancy were saved (safe).  Since also a high percentage of children die before ever reaching accountability, they too were saved (safe).