A history of atonement theories shows that the work of Christ for us is better experienced than explained.  Although it is good to think and try to explain the work of Christ’s life, death and resurection.

There have been at least eight major theories of how Christ’s life, death and resurection are saving for us.  Each has arisen to prominence for a brief or a long time depending upon their power to grip the popular imagination and fit in with the culture of their day.  More of the theories are born more of the culture of their day than they are of biblical thought and revelation.

This is certainly true of the longest lasting and most popular theory which is the most popular one prevalent today in the church.  This is the “Jesus paid for my sins or debt” theory.  It is also known as the substitutionary theory of the atonement.  That is that since Jesus died for my sins to pay my sin debt, he died as my substitute, taking my place and suffering the punishment that I deserve.

The substitutionary theory has existed in the form we know it since the twelfth century.  Some in the early church may have believed in it but it was never popular until Anselm of the twelfth century gave it its present form in his very famous book “Why Did God Become Human?”.

Contrary to modern popular opinion this theory came out of twelfth century Medieval , fuedal culture and not the Bible.  I think it is a horrible theory and when thought about it dishonors God.  It makes of him a bloodthirsty, have his pound of flesh, penny pinching judge.

However, since most people in the church apparently never think about it, God in his grace has allowed it to be used to do a great deal of good for people of sincere faith in spite of its inadequacues. 

It is time for this theory to die out for it promotes great laziness, especially in the affluent American church.  People believing this theory have developed the following theology though they are often unconscious of it.  The say, “Jesus died for me and paid for all my sins.  I believe this and my transaction with God is done.  When I die, I am going to heaven because my debt is paid. I ought to do good works and maybe I will but they are optional.  I will get around to them if I can.  Yes I am saved.  My sins are paid for and that is all that counts.”  This is pure lazy hogwash!

Anselm explained the theory this way, straight out of Medevial fuedal society.  When someone’s honor was injured the damage could only be repaired by honoring the injured person in a way that counterbalnced the harm done.  In fuedal society the one seeking to repair the damage had to be of similar rank and dignity to the injured party or  make an offering so great so as to modify the injured one if he was of a higher rank and dignity.  Honor then was a very hard thing to satisfy in this cultural context.

This  argument then was applied to God and man.  God was so great and sin so offended his honor that lowly, sinful humans did not have a chance of removing the injury to God’s dignity and receiving forgiveness.  God then as the injured party could not forgive man his infinite sin debt for that would not be just of him.  And finite man could never pay the infinite debt.

So God became human in Jesus to pay the debt for humans since only a human could pay the debt humans owed.  As God-man Jesus could sacrifice himself in infinite love and pay the infinite debt.  This payment became known as satisfaction because it satisfied God’s infinite honor. 

This theory, as I have stated, has been used to do many a great deal of good through their faith in Christ and God.  But it sure makes of God a stiff, unyielding fellow and creates stories like the following. 

A little boy came home from Sunday School and when asked about the lesson he reponded, “Well, I love Jesus but I hate God because he killed Jesus in a horrible way!”  The boy was carrying the substitutionary theory out to its logical conclusion.

I know lots of people who forgive others without demanding that they fully pay for the wrong they have done first.  I suggest that God is infinitely more loving than us and that he forgives even more freely.

This substitutionary theory centers on the Death of Christ.  All that matters for it is the adequate payment of our sin debt.  It neglects the life and resurection of Christ.  Consequently, when it is preached it tends to neglect emphasizing the importance of a transformed life and resurection or newness of life.  Just listen to your average evangelical evangelist.

In our next essay we shall consider the oldest and most biblical of atonement theories.  It is called “Jesus as Head of a new Humanity.”   

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 13th, 2008 at 7:52 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.