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Recently I was struggling with trying to piece together all the main points of the atonement, so I decided to write up a short explanation for myself of what the atonement is all about. It is meant to be a summary and not an in-depth treatise. I am posting it below for feedback and discussion.

Just a quick note on my methodology. I often find it more helpful to restate things in my own words rather than quoting Scripture. Being a Bible translator has taught me that often I don't have a good understanding of the real meaning of many Scriptural words, and it is only when I try to restate them in my own words that I get a fuller grasp of their meaning. For that reason, I do not quote Scripture in my write up. At the same time, I believe that my write up is fully based on Scripture.

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There are three consequences of our sin: (1) we become indebted to God (2) we become stained by sin and (3) we become imprisoned to sin, death, and Satan.

The debt that we owe to God is greater than we could ever repay. But God in his love, mercy, and grace, freely forgives the debt that we owe him, when we turn for our sins and trust in Jesus. Although God freely forgives the debt of our past sins, we still have the problem of the stain of our sin. The stain of our sin prevents us from coming into the presence of a Holy God. We are unable to cleanse ourselves from the stain of sin. But the blood of Jesus is able to cleanse us from the stain of our sin. Thus it was necessary for Jesus to shed his blood on our behalf, thereby cleansing us from our sins. Even though God forgives the debt of our sins and Jesus's blood cleanses us from the stain of sin, we still have the problem of our imprisonment to sin, death, and Satan. Yet, Jesus, by his death, gave himself as a ransom to procure our release. And by his resurrection, he demonstrated his victory over sin, death, and Satan. Thus he freed us from our captivity and transferred us into the Kingdom of God. But Jesus came not only to shed his blood to cleanse us from sin, and to rise from the dead to overcome the power of sin, death, and Satan, he also came to teach us how to live our lives in full obedience to God. While our entrance into the Kingdom of God is conditioned upon our repentance from sin and faith in Christ, our remaining in God’s Kingdom is conditioned upon loving and faithful obedience to our king, Jesus. Those who have been transferred into God’s Kingdom and then willfully and unrepentantly disregard the words of Christ will be removed from God's Kingdom, while those who walk in faithful obedience will remain in God’s Kingdom for eternity. Those who find themselves outside of God’s Kingdom on judgment day will be subject to God’s wrath, as he permanently removes sin, death, Satan, and all causes of evil from His Kingdom. Thus, by transferring us to God's Kingdom and teaching us the path of obedience to remain in God's Kingdom, Jesus also, in effect, saves us from God's wrath.

Blast from the past - 4 1/2 years ago, and never answered. Miss having Adam here.

My main thought about the atonement is that all of the different standard theories all talk about how it works, and rarely mention WHY God did it.

Reconciliation. He wants to restore us, bring us back into his family, with a close relationship to him, and to each other (with lots of "one anothering"). That is true religion.

2017!
Love this, Neto. Thanks. It seriously got overlooked, didn’t it!

After pandemic delays in the U.S., Adam+family are back in New Guinea, right?

temporal1 wrote: ↑Tue May 24, 2022 9:21 pm After pandemic delays in the U.S., Adam+family are back in New Guinea, right?

Correct.

Neto wrote: ↑Tue May 24, 2022 8:51 pmWHY God did it.
Reconciliation. He wants to restore us, bring us back into his family, with a close relationship to him, and to each other (with lots of "one anothering"). That is true religion.

Just curious Neto, Does everyone agree on why God did it?
Perhaps there are multiple reasons?

Ernie wrote: ↑Tue May 24, 2022 9:48 pm

Neto wrote: ↑Tue May 24, 2022 8:51 pmWHY God did it.
Reconciliation. He wants to restore us, bring us back into his family, with a close relationship to him, and to each other (with lots of "one anothering"). That is true religion.

Just curious Neto, Does everyone agree on why God did it?
Perhaps there are multiple reasons?

I have a copy of a chart that a friend gave me, from his theology course in a Bible college someplace, and as I recall, at least several of the 8 or so theories mention it, somewhat in passing, as they focus on the mechanics of the atonement. I would have to find it again to be sure. (I'm almost certain I had typed it all out for myself, but I did searches on the drives in this computer, and it doesn't come up. Maybe it's on another computer here.)
Jesus also gives another peek into the heart of the Father in several passages where he either says or implies that this "brings glory to the Father". I would be interested in hearing what you see (or anyone else sees) in Scripture as the motivation God has for providing this saving grace for his loved, but totally fallen creation.

I looked on my other computer here in my office and found the spreadsheet I had made from the xerox of the chart I was given. (I do not have this book, so all I have access to is this summary chart.)

SOURCE: H. Wayne House - Charts of Christian Theology and Doctrine, 1992: pg 104-105 - VIEWS OF THE ATONEMENT

I tried to copy the whole chart into here, but that isn't possible.

Categories for each row in the chart:
Definition, Proponents, Scriptural Support, Object, Man's Spiritual Condition, Meaning of Christ's Death, Value to Man.

The different views present in this chart: (These titles run across the top, in the first row of the spreadsheet.)
"Ransom to Satan Theory",
"Recapitulation Theory",
"Dramatic Theory",
"Mystical Theory",
"Example Theory", "Moral Influence Theory",
"Commercial/(Satisfaction) Theory",
"Governmental Theory",
"Penal Substitution Theory"

Only two of these eight views use any form of the word 'reconcile' in any part of the respective column.

Dramatic Theory - Value to Man: God's reconciliation of the world out of its bondage to evil.

Penal Substitution Theory – Definition: Christ's death was a vicarious (substitutionary) sacrifice that satisfied the demand's of God's justice upon sin, paying the penalty for man's sin, bringing forgiveness, imputing righteousness, and reconciling man to God.

Neto wrote: ↑Wed May 25, 2022 6:40 amI would be interested in hearing what you see (or anyone else sees) in Scripture as the motivation God has for providing this saving grace for his loved, but totally fallen creation.

In addition to reconciliation,

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essa ... us-victor/

the atonement also emphasizes the triumph of Christ over the evil powers of the world, through which he rescues his people and establishes a new relationship between God and the world.

The latter part of this quote talks about the reconciliation.

I suggest that the first part of the quote alludes to the victory that Christians can have over sin because Satan's power over them has been broken, and through the atonement Christians are given the indwelling Spirit of Christ that gives them power over sin, if they are willing to crucify themselves. (Jesus did not need to crucify himself because he was sinless.)

Ernie wrote: ↑Wed May 25, 2022 9:06 pm

Neto wrote: ↑Wed May 25, 2022 6:40 amI would be interested in hearing what you see (or anyone else sees) in Scripture as the motivation God has for providing this saving grace for his loved, but totally fallen creation.

In addition to reconciliation,

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essa ... us-victor/

the atonement also emphasizes the triumph of Christ over the evil powers of the world, through which he rescues his people and establishes a new relationship between God and the world.

The latter part of this quote talks about the reconciliation.

I suggest that the first part of the quote alludes to the victory that Christians can have over sin because Satan's power over them has been broken, and through the atonement Christians are given the indwelling Spirit of Christ that gives them power over sin, if they are willing to crucify themselves. (Jesus did not need to crucify himself because he was sinless.)

I think I understand you to be saying that the atonement also shows that God wants to give the power for victory over sin and the Satan.

But I'm rather puzzled what the author intends to say with the part about "a new relationship between God and the world". How do they define 'world" in this context? (Specifically, in Scripture sometimes it means the evil human system, other times, simply lost souls.) First it says "his people", then it says "the world". I would say that the relationship is with 'his people', so I'm not sure what the rest means. "Reconciliation" (to me) is restoring a relationship. Then that restored relationship provides the power to overcome sin. I do not mean to imply that I think reconciliation sums up ALL of what God's purpose is for the atonement. My main 'push-back' in response to these theories of the atonement is that they try to figure out HOW God did it, rather than glorying in WHAT he did.

I wasn't able to put all of the info in the chart up here, especially in the format as I was given it, clearly showing each contrasting view. What strikes me is that they all contain basic Scriptural truth. So I don't understand why people want to pick their favorite, and defend it against the others. The fancy names, etc. I think that a properly done topical study would include most of what each of these "warring factions" presents.

Neto wrote: ↑Wed May 25, 2022 9:26 pm I wasn't able to put all of the info in the chart up here, especially in the format as I was given it, clearly showing each contrasting view. What strikes me is that they all contain basic Scriptural truth. So I don't understand why people want to pick their favorite, and defend it against the others.

Here's my view of The Blind Men and the Atonement: