2C The atonement

Question 1

What is the atonement?

Answer 1

• The process by which men and women are reconciled with God through the death of Jesus on the cross

Question 2

Why is reconciliation necessary?

Answer 2

∵ all people have sinned due to the Fall

Question 3

The word atonement is coined from, ‘at one’, but by whom?

Answer 3

• William Tyndale (16th C), one of the first translators of the Bible into English

Question 4

What does expiation mean?

Answer 4

• Removing guilt by paying a penalty

Question 5

What does propitiation mean?

Answer 5

• Turning away from wrath by making an offering

Question 6

In the Old Testament, sacrifice was a common practice used for what?

Answer 6

• Restoring a broken relationship between ppl and G

Question 7

Give an Old Testament example of sacrifice.

Answer 7

• Exodus 12:24-7 commands Jews to slaughter and eat a lamb on the first night of Passover to remember their deliverance from Egypt

Question 8

Give a New Testament example of sacrifice from one of the four Gospels.

Answer 8

• John 1:29: Jesus is “the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”
• This would have been familiar to his listeners ∵ of the OT

Question 9

What is the most extensive NT treatment of J’s death as a sacrifice?

Answer 9

• Epistle to the Hebrews

* Human sin = taken away “once and for all” ∴ complete expiation

Question 10

What did early C.tian theo.s believe regarding the sacrificial model?

Answer 10

• Humans had nothing of sufficient value to sacrifice to G for their sins ∵ G provided the sacrifice for them
• Augustine: “He offered himself”

Question 11

What are the objections to the sacrifice model?

Answer 11

• No loving God would offer his only son as a sacrifice in order to satisfy his own sense of justice
• It makes God an angry tyrant who musy be appeased before he forgives

Question 12

What is the ransom model?

Answer 12

• A variant of the sacrificial model

Question 13

Give a NT example of ransom from one of the four gospels.

Answer 13

• Matthew 20:28: “the Son of Man came…to give his life a ransom for many”

Question 14

Give a NT example of ransom from Timothy.

Answer 14

• 1 Timothy 2:5-6: “Jesus…gave himself a ransom for all”

Question 15

It is not clear to whom the ransom was paid. What does Origen believe?

Answer 15

• The ransom payment was to Satan, to free humankind whom Satan had enslaved following A+E’s sin
• Satan was unaware that J=G ∴ he was decieved and suffered final defeat when J was res.

Question 16

Why do people object to Origen’s view of ransom?

Answer 16

• It gives Satan more power than he has

* It makes G a debtor and a deceiver

Question 17

Who repopularised the ransom model? What was his book called? What year was the book published?

Answer 17

• Aulén
• ‘Christus Victor’
• 1931

Question 18

What did Aulén argue?

Answer 18

• Humans had, like Origen argued, been bound by the hostile powers of death and the devil
• The ransom model ≠ a theological hypothesis, but a passion story about G liberating his ppl from the “bondage of death, sin, and the devil”
• Humans = liberated from the slavery of sin ∵ J enters human misery and redeems it

Question 19

What is Irenaeus’ recapitulation model?

Answer 19

• A modifided ransom model
• Argued that G ≠ debtor to Satan; humans, having fallen prey to Satan’s seduction in Fall, were debtors to G
• The debt = cancelled when J “waged war” against the devil
• Favoured view of the Eastern Othodox church

Question 20

Who proposed the satisfaction model? What was his book called? What year was the book published?

Answer 20

• Anselm
• ‘Cur Deus Homo’
• 1097

Question 21

What is argued in the satisfaction model?

Answer 21

• In this context, satisfaction does not mean ‘pleasure’ - it means ‘propitiation’
• Human sin had so offended G’s honour that he could only be satisfied by the death of the G-man, J
• The debt to G = greater than humans could pay ∴ paid it himself
• J = under no obligation to die, but his death brought ∞ honour to G + gained J a supererogation of merit

Question 22

Why is the satisfaction model criticised?

Answer 22

• Based too much on the feudal system of Anselm’s day, as the concept of honour was central + G = seen as an overlord to whom people owe debts
∴ too dependent on an unbiblical model

Question 23

Why was the penal substitution model developed?

Answer 23

• 16th C. Protestant reformers believed Anselm’s model to be inadequate as it was too focused on G’s honour, and not his justice

Question 24

What does the penal substitution model argue?

Answer 24

• Jesus set humans free from being punished for their sins by taking the punishment on himself ∴ satisfying G’s justice

Question 25

What is the OT supporting evidence used by proponents of the penal substitution model?

Answer 25

• Isiah, Suffering Servant Songs: “the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all”

Question 26

What is the NT supporting evidence used by proponents of the penal substitution model?

Answer 26

• Paul’s Epistles, e.g. Galatians 3:13: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.”

Question 27

Why is the penal substitution model criticised?

Answer 27

• Based more on a criminal justice system than biblical revelation
• No criminal justice system would justify punishing the innocent
• Separates the Father from the Son ∵ the S saves us from the F
• Incompatible with any proper C.tian understanding of the nature of G

Question 28

What is the moral example model very similar to?

Answer 28

• The moral influence model

Question 29

What does the moral example model propose?

Answer 29

• J died to show humans the depth of G’s love for them, not to appease G
• Purpose = lead ppl to repentance and personal moral effort
• The atonement is not aimed at appeasement of G’s honour or justice, but at the moral improvement of humankind

Question 30

Why is the moral example model criticised?

Answer 30

• Does not explain the crucifixion. J did not have to die to provide ppl w/ a moral example; he could have done so by his life and teachings
• Teaches that humans can achieve salvation through our own moral effort (works) rather than faith
• Denies the supernatural effect of J’s death
• Belittles G’s anger against sin

Question 31

Why do some argue that the penal substitution model is the mechanism by which everything else is achieved on the cross?

Answer 31

• Ransom: image only works if J took our punishment
• Victory: we can only share J’s victory if we are united w/ him. Cannot be united unless our sins are forgiven ∵ J has taken our punishment as our substitute
• Example: we identify w/ J’s self-sacrifice, but we can only do this ∵ he first identified w/ us by taking our punishment

Question 32

What are the three groups of atonement models called?

Answer 32

• Classical paradigm
• Objective paradigm
• Subjective paradigm

Question 33

What models are part of the classical paradigm grouping?

Answer 33

• Sacrifice
• Ransom
• Recapitulation

Question 34

What models are part of the objective paradigm grouping?

Answer 34

• Satisfaction
• Penal substitution
• Moral government

Question 35

What models are part of the subjective paradigm grouping?

Answer 35

• Moral example

* Moral influence