-
The Necessity of the Atonement
One thing that differentiates genuine Christianity from some counterfeits, such as Islam, is that the Living and True God is too holy to simply ignore sin. Instead, God’s holiness and justice demand satisfaction for sin. There are a number of ways that this can be seen in the Scriptures, both of the Old and the…
-
Scriptural Doctrine of the Atonement Defended – against John Martin
John Martin has also responded to another of my previous posts (link to post, his comments are in the comment box there). I had written: “The Christian position is that Christ is our substitute.” JM responded: “If Christ is our substitute and we are impute a legal righteousness, even though the Father knows we are…
-
Athanasius to Marcellinus: How Sufficient are the Psalms?
Athanasius wrote a letter to Marcellinus regarding the Psalms (full text). Athanasius wouldn’t have fit into post-Vatican II Roman Catholicism very well for a lot of reasons, but one reason is his comment in this letter: “the knowledge of God is not with [the heathen and the heretics] at all, but only in the Church.”…
-
Wayne Grudem on the Atonement
Wayne Grudem has provided his Systematic Theology: an enormous (1291 pages) and apparently popular (the cover of one recent printing claims sales of over 1/4 million) tome. Chapter 27 (pp. 568-607 in what appears to be the 2000 printing) addresses the topic of the atonement. Much of the material serves as a helpful general introduction…
-
Offered Often or Once?
We’re sometimes told that it an incorrect “either/or” mentality that causes us to reject the sacrifices of the mass on the basis that Christ was offered only once and not often. Yet Scripture itself has that mentality. Hebrews 9:24-2824 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures…
-
Why Say Mass Sacrifices Christ Again?
Luka asked: If You truly understand how both biblical statements: that Christ died once for sins, and that -at the same time- He was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, are simultaneously correct, then why do You persist in Your conviction that Mass or Liturgy sacrifice Christ “again”? 😐 I answer: a)…
-
Camping and the Atonement
In a previous post (link) we discussed how Mr. Harold Camping errs on the simple question of who Moses’ father is, according to the Scriptures, and how this has a chain reaction effect on his chronology. There are other clear errors in Mr. Camping’s theology that relate less directly to his date-setting error. Scripture Says…
-
Some Church Fathers on the Atonement
The following is a list of several patristic quotations (previously posted here) that relate to the topic of the atonement. Some affirm limited atonement, some are simply germane to the topic of the atonement without necessarily affirming limited atonement. Ambrose (c. 339-97): Although Christ suffered for all, yet He suffered for us particularly, because He…
-
Responses to Audience Questions About the Substitionary Atonement Debate
I’ve received a couple of comments on the Substitutionary Atonement debate. One of the commenters was someone using the nick “Michael”. Michael asked: 1) What do you mean by “wrath of God?” Is it the same thing as Godforsakenness or is there a distinction? Has there ever been a case or will there ever be…
-
Atonement Debate vs. Catholicism – Complete
“Catholic Nick” and I have concluded the debate we were having on the Atonement. One can access all the parts of that debate via an index page that I have created (link) or via the debate blog more generally (link). Between the two, the index page may be easier to use. Enjoy! -TurretinFan To God…