Images of the Atonement

8/7/2019 Images of the Atonement

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Images of the Atonement

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Contents

Introduction! 1The Course Programme! 1Reading! 1

Redemption! 2Introduction! 2Old Testament! 2New Testament! 3Conclusion! 4

Reconciliation! 5Discussion! 5

Adoption! 6Discussion! 7

Regeneration!

8Discussion! 8Conclusion! 11

Sanctification! 12Discussion! 12Means of Sanctification! 13Discussion! 13

Christus Victor! 14Discussion! 14Victory through Defeat! 15Discussion! 15

Justification! 17Discussion! 17Comment! 18Discussion! 18Conclusion! 19

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEWINTERNATIONAL VERSION and are copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible

Society. Used by permission of Hodder and Stoughton Ltd, a member of the HodderHeadline Plc Group. All rights reserved.


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IntroductionThis course will take place over 6 weeks and

will look at the way the atonement is described

in the New Testament.

We will be looking at seven different pictures

given to us and exploring how these various

images help us understand, to some degree,

the wonder of our salvation.

This will not, in any way, be a comprehensive

treatment of the atonement, rather it is aimed at

being an introduction to what Jesus did for us in

his life, death, resurrection and ascension.

By the end of the course, we hope that

everyone will have been encouraged by seeing

something of Gods eternal plan for salvationand how he brought this about in the person of

his Son.

While not essential, you will gain more from

the course if you read the core book, which is

also the core book for the course, We Believe,

and perhaps one or two of the other

recommendations.

The Course ProgrammeWeek 1:! Redemption

Week 2:! Reconciliation/Adoption

Week 3:! Regeneration

Week 4:! Sanctification

Week 5:! Christus Victor

Week 6:! Justification

ReadingAs with our other courses, we dont have a set book for the

course. However, a book which covers the major Christian doctrinesin an accessible way is this one. Copies can be had from me.

In Understanding Be Men; T. C. Hammond. IVP

Other books which will be useful and helpful if you wish to explore

the topic further are:

Know the Truth:B. Milne, IVP

The Foundations of Christian Doctrine;K. J. Conner, Sovereign World

The Christian Theology Reader;A. E. McGrath (ed.), Blackwell

The Atonement: Its Meaning and Significance;L. Morris, IVP

The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross;L. Morris, The Tyndale Press


1

Any really serious attempt to

understand the Christian way

must begin with the cross. Unless

we come to see what the cross

means we do not understand

Christianity, real Christianity in the

sense the New Testament writers

gave to it. The cross is absolutely

central. We must give time and

attention to our understanding of

what it means.

Leon Morris, The Atonement, 12

The Doctrine of the Atonementcomprises the redemptive work of

Christ, involving His crucifixion,

r e s u r r e c t i o n , a s c e n s i o n ,

e x a l t a t i o n , g l o r i fi c a t i o n ,

intercessory ministry, and second

coming.

Kevin Conner, The Foundations of

Christian Doctrine, 191


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Redemption

IntroductionIn general terms, it could be argued that

redemption is the overriding picture of Gods

dealings with his people. The great story ofliberation found in Exodus is the ultimate picture

of this and needs to be kept in mind in any

discussion of what redemption means. Perhaps

the easiest way of looking at what redemption

means is to see it as deliverance. But, as Leon

Morris says, It mean[s] not simply deliverance,

but deliverance in a particular way.1 It is this

particular way that we will try to explore a little

today.Like many of the words and images we will be

considering in this course, redemption can be a little difficult to define exactly as it

includes so many different aspects. However, the following might be a working

definition: God pays an infinite price to release us from slavery and death in order

to bring us into our rightful place of safety and freedom.

Old TestamentThe starting point for any understanding of redemption is, unsurprisingly, to be

found in Genesis.

Discussion

1. Read Genesis 1:26-31. What do we learn here about humanitys relationship to

God?

2. Read Genesis 3:21-24. What does this tell us about our relationship with God

after the Fall?

One way of seeing the rest of the story of salvation is of Gods putting this

situation right: of rescuing fallen creation, including humanity, from the position they

find themselves in and bringing them back into the position that was theirs before

the entrance of sin2. This overarching story is mirrored in lesser stories which help


2

1The Atonement, p 107

2 The Study Centre course The Mission Heart of Godlooks briefly at this big question.

Our redemption through the

suffering of Christ is that deeper

love within us which not only frees

us from slavery to sin, but also

secures for us the true liberty of

the children of God, in order that

we might do all things out of love

rather than out of fear love for

him who has shown us such grace

that no greater can be found.

Peter Abelard (early 12th century)

quoted in The Christian Theology

Reader, 184


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us to understand it more fully; the central one of

these is that mentioned above, the Exodus.

Discussion

1. Read Exodus 13:3-16. What do we learn

about the Exodus here and what might that

tell us about the whole idea of redemption?

As our definition above makes clear,redemption involves the paying of a price. This

is pictured in Gods demand that the firstborn in

every family and flock is to be redeemed

(Exodus 13:1, 11-16; 34:19). It is also clearly

seen in the story of Ruth and the way that Boaz

acts as kinsman-redeemer. This introduces

another aspect of redemption: that it is about promoting the interests, the

welfare of the family.3 (You may want to think about how that helps us understand

the incarnation.)This raises the issue, though, of whether God pays a price. The biblical evidence

suggests that this price is to be seen as the exertion - expenditure, if you like - of

power, rather than money. It cannot be said that God paid to the Egyptian

oppressor any price for the redemption of His people. On the other hand the idea

of the exertion of a mighty force, the idea that the redemption costs much, is

everywhere present. The force may be represented by Divine might, or love, or

self-sacrifice, which become finally identical.4 Redemption always involves some

kind of price being paid.

New TestamentThe Old Testament background is important in our understanding of redemption;

but so is the Greek background of many of the readers of the New Testament. This

is, perhaps surprisingly, a similar one to the OT. The main words used to describe

redemption are taken from the theatre of war. Soldiers would be taken captive and

removed to a foreign land, where they were helpless to free themselves. However,

on payment of a ransom - by people from their home country, and most likely their

own family - they could be released and returned to the place they rightfully

belonged.


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3The Atonement, p 111

4 B. F. Westcott, quoted in The Atonement, p 114

The foundational aspect of the

Exodus to Israels faith can be

seen is the number of times it is

referred to in the Old Testament.

If we take the description of this as

Gods bringing Israel out of

slavery, the following references

can be found to it. If we add to

this the times when the more

general idea of being brought out

of Egypt the the number of

references increases substantially.

Exodus 13:3! Exodus 13:14

Exodus 20:2! Deut. 5:6Deut. 6:12! Deut. 7:8

Deut. 8:14! Deut. 13:5

Deut. 13:10! Joshua 24:17

Judges 6:8! Jeremiah 34:13

Micah 6:4


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Discussion

1. Read John 8:33-34. What does this tell us about our position and how does it

link with the Old Testament?

2. Read Acts 20:28, Romans 3:24-25, Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 9:12, 1 Peter

1:17-19 and Revelation 5:9-10. What do these verses tell us about redemption?

3. Read Luke 21:27-28 and Romans 8:22-25. What do these passages tell us

about our redemption?

4. Read Ephesians 4:30. What important truth about redemption does this tell us?

ConclusionWe might sum up what redemption can tell us about Gods plan for our salvation

by saying that we were all in slavery to sin which would lead to death. God paid the

price for our redemption in the death of Jesus and his blood shed on the cross in

order that we may be brought back into our rightful position of children, and

servants, of God. As Paul put it, It is for freedom that Christ has set us

free. (Galatians 5:1)


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ReconciliationThe Collins English Dictionary defines

reconciliation in this way, to become friendly

with (someone) after estrangement or to re-

establish friendly relations between (two or

more people). There is direct link, then, with

the concept of redemption we looked at last

week. Once again, we are talking about a

restoration of relationship, whether that is being

ransomed to take up our rightful place in

freedom and security as in redemption, or being

brought back into an original, friendly

relationship from one of estrangement. In New Testament terms, this is not only

described as reconciliation but as making peace. It is these two ideas which we

will consider under reconciliation, following Morris in his Apostolic Preaching of theCross.

DiscussionRead Romans 5:6-11.

1. What do we learn about the situation before reconciliation takes place?

2. How would you describe the process of reconciliation?

3. What is the means of reconciliation?

4. What is the result of reconciliation?

Read 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

1. What do we learn about the process of reconciliation here?

2. How would you describe the result of reconciliation?


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In Christ, God has reconciled the

world to himself, the world that

because of sin was in enmity with

God, so that we may become the

righteousness of God; Christ not

only bore our sin but was made

sin for our sakes.

V-M Krkkinen, Christology A

Global Introduction, 51-52


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Greece the process of adoption was irrevocable. While a natural son could be

repudiated, an adopted son could not.

Discussion1. Read Ephesians 1:4-6

a. What does this tell us about adoption?

2. Read Galatians 3:26-4:7.

a. How does God bring us into his family?

b. What are the results of this?

c. What contrast does Paul draw between our previous and present states?

3. Read Romans 8:12-17

a. How do we know that we are sons of God?

b. How does Paul describe the Spirit we have received?

c. What does our sonship allow us to do?

4. Read John 1:11-13.

a. How does God bring us into his family?

b. What difference do you think there might be between being children of God

and being sons of God?


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RegenerationThere are a number of different terms which

we will consider under the overall one of

regeneration. These includes, conversion,

new birth, new life, renewal etc. (a fuller list is

in the box on the right). While there are

differences in emphasis in each of the terms, I

think placing them all under the one heading

helps to give a general picture of how important

the concept of newness, of regeneration, is in

biblical terms.

Discussion1. Read Ezekiel 36:24-27.

a. How would you describe the general context of this passage?

b. What important promises does God give, and what words or ideas do you

think might be central to Gods message?

2. Read John 1:12-13. How do these verses fit in with the idea of regeneration?

a. Who takes the initiative in this?

3. Read John 3:1-8.

a. Which person of the Trinity seems to be most involved in new birth?


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Words and ideas which can be

placed under the general one of

regeneration include:

new birth! cleansing

quickening! resurrection

creation! conversion

renewal! salvation

new heart! translation

relationship

The Foundations of Christian

Doctrine, 275-6


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b. Leon Morris writes, Spiritual

regeneration is indispensable if we

would be Gods6. How does this

passage show the truth of Morris

statement?

c. What other images from Ezekiel do we

see here?

d. Why does Jesus use the analogy of the wind?

4. Read 2 Corinthians 5:17.

a. What does this suggest about the scope of the newness we have inChrist?

b. How far do you agree with the quotation from Hughes in the box at the top

of this page?

c. How might Hughes claim affect the way we view not only our salvation but

our role as messengers of the gospel?


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6The Gospel According to John, 218

A regenerated person is a reborn

microcosm belonging to the

eschatological macrocosm of the

hew heavens and the new earth

for whom the old order of things

h a s g i v e n p l a c e t o a

transcendental experience in

which everything is new.

The Second Epistle to the

Corinthians, P. E. Hughes, 201/02


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5. Read Titus 3:4-7.

a. What ideas and images are repeated

here?

b. What is the ultimate result of our new

birth?

6. Read 1 Peter 1:3-6; 22-23.

a. What does Peter tell us about new birth? How has it happened, what is its

result and what will be its fulfilment?

b. How might the knowledge of our new birth change the way in which we

view difficulties in this life?

c. Why can we have confidence in our new life?

7. Read 1 John 5:1-2; 18-20.

a. What links can you draw between these verses and what we have already

looked at?


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Regeneration is an act of God,

whereby a soul, previously dead

to Him, experiences a spiritual

resurrection into a new sphere of

life, in which he is alive to God

and united to Him in Christ.

In Understanding Be Men, 140


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ConclusionWe have seen that regeneration is an act of God, specifically an act of the Holy

Spirit who is the divine agent in the whole process.7 Everything changes when we

are born of God, everything is new. In other words, God is not going about simply

patching up sinful people, putting plasters on broken arms or giving painkillers for

headaches! God starts anew, a new birth. In regeneration a person is born intothe family of God. He is born anew from above. In regeneration, man receives a

new nature and a new life and is placed in the Kingdom of God.8


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7In Understanding Be Men, 134

8Foundations of Christian Doctrine, 274


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SanctificationThe terms we have looked at so far in this

series have generally been about our position in

Christ, especially in terms of family and safety.

This week, with sanctification, we change the

venue, if you like, and look at a word which has

as its background the Temple. A word which is

often used in this context, and which covers the

same ground as sanctified is holy. Thus, in

Leviticus 21:5-6 God tells the Israelites that the

priests must be holy to their God.

Holiness, or sanctification, has two basic

parts. Firstly, it is about separation. Leviticus 21 tackles some of the important

areas where the priests were to be separate, different, from the ordinary Israelite.

The reason given for this, on three occasions, is because I the Lord am holy Iwho make you holy (Leviticus 21:8, 15, 23). Secondly, it is about dedication to

service. Sanctification is not just negative (separation) it is also positive, and

service is this positive side to it. In 1 Peter 2:9-10, Peter refers to the Levitical

priesthood as a picture of the church, making it clear that we are a holy nation

which has the task of declar[ing] the praises of [God].

DiscussionThe Bible gives us three basic stages of sanctification in the believer, so we will

turn to look at those briefly now.

1. Read 1 Corinthians 6:11.

a. What point is Paul making here?

2. Read 2 Corinthians 3:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

a. What do these passages tell us about sanctification as a process?

3. Read Philippians 3:21, 1 Thessalonians 3:13.

a. What do these verses tell us about our sanctification?


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Sanctification is the work of Gods

free grace, whereby we are

renewed in the whole man after

the image of God, and are

enabled more and more to die

u n t o s i n , a n d l i v e u n t o

righteousness.

The Shorter Catechism, quoted in

In Understanding Be Men, 145


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Means of Sanctification4. Read Hebrews 13:11-13, Ephesians 5:25-27

and Romans 15:15-16.

a. What three means of sanctification are

presented here?

b. How might this help you in understanding what sanctification is all about?

DiscussionOne of the important aspects to bear in mind when talking of sanctification is that

it does not mean that we achieve a state of sinlessness in this life. As we saw in

the passages earlier, sanctification is a process. However, it is also a completed

act, so how are we to understand the tension between these two things?

It might help, in this discussion to think of sanctification as being:

Gods provision in Christ

The Christians appropriation of this provision.

In other words, the present reality is that God sees us, and counts us, as

sanctified because of the completed work of Jesus on the cross. However, we

have not yet fully appropriated this, or taken this to ourselves. Thus, we remain in

the process of sanctification, which will reach its fulfilment at the return of Christ.

Read Ephesians 4:22-25 and Galatians 5:22-25a. What does this add to our understanding of the process of sanctification?


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Not all believers are saintly but

all true believers are saints.

J. R. McQuilkin in Five Views of

Sanctification, 159


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Christus VictorThis is the name given by Gustaf Auln in

1931 to what might be considered the dominant

theory of the atonement for the first 1000 years

of Church history. It is closely related to the

Ransom Theory, which we looked at in week

one in connection with Redemption. While

many of Aulns conclusions are not necessarily

ones I would endorse, the image of Jesus as

the victor, triumphing through his death is a

powerful and important one in the New

Testament, and one to which we, perhaps, do

not do full justice.

Discussion1. Read Colossians 2:13-15.a. How has the victory been achieved?

b. Who are the powers and authorities?

2. Read 1 Corinthians 15:20-26.

a. What is the importance of the resurrection in understanding the nature of

Christs victory?

b. When will the final victory be achieved (:23-24)?

c. Who is it that we are told God will destroy (:24)?


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Its central theme is the idea of the

Atonement as a Divine conflict

and victory; Christ Christus

Victor fights against and

triumphs over the evil powers of

the world, the tyrants under

which mankind is in bondage and

suffering, and in Him God

reconciles the world to Himself.

Gustav Auln quoted in The

Christian Theology Reader, 199


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Victory through DefeatThere are, I suggest, two main traps we can fall into with this picture of the

atonement. The first of these is to imagine that the authorities who have been

destroyed (the tyrants in the quite from Auln above) are the political and

economic forces of this world. The effect of this can be to turn the gospel into little

more than a political movement. The powers that have been overcome, are clearlyspiritual powers. This may have an impact indeed does in the physical realm,

but the important, fundamental victory was spiritual. The second is to turn Christs

victory into a sort of triumphalism in our attitudes and gospel proclamation. The

truth the image opens up for us, though, is different from both of these.

The victory that Christ gains, he gains in a way that is counter-intuitive. It is out

of seeming defeat that victory comes; out of death that life comes.

Discussion1. Read 1 Corinthians 15:51-56.

a. What do we learn hear about the victory of Christ?

2. Read Revelation 5:5-6.

a. What ideas do you associate with a lion, and how do these link with the

concept of victory?

b. How are the associations of a lamb different to those of a lion?

c. What does this tell us about the nature of Christ s victory?


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3. Read Revelation 12:10-12.

a. What does this tell us about the victory, we as Christians experience?

4. Read Revelation 3:21.

a. What does it mean, then, to overcome so that we might know the reality of

sitting with Christ on his throne?

b. What effect should this have on our lives and our witness?


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JustificationJustification is the final image of the

atonement that we will be looking at in tis

course. It stands absolutely central to the New

Testament understanding of what God has done

for us in Christ. Martin Luthers rediscovery of

the truth of this doctrine marks the ignition of the

Reformation and it remains at the heart of

evangelical Christianity.

We have seen how some of the images used

in the Bible to describe the atonement refer to

various areas of life, whether family, or temple

for example. The arena for justification is that of

the law court, a truth which is found not only in

the New Testament, but also in the Old. It isquite clear that the Old Testament consistently

thinks of a God who works by the method of

law.9

The central concern in the biblical discussion

of justification could be described as that of

answering Jobs question, How can a mortal be

righteous before God? (Job 9:1)

Discussion1. Read Galatians 3:23-25.

a. What does this tell us about the problem of the law?

b. What do we learn about the purpose of the law?

c. What does Paul tell us about our present relationship to the law?


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9The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross, 232

The person who is justified by faith

is someone, who apart from the

righteousness of works, has taken

hold of the righteousness of Christ

through faith, and having been

clothed with it, appears in the sight

of God not as a sinner, but as a

righteous person. Therefore

justification is to be understood

simply as the acceptance by

which God receives us into his

favour as righteous people. We

say that it consists of the

remission of s ins and theimputation of the righteousness of

Christ.

Jean Calvin quoted in The

Christian Theology Reader, 234


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2. Read Genesis 15:1-6.

a. What do we learn about righteousness, and how it is obtained here?

3. Read Romans 4:1-5.

a. What is the point of Pauls reference to Abraham?

CommentIt is worth noting here, that the NIV uses the word credited to describe what Goddoes concerning righteousness. When someone exercised faith in God,

righteousness was placed to [their] account, it was imputed to [them].10 In other

words, justification goes beyond merely being pardoned, for pardon still leaves the

sin. The basic thought in righteousness is of a standing with God, and we should

think of a status conferred on men by God on the grounds of the atoning work of

Christ.11 It thus is about legal standing, about our relationship to God, not about

ethical behaviour or new life.

It is also worth mentioning here that Paul seemingly did not think he [was]

enunciating an entirely novel doctrine.12 He used the Old Testament to explainwhat justification meant following the death and resurrection of Jesus. Even for first

century Judaism, justification was not about moral qualities but was recognised as

only to be obtained by the verdict at the tribunal of God.13

Discussion1. Read Romans 5:1-5.

a. What does this tell us about the result of justification?


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10The Epistle to the Romans, J. Murray, 131

11Apostolic Preaching, 258




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2. Read Romans 3:21-26.

a. When is this righteousness available?

b. What is the source of justification?

c. What what is the channel of reception of justification?

d. How does God show his justice in justification?

ConclusionThis very brief look at some of the images the Bible uses to explain the

atonement should have given us some idea of the depth and nature of what God

has done for us in Jesus. It ought to have the result of leading us, once more, to the

foot of the cross where, in humble adoration, we can worship the one who opened

up a new and living way through the curtain14 into the very presence of God.


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14 Hebrews 10:20


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Images of the Atonement