The Problem of Atonement in Christian Theology
Atonement in Christian Theology
The doctrine of atonement is what makes the Christian religion exclusive and distinct. It is believed that the doctrine of atonement, and its necessity, is what makes the Christian message so urgent. Several different models have expressed the doctrine of Christian atonement, each with their own difficulties. Thus, after my investigations I have been left to conclude that the difficulties of such models are irreparable. In my studies, I’ve devoted a great amount of time to overcoming these problems, but my failure to fix the broken mechanics of every known model of atonement has encouraged me to move on and ask the more progressive questions. Rather than, “How can I fix this problem?” I have decided to ask myself “What do I do about this problem?” and “Where do I go from here?” I believe that the answer to such a question will greatly affect our view of inspiration and the intensity of our dogmatism. This does not, in my opinion, diminish the urgency of Jesus’ message and teachings. The message of Jesus is just as relevant and important as it was the first time it came from the lips of my savior.
Problems with Atonement
There are more difficulties with the Christian doctrine of atonement than I could shake a stick at. Usually, the proponents of various different views do a good job of critiquing those ideas that stand in contrast to their own views. Therefore, I will not spend my time in this short article rehearsing what has already been written over the past millennium. Rather, I’d like to consider those difficulties that each model of atonement has in common. Those difficulties can be categorized into two sub-headings – 1.) Moral problems and 2.) Social problems.
These two types of problems feed off of one another. The idea that God cannot forgive without the execution of his son is morally unacceptable; moreover it is also socially destructive. When Christians say that God is unable to forgive, pardon, or grant immunity to a certain group of people without being propitiated, they slander the name of God. We overshadow the affectionate ministry and teachings of Jesus with an ominous cloud of divine violence. One character refuses to result to violence (The son) while the other (the Father) sees no other way of solving his problems than by engaging in the murder of his own son. The son saw power in peace, whereas the Father saw necessity in war. Within the Christian doctrine of atonement, we have two radically different and opposing characters that should be in perfect unity.
Apostolic Difficulties
From my investigation, I believe that the apostles wrestled with this seemingly incompatible doctrine of atonement. It appears that the writers of the New Testament did not want to abandon the cult of their former faith. Instead of abandoning that old system, they assimilated it. However, the problem that was created was too large for even the apostles to solve. Paul deals with this problem over the course of three chapters in the book of Romans (Romans 5:6-8:3). Paul realizes that such an argument creates several problems and his attempt to clean up his own mess is sloppy. He leaves too many loose ends. I’d like to think that he left some of those things untouched because he realized how much more difficult the problem would become had he tried to work them out. Unlike Paul, the Hebrew author takes it a step further, nearly completely dissecting the Jewish cult and then reconstructing it around the death of Jesus so that her Jewish brothers could find what they were looking for in Jesus.
Although atonement theology is much less apparent in the writings of John than it is in the works of Paul; we cannot deny its presence. It is destructive and confusing. It is harmful to the human psyche. John appears to be the most progressive apostle of them all, yet he still employs the use of sacrificial language by saying that Jesus propitiated God. Now, the idea of propitiation is truly primitive and barbaric. A sacrifice is usually burnt and the smoke goes up as a “Sweet smelling savor.” This aroma is seductive and acts almost as a tranquilizer. A God that needs to be propitiated is a God whose anger burns so hot that it consumes himself and the only way to placate this Gods wrath is by seducing him with the fragrance of a sacrifice. Is this the God that we see in the New Testament? These images of God describe him as a belligerent sociopath.
Peter employs the scapegoat metaphor in his first epistle saying that Jesus “Bore our sin in his own body… So that we might die to sin and live to righteousness” (2:24). There is clearly a moral emphasis here that is also found in the scapegoat metaphor of Paul (2 Corinthians 5:21). In order for us to understand these metaphors, we must re-conceptualize our view of sin. That is, we need to realize how the minds of the New Testament authors operated. To them, sin polluted the land. The transgressions of the people contaminated themselves, the land, and the temple. Sin is, in their minds, a mystical miasma or the unexplained phenomenon that is behind all those things that are evil. Men were sick because the sins of the people made them susceptible diseases. These men sinned because this substance was dwelling within them and was clouding their judgments. It is then supposed by the New Testament authors that this plague must have been placed upon the body of Jesus - having then been destroyed with the execution of the Lord. This, to the apostles enabled them to become the “Righteousness of God” and to “Live to righteousness.” The sin that dwelt within them had been purged and for the first time in their lives, they were able to see clearly.
As I said a moment ago, the Hebrew author goes quite a bit further than the rest of the New Testament authors. The daily sacrifices under the first covenant were offered in order to purify or purge the temple of those sins that had been committed by lesser persons and lesser crimes. However, those sins that were committed by the high priests and those unintentional and impenitent sins pierced the veil and penetrated the lid of the covenant. Thus, once a year on the day of purgation (Yom Kippur) the holiest instruments in the holiest part of the tabernacle had to be purged of their sin. The Jews believed that if this sin was not been purged from off the land, people, and instruments of worship, that Jehovah would be in danger of being displaced. The land had to be kept clean (Holy) or else God would be displaced from the land and the Jews would be left unprotected from, and left to suffer at, the hands of their adversaries (the devil) surrounding them. The Hebrew author informs us that the “Sin problem” was even worse than the Jews had thought because, not only had it penetrated the lid of the covenant (the mercy seat) but it also found its way into the “Heavenly sanctuary.” This is why it was necessary for Jesus to have offered himself up. It was necessary for him to offer himself up so that he might take his own blood (greater than that of bulls and goats) to the heavenly tabernacle (through his resurrection and ascension) and purge the true objects of worship. Not only does the author suppose that their transgression had tainted the land, people, and temple of the Jews, but she goes on to suppose that those things in heaven had also been contaminated and that God was in danger of being displaced from the heavens itself (Hebrews 9:23-26.) In the mind of this particular Hebrew, those heavenly things had to be purified because “without the shedding of blood,” the sin would never be remitted (Verse 22.)
Atonement Theology in Jesus
Atonement theology in the ministry of Jesus is rare if not entirely absent. Now, there are two sayings of Jesus that may have some sort of sacrificial implications within them but both sayings are disputed. These sayings include the ransom saying of Matthew and Mark (Which is mysteriously absent from the Gospel of Luke) and the symbolism of his blood in the fruit of the vine. While the authenticity of the first saying is questionable, one does not need to color such a statement with the sacrificial cult of the Old Covenant. One can suppose, just as easily, that Jesus had offered up his life as a “ransom” in order to save the Jewish people from being destroyed by the Romans (John 11:48). This harmonizes well with the idea that Jesus’ life was offered up as a ransom “for many.”
The second saying of Jesus concerning his blood during the institution of the Lord’s Supper is complicated. It is written that the cup represents the blood of “the new covenant.” Between the two gospels of Matthew and Luke, scholars are agreed that this expression is not genuine but may be an interpolation of the text. This leads myself, and many others, to conclude that its appearance in the Gospel of Mark is also spurious. However, even if one supposes that such a statement is authentic, he has done nothing more than demonstrates that the blood of Jesus inaugurated the New Covenant. The more persuasive saying of Jesus concerning his blood and sacrifice is found in Matthew’s account of the last supper. It is written that Jesus’ blood was shed “for the remission of sins” (Verse 28), a statement mysteriously absent from Mark, Luke, John and Paul. This text is often used to teach that forgiveness could not have been obtained unless Jesus shed his blood. However, if such a statement were truly authentic (which is highly unlikely), I would have to keep my interpretation of the text in line with the prevailing Jewish ideas of sacrifice that the Hebrew author employed in the ninth chapter of her epistle (see above). That is, rather than making it possible for people to be forgiven, the blood of Jesus was shed in order to remit the sin that had polluted the heavenly sanctuary.
Now, the prevailing ideas of atonement are entirely absent from the teachings of Jesus (and in fact, the entire Bible.) Jesus never even alluded to the idea that the forgiveness of God had been disabled by the sins of the people. He often taught that the only thing that stood in between a man and God was an impenitent heart. When the mind of a man had been changed, and his heart had been touched, he was able to return to the Father. Such is illustrated in the parable of the prodigal son, wherein the Father anxiously awaited the return of his son. It is important to realize that the Father figure, which represents God, did not require his son to make any sort of judicial restitution or atonement. Neither did he encourage his older brother to suffer for the sins of his younger brother. Forgiveness, according to Jesus was open and always available. In fact, it is upon this precept that Jesus encourages us to forgive as the heavenly father has forgiven us. We need to forgive others before and without judicial compensation and atonement – Just as God has forgiven us.
Another increasingly problematic saying of Jesus is found in the parable of the wicked tenants (Luke 20:9-18; Matthew 21:33-46). In this particular parable Jesus describes his own death as an unfortunate and unintended side effect of his ministry. Rather than emphasizing the necessity of his death, he seems to indicate that he never intended to sacrifice his life as atonement. According to Jesus, he hoped that he would be able to reconcile the world to God. He came to gather some fruit but was killed in the process just like the prophets who came before him.
Where to go from here?
Where do we go from here? Over the centuries we have to tried to reconstruct the idea of atonement in Christian theology in order to be able to solve a few of the unflattering and destructive problems of the Jewish cult. We have failed time and time again to do so. Our polemic deconstruction of opposing models of atonement has left us with a mutilated picture of Jehovah. We have a God who can’t forgive and sees no other way to solve his problems than by resulting to violence. These concepts are socially destructive because they teach us that the might of an individual is what makes his actions right. The stronger you are, the more pull you have. Furthermore, it leads us to believe that violence can answer the problems within our lives. If the problem of sin was the greatest problem to have ever plagued the human race, and it was solved with violence, then surely my problems can be solved with violence. Right?
Again, where do we go from here? We see the problem. We understand that it’s real and that it cannot be fixed. Now, what do we do with it? I say that we should leave it where it is; leave it back in the first century where it belongs and let it be a source of inspiration for those first Christians. However, as for us, let us move on to those things that are virtuous and noble. Let us return to the teachings of Jesus. We have allowed the teachings of the apostles to get in the way of our discipleship for far too long. We are tempted within Christian circles to idolize the writers of the New Testament and place them in the seat of Jesus. We have placed fallible men on the throne of Jesus. Those men struggled to wrap their minds around the teachings of Jesus and it shows. Therefore, let us bring those idols of our heart down and place them in their appropriate place. Are you ready to contribute to and engage in the conversation that began over two thousand years ago? The choice is yours.
Historical Quotes on Eternal Security
The Early Church on Judgment
I have accumulated a comprehensive list of Christian quotations from the beginning of the Christian era. These quotes demonstrate the unanimous Christian belief that every man shall be judged according to his own works and that these works will determine whether or not his judgment will be positive or negative.
Early Christian Writings in the New Testament
Jesus
“The hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come out – those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” John 5:28-29
“Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me. … You that are accursed, depart from me into eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not take care of you?” Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these you did not do it to me.” And these will go away into eternal punishment but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:31-46
“Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?” Then I was declare to them, “I never knew you; go away from me, you evil doers.” Matthew 7:21-23
“Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of Vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person brings good things out a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; for by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:33-37
“If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments… You shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother; also, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 19:17-19
“For the Son of man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done.” Matthew 16:27
Paul
“For he will repay according to each one’s deeds: to those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; while for those who are self seeking and who obey not the truth but wickedness, there will be wrath and fury.” Romans 2:6-8
“Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, Idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers, - none of these will inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
“Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure person, or one who is greedy, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” Ephesians 3:5
“For the wrongdoer will be paid back for whatever wrong has been done, and there is no partiality.” Col 3:25
“Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is not strange if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their end will match their deeds.” 2 Corinthians 11:14-15
“If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:8-9
“For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body whether good or evil.” 2 Corinthians 5:10
Peter
“If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile.” 1 Peter 1:17
“Those who desire life and desire to see good days, let them keep their tongues from evil and their lips from speaking deceit; let them turn away from evil and do good; let them speak peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 1 Peter 3:9-12; Psalm 24:12-16
“By turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes God condemned them to extinction and made them an example of what is coming to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man greatly distressed by the licentiousness of the lawless (For that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by their lawless deeds that he saw and heard), then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment – especially those who indulge their flesh in depraved lust, and who despise authority… These people, however are like irrational animals, mere creatures of instinct, born to be caught and killed. They slander what they do not understand, and when those creatures are destroyed, the also will be destroyed, suffering the penalty for doing wrong.” 2 Peter 2:6-13
John’s Revelation
“I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also another book was opened, the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works, as recorded in the books.” Revelation 20:12
“I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work.” Revelation 22:12
“I am the one who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you as your work deserves.” Revelation 2:23
“But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the murderers, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8
The Epistle of Barnabus (100 A.D.)
“The Lord will judge the world, playing no favorites. Each will receive according to what he has done. If he is good, his righteousness will precede him; if evil, the reward for his wickedness will be before him.” - Chapter 4
First Clement (100 A.D.)
“Take heed beloved for there will be condemnation of us all unless we walk worthy of Him, and with one mind do those things which are good and well pleasing in His sight.” - 1 Clement 21
“Since then all things are seen and heard by God, let us fear Him and forsake those wicked works which proceed from evil desires; so that… we may be protected from the judgments to come.” - 1 Clement 28
Ignatius (110 A.D.)
“All things have an end, there is set before us life upon our observance of God’s precepts, but death as the result of disobedience, and every one, according to the choice he makes, shall go to his own place.” Magnesians 5
The Shepherd of Hermas (150 A.D.)
“Whoever follows self restraint will be fortunate in his life, because he will abandon all his evil deeds, believing that if he abandons every evil desire, he will inherit life.” The Shepherd of Hermas 18:4
“Do no evil in your life, but serve as the Lord’s slave with a pure heart, keeping his commandments and proceeding in his injunctions; and let no evil desire rise up in your heart… If you do these things and fear God and are self restrained from every evil deed, you will live to God.” The Shepherd of Hermas 54:5; Similitude 5.1.5.
Second Clement (150 A.D.)
“God will redeem each of us according to our deeds.” 2 Clement 17
“Therefore, brethren, by doing the will of the Father, and keeping the flesh holy, and observing the commandments of the Lord will we obtain eternal life.” 2 Clement 13
Justin Martyr (150 A.D.)
“Christians hold this view, that it is alike impossible for the wicked, the covetous, the conspirator, and for the virtuous, to escape the notice of God, and that each man goes to everlasting punishment or salvation according to the value of his actions.” Justin Martyr, First Apology XII
“Let those who are not found living as He taught, be understood not to be Christians, even though they profess with the lips the teachings of Christ. For it is not those who make profession, but those who do the works, who will be saved.” Lbid., XVI
Irenaeus (165 A.D.)
“Knowing my beloved Marcianus, your desire to walk in godliness, which alone leads man to life eternal, I rejoice with you…” Irenaeus, Proof of Apostolic preaching 1
Theophius of Antioch (170 A.D.)
“Obeying the will of God, he who desires is able to procure for himself life everlasting. For God has given us a law and holy commandments; and every one who keeps these can be saved, and, obtaining the resurrection, can inherit incorruption.” Autolychus 2.27
“He who acts righteously shall escape the eternal punishments and be thought worthy of the eternal life from God.” Autolychus 2.34
“To those who by patient continuance in well-doing seek immortality, He will give life everlasting.” Ibid., XIV.
Melito (170 A.D.)
“If you follow after evil, you will be condemned for your evil deeds. But if you follow goodness, you will receive from him abundant good, together with immortal life forever.” Melito of Sardis, Apology I.27-28
Athenagoras of Athens (180 A.D.)
“Men receive the judgment of their Maker upon them according to the time each has lived, and according to these rules by which each has regulated his behavior.” Athenagoras, On the Resurrection of the Dead 11
“The examination relates to individuals, and the reward or punishment of lives ill or well spent in proportioned to the merit of each.” Athenagoras, On the Resurrection of the Dead 25. Cf 18
Clement of Alexandria (200 A.D.)
“This is the reward of a life of goodness: Everlasting life.” Clement of Alexandria, Instructor 1.10
“Whosoever… Distinguishes himself in good works shall gain the price of everlasting life.” Clement of Alexandria, Who is the Rich Man That Shall Be Saved 1 – See also Rich Man 18, 42; and Exhortation to the Heathen 1, 11.
Tertullian (220 A.D.)
“I affirm that God’s final judgment must be believed to be in the first place plenary and complete, as being by that time final, and thereafter everlasting… Man is to be judged in respect of his life as he has lived it.” Tertullian, On the Resurrection of the Flesh 14
“Everybody is resurrected, so that every man may receive through his body according as he hath done, standing before God’s judgment seat.” Ibid., 60
Origen (230 A.D.)
“The apostolic teaching is that the soul, having a substance and life of its own, shall after its departure from the world, be rewarded according to its deserts, being destined to obtain either an inheritance of eternal life and blessedness, if its actions shall have procured this for it, or to be delivered up to eternal fire and punishments, if the guilt of its crimes shall have brought it down to this.” Origen, On First Principles, Preface 5
Lactantius (300 A.D.)
“By walking in the way of righteousness and following his Teacher, man can attain to eternal life.” Lactantius, Divine Institutes 4.26
Athanasius (333 A.D.)
“Jesus will judge all, by what each has done in the body, whether good or evil; where there is laid up for the good the kingdom of heaven, but for them that have done evil everlasting fire and outer darkness.” Athanasius, On the Incarnation of the Word 56.4
Now the whole truth is, there is no such idea taught in the Bible as that Jesus died as a substitute for, in stead, in place of, the sinner. The idea had its origin in the speculations of metaphysical system builders, not from the teachings of the Holy Spirit.
—David Lipscomb
No one has learned the meaning of living until he has surrendered his own ego to the service of his fellow men: “Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.” Phil. 2:17
