As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“His own approach to atonement is closest to the recapitulation understanding of Christ’s work that Irenaeus outlined, though many believe this view is compatible with PSA (see works by McNall and McKnight). Rillera doesn’t.” - TGC
“The book of Hebrews addresses this issue directly. Examining this deep book helps us answer this important question and allows us to see how Jesus first identifies with us in our humanity, then takes the place of sinners on the cross, and ultimately pays the punishment for our sins through his sacrifice” - TGC
In this article, I’ll discuss two common questions that Christians have about Christ’s atonement. By “atonement,” I mean the means by which Christ’s sacrificial death removes our guilt for wrongdoing and therefore reconciles us to God.
Atonement is a key tenet of the Christian story:
“Three major themes weave together to create a beautiful picture of redemption in Leviticus. First, the identification of the sinner with a substitute through the laying on of hands. Second, the punitive death of the substitute who takes the sinner’s place. Third, the substitute’s blood applied to God’s altar, which results in atonement of the sinner.” - TGC
“In this video, Gavin Ortlund responds to recent comments by John Mark Comer suggesting that a new book may be the “final knockout blow” to penal substitutionary atonement (PSA). Gavin offers four reasons why PSA remains a vital part of Christian theology.” - Truth Unites
“We grasp the horror of human evil only when we focus on God’s standards and on the atonement necessary to satisfy them.” - Randy Alcorn
This article argues that the Roman Catholic Church (“Rome”) is wrong about the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement. In fact, she is so incorrect that her teaching on this matter is grave error that distorts the gospel.
By “Christ’s atonement,” we mean the action by which Christ’s vicarious death reconciles us to God and restores fellowship with him. The dispute here is about the sufficiency of this atonement. Did Christ atone for the consequences of all our sins? Is his atonement permanent or conditional?
“In most people’s understanding, ransoms are paid by good people, but demanded by horrible people…. ‘the kidnappers demanded a ransom.’” - Randy Alcorn
“there are no evangelistic sermons in Acts where this precise language is used. If Peter and Paul could evangelize without saying ‘Jesus died for you,’ then you shouldn’t make it a litmus test for gospel orthodoxy.” - TGC
“The doctrine of limited atonement, in reality, is helpful in evangelism. The Calvinist knows that not everyone will respond to the gospel message, but he also knows with certainty that some will respond to it.” - R.C. Sproul
Discussion