Final

Old Testament View Of Atonement.

• Sin had alienated man from God.
• Sin had rendered all people incapable of ransoming for themselves.
• Definition of atonement: called at onement in Old English, refers to that which restores a harmonious relationship between alienated parties.
• Propitiation refers to the turning away of God’s wrath (appeasement) and the reconciliation of the relationship.

The Day Of Atonement.

• The high priest made atonement for himself and his household by offering a bull for a sin offering on the annual Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:6).
• He also went through an elaborate process involving sprinkling blood on the atonement cover (kappōret, v. 15) and on the altar (vv. 18-19) in order to make atonement for the Most Holy Place, the tabernacle, and the alter (v. 20).
• There is a strong element of substitution evident in Aaron’s laying hands on the goat and placing the sins on the goat’s head (v. 21; cf. 4:4, 15, 24, 29, 33).
• This laying on of hands indicates the transference of sin and guilt to the goat.
• It brings to mind Isaiah’s description of the Suffering Servant: “And the LORD has laid on him the iniquity (ʿāwōn) of us all” (53:6).

Penal Substitution

• Incorporates both expiation and propitiation
• Christ received the penalty for our sins in his death on the cross.
• Jesus was a substitute, dying in our place.
• This view is opposed by liberals who refer to it as “divine child abuse.”
• I have argued for this view in the previous discussion.

Recapitulation Theory

• Christ relived the experiences of Adam and Israel.
• Where Adam failed, Christ as the second Adam overcame.
• Where Israel failed in its 40 years of wanderings, Christ overcame in his 40 days of fasting. He succeeded where Israel failed.
• Christ identified with us in the incarnation in order to liberate us.
• His entire life, death and resurrection was a reversal of the failures of Adam and Israel.

Christus Victor

• Built on the motif of spiritual warfare in Scripture
• “As in much apocalyptic thought, Paul believed what was needed was nothing less than God breaking into human history to destroy the power of sin and rescuing us from the cosmic powers that keep us in bondage to sin.” Gregory Boyd, The Nature of Atonement, 29.
• Christ triumphed over Satan at the cross and secured our salvation.
• Pentecostals often emphasize this theory (usually without realizing it).

The Ransom Theory

• Held by many early church Fathers•Jesus came to “give his life as a ransom for many.”
• Jesus had to pay a ransom to the devil to liberate us from captivity to sin and Satan.
• Jesus went to hell, and Satan thought he had won, but Jesus rose from the dead.
• Critique: Although there is an emphasis on exchange in the NT, it is not an exchange with the devil.

Satisfaction Theory

• Anselm of Canterbury, (1033-1109), Why God Became Man
• Anselm believed sin violated the honor of God, so sin must be punished; satisfaction must be rendered.
• However, sin against an infinite God can only be satisfied by One who is himself infinite.
• Yet man is the guilty party, so a human must provide satisfaction.
• Thus Christ as God incarnate provided satisfaction.
• Critique: This view stems from Feudalism, a practice current in Anselm’s day.
• Penal substitution is a modified form of satisfaction.

Moral Influence Theory

• Abelard (1079-1142) in reaction to the satisfaction theory and the ransom theory•Christ’s suffering is a model of love.
• Man, in responding to Christ’s love, has a change of heart and follows Christ’s example of love.
• Christ’s death is not propitiatory or expiative; it is demonstrative.
• Critique: This view is very subjective (centered on man’s response) and sin is never dealt with.

The Ascension

• Epistles:
• Eph. 4:10 ESV; cf. 4:8
• 1 Tim. 3:16
• Heb. 4:14
• 1 Pet. 3:21c-22

The Ascension (continued)

• The Gospels:
• John 6:62, 13:3, 14:28
• John 20:17
• Mark 16:19
• Luke/Acts:
• Luke 9:30-31
• Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:9-11, 22 (cf. 2:33-34)
• -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• Important!
• Luke gives the most extensive and clear record of the ascension.

Views of Resurrection

• The Testimony of Scripture:
• The uniform witness of all four Gospels (Matt. 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20)
• The Scriptures mention numerous witnesses to the living Christ: the 12, various women, Paul in Acts 9, and over 500 on one occasion, (1 Cor. 15:1-8).
• There are a total of 2-3 visitations to the tomb and 10 different resurrection appearances recorded.

Views of Resurrection (continued)

• Unbelieving Explanations of the Data:
• Jesus’ only fainted on the cross.The disciples stole the body (Matt. 28:12-15).
• It is an imaginative, mythical story such as those found among stories of pagan gods.
• Psychological explanation: The disciples’ wishful thinking resulted in hallucinations
• The resurrection is a figure of speech – Jesus’s life was so significant that he lives on.

Significance of Resurrection

• Affirms Christ’s divine Sonship (Rom. 1:4)
• Affirms his identity as Lord
• Completes and secures our salvation (1 Cor. 15:17; Rom. 4:25)
• Establishes the precedent for healing and miracles
• Luke uses “raised” as a double entendre in order to signify that the healing of the lame man was due to Christ’s resurrection.
• Guarantees our resurrection.

Session

• Definition:
• Session refers to the final stage in Christ’s exaltation
• It refers to his “sitting” on the throne and reigning with God.
• It is implied in Christ’s title “Lord.”

Important Notes On Session

• The designation of choice for Christ becomes “the Lord Jesus” or “Lord Jesus Christ.”
• His present session is consistent with inaugurated eschatology (the already/not yet) but inconsistent with classicaldispensationalism (kingdom postponed).
• In Christ’s session he exercises various divine prerogatives demonstrating his divinity (e.g. the Day of the Lord Jesus).

Tongues

• The source of tongues is Christ’s gift of the Holy Spirit.
• The content of tongues is praise to God in honor of Christ’s enthronement at his right hand.
• The symbolism of tongues is the spread of Christ’s Lordship/reign over the nations.
• The gift of the Spirit is given only to those who repent and submit to the name of Jesus because only they can participate in declaring his Lordship over the nations.
• Thus speaking in tongues is the immediate response to Christ’s Lordship (2:11) and symbolizes Christ’s Lordship in the nations (2:4-11).