The 7 main Christian Understandings of Atonement

[halbhh]

I've often offered this over the internet to people wondering about various views of atonement they've heard (many times it would be someone objecting to sacrifice as being needed for instance and these help move people past any oversimplification very helpfully). The summary (link below at end of this post) is well written, but not long.

You will notice that just like the author, we all typically believe or know more than 1 of these. Are all 7 true? (several obviously are) Maybe, but at least one of them seems very far fetched even to someone like me who is very accepting of the naturally diverse understandings of people.

The first in the list might initially seem less profound and divinely powerful than it really is until you notice more about what Romans 6 tells us on how His death on the cross works on us -- Christ's influence on us is very well expressed in Romans 6.

So, I'd like to offer Romans 6 first as a warm up and then encourage everyone to review the 7 Main Christian theories of Atonement. (at the end)

Romans 6 -- Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ​

6 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

Slaves to Righteousness​

15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. -- https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans 6&version=NIV


The Seven Theories of Atonement summarized:

7 Theories of the Atonement Summarized - Stephen D. Morrison

7 Theories of the Atonement discussed and briefly explained. Article by Stephen D Morrison

www.sdmorrison.org

 

[civic]

I've often offered this over the internet to people wondering about various views of atonement they've heard (many times it would be someone objecting to sacrifice as being needed for instance and these help move people past any oversimplification very helpfully). The summary (link below at end of this post) is well written, but not long.

You will notice that just like the author, we all typically believe or know more than 1 of these. Are all 7 true? (several obviously are) Maybe, but at least one of them seems very far fetched even to someone like me who is very accepting of the naturally diverse understandings of people.

The first in the list might initially seem less profound and divinely powerful than it really is until you notice more about what Romans 6 tells us on how His death on the cross works on us -- Christ's influence on us is very well expressed in Romans 6.

So, I'd like to offer Romans 6 first as a warm up and then encourage everyone to review the 7 Main Christian theories of Atonement. (at the end)

Romans 6 -- Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ​

6 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

Slaves to Righteousness​

15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. -- https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans 6&version=NIV


The Seven Theories of Atonement summarized:

7 Theories of the Atonement Summarized - Stephen D. Morrison

7 Theories of the Atonement discussed and briefly explained. Article by Stephen D Morrison

www.sdmorrison.org

Great opening post on the forum. You are speaking my love language from Scripture.

I love his recommendation as this is an in-depth look at the biblical and historical view of the atonement. I bought this book last year.

Recommended reading​

The following books are some of the best studies on the atonement I know and recommend for further reading:


Atonement, Justice, and Peace by Darrin W. Snyder Belousek (the best argument against penal substitution I’ve read)

 

[Diserner]

Here's the deal.

God can defeat the devil and death without becoming a man and dying; why does he need to do it that way?

Makes no sense.

God can influence people and display his government without becoming a man and dying; why does he need to do it that way?

Makes no sense.

God can ransom people back and prove himself innocent, without becoming a man and dying; why does he need to do it that way?

Makes no sense.


ALL other theories of atonement, and I do mean ALL, can only have meaning if derived from the ideas of sin and its punishment.

WHY are we even in this mess? Why does God have to FIX anything at all? What is it God is even fixing?

Without a thorough understand of what sin and its punishment entails. you are lost in the water, you are floundering.


The ONLY reason that makes any sense for God to become a man and die, to save the world, forgive sins, defeat death, defeat the devil, be a good influence, establish his government, and ransom everyone back, is this:


The punishment of sin creates the problems, and sin must be fully judged for God to redeem.

Jesus judges sin on the Cross, and "payment" language permeates all of Scripture.

God became a man and died for one reason: to suffer the punishment sin deserves.

 

[Diserner]

Books I recommend.

 

[halbhh]

God can defeat the devil and death without becoming a man and dying; why does he need to do it that way?

As I was reading your full post, even here in the first sentence the powerful thought comes from above in Romans 6 -- we see Christ suffering on the cross our own evils we all have done (at some times)-- such as loving our friends but not everyone we meet, or judging someone wrongly, or accusing someone unjustly (or without the full picture), or many more wrongs we do -- all of which Christ suffered, common human evils we all have done at times....

We see Him coming to give us love, the One Who loves us -- literally suffer our own evils we have done...

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. -- Romans 5

And that convicts us, awakens our conscience in a way that nothing else can, in an ultimate way...so that finally many that had previously refused might suddenly be convicted in their hearts, turn, finally be humble and repentant, admitting their wrong and reconciling with God, Who is always pure and just and cannot allow sin into heaven.

So the promise from Isaiah comes with extra help to turn to God:

"Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon." -- Isaiah 55

Christ literally came He said for this:

31 And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

So, if He had not suffered our evils in front of us, literally dying of our evils done to Him, would so many of us turn and finally repent -- millions instead of only thousands? I think only because He has so many of us do.

So, I see His sacrifice for us on the cross to be also about changing us, just as Romans 6 says. About defeating the power of sin over us.

Therefore, there is more than only 1 aspect to atonement. Atonement is to be reconciled to God, which means we have to change.

In a way, this fits hand in glove with other aspects, such as the one you've worded: "God became a man and died for one reason: to suffer the punishment sin deserves."

So, this isn't an either/or, but a both/and, we read in various places in scripture, as all of these many things are stated in scripture: that Christ died for us, that He died to satisfy God's wrath, that He died but rose victorious over death and sin.

It's many things, all things that are needed.

 

[Diserner]

Yes.

When Christ died, we died too.

When Christ resurrected, he brings that resurrection power to us to change us.


But no death with Christ, no resurrection with Christ.

 

[halbhh]

Great opening post on the forum. You are speaking my love language from Scripture.

I love his recommendation as this is an in-depth look at the biblical and historical view of the atonement. I bought this book last year.

Recommended reading​

The following books are some of the best studies on the atonement I know and recommend for further reading:


Atonement, Justice, and Peace by Darrin W. Snyder Belousek (the best argument against penal substitution I’ve read)

If I see that in our church library (which has a lot of books), I'll definitely want to read some and see what it's like.

 

[halbhh]

Yes.

When Christ died, we died too.

When Christ resurrected, he brings that resurrection power to us to change us.


But no death with Christ, no resurrection with Christ.

I do think it's very hard to improve on the divine wording of Romans 6 -- when I've tried to paraphrase, I've not done nearly so well as the actual wording!
Those verses, 3 through 10 -- that's just a higher wording than I can intellectually represent in other wording!

 

[Diserner]

I do think it's very hard to improve on the divine wording of Romans 6 -- when I've tried to paraphrase, I've not done nearly so well as the actual wording!
Those verses, 3 through 10 -- that's just a higher wording than I can intellectually represent in other wording!

Yet, you are eager to read all these atonement books filled with error and lies that contradict God's clear Word?

Why not just read the Bible alone forever and not come here?

Do consider not compromising my friend.

 

[halbhh]

Yet, you are eager to read all these atonement books filled with error and lies that contradict God's clear Word?

Why not just read the Bible alone forever and not come here?

Do consider not compromising my friend.

Well, I haven't read any atonement books, except the New Testament.

Perhaps that shows what I'm 'eager' to read, yes? I can't get enough, even having read all the books at least 4 times, and most of them more than 4 times, I will continue to listen, and hear the words.

 

[civic]

Well, I haven't read any atonement books, except the New Testament.

Perhaps that shows what I'm 'eager' to read, yes? I can't get enough, even having read all the books at least 4 times, and most of them more than 4 times, I will continue to listen, and hear the words.

I wrote a thesis paper on the atonement and I will be adding to it as I continue my studies. Take a look .

https://berean-apologetics.community.forum/threads/the-nature-of-god-in-the-atonement.30/