Department of Bible and Theology Southwestern Assemblies of God University Sample Paper Students often ask for a sample paper that serves as a good example of what faculty in the Department of Bible and Theology expect in their courses. To that end, the department presents the following paper by Joseph Kendrick. The department would like to thank Joseph for granting permission to reproduce his paper for the benefit of future students. In addition to this sample paper, the department has a Turabian guide sheet available on the departmental page on the SAGU website. Both documents serve only as guides; students should consult the latest edition of Turabian Manual for more specifics. Students should also dialogue with their professors to determine their preferences for term papers. Some aspects of Turabian are left open to the preferences of individual professors or institutions. Always consult your professor and the course syllabus.
SOUTHWESTERN ASSEMBLIES OF GOD UNIVERSITY A STUDY OF THE ATONEMENT AS IT RELATES TO GOD THE FATHER PRESENTED TO BRUCE ROSDAHL, Ph.D. IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COURSE SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY II THE 3133 BY JOSEPH KENDRICK DATE DUE: APRIL 2, 2012 DATE SUBMITTED: APRIL 2, 2012
Table of Contents Introduction 1 Definition of the Atonement 2 The Objective Nature of the Atonement 2 The Cause of the Atonement 4 The Necessity of the Atonement 7 Conclusion 8 Bibliography 10 ii
Introduction In one of his convicting and thought provoking sermons, J. C. Ryle, a prominent preacher in the nineteenth century, presents Christians with a life-defining question. He simply asks, What do you think about the Cross of Christ? 1 His purpose in this sermon is to outline and portray the importance and centrality of the cross in the Christian message. Emphatically and abundantly, Ryle proclaims that if the cross of Christ is not kept at the center of the Gospel message, then the message being presented is not the Gospel at all. Without the Cross, no good will be done. 2 Indeed, Ryle is right. The whole message of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, points to Jesus Christ and the work that he did on the cross. It is impossible to correctly read the Bible without seeing that the overlying story points to the centrality of the cross. If the cross is so central to Scripture, and if the biblical authors were so adamant about pointing to the work that Christ did on the cross, then it is of utmost importance to have a correct view of what occurred on that day. Just as it can be deadly to a Christian s spiritual life to have an incorrect view of who Christ is, so it can be lethal to one s spiritual wellbeing to misunderstand the atoning work of Christ on the cross. There are many different aspects concerning what happened and what was accomplished on Calvary. As is the case with any doctrine, there are some aspects that are fundamental to having a correct view of the atonement 1 J. C. Ryle, What Think You of the Cross? in Calvary s Cross, Dwight L. Moody et al. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1966), 37. 2 Ibid., 44. 1
2 and without which it is impossible to rightly understand Christ s work on the cross. Biblical evidence clearly conveys that the atonement was an objective work, meaning that the primary effect of the atonement was on God. Further, the cause and necessity of the atonement both derive their source from the good will of God the Father, specifically his love and justice. 3 Definition of the Atonement Before delving into the cause, necessity and objective nature of the atonement, it will be helpful to have a working definition of what the atonement is. Specifically, the atonement is the biblical doctrine that God has reconciled sinners to Himself through the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ. 4 Generally speaking, and for the purpose of the following discussion, the atonement is the work that Christ did to earn salvation for humanity. This includes his life, death, and everything that he accomplished therein. The Objective Nature of the Atonement It is common in discussions of the atonement to hear comments about what Christ did for the sinner and about the effects that Christ s death has on human beings. These are called subjective effects of the atonement, meaning that their primary influence is on humanity. Although they are plentiful and there could be long hours of discussion about such aspects of the atonement, it is important to note that these human-centered effects are not primary. The 3 It is important to note that there are other important aspects of the atonement in addition to those listed here. For example, both the extent of the atonement and the effects that the atonement has on humanity are very important topics to consider. However, they are simply outside of the scope of the present discussion. The focus here will remain on the objective nature of the atonement and the love and justice of God which cause and necessitate the atonement. Logos Bible Software. 4 Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), s.v. atonement.
3 atonement makes its primary influence on the person to whom it is made. 5 In other words, the most important effect of Christ s death on the cross was upon God and the satisfaction of his laws. This is what is meant by the objective nature of the atonement. One way that Scripture makes this evident is by stating that Christ was a sacrifice. Hebrews 9:26 says that Christ appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 6 There is no other way to make sense of Christ being a sacrifice except to acknowledge that the only logical recipient of the sacrifice must be God. Sacrifice in the Old Testament was always made primarily to affect God by appeasing his anger and thwarting his wrath. Thus, the whole idea of Jesus being a sacrifice pleads the case that the primary effect of the atonement was on God the Father and the fulfilling of his everlasting decrees. Another way of looking at the objective nature of the atonement is to observe the use of the word propitiation in the New Testament. Propitiation means the turning away of anger. 7 When Paul says that Christ was put forward by God as a propitiation by his blood (Rom 3:25), he is emphatically stating that it was only through Christ s death that God s wrath was appeased. Through the crucifixion and the abandonment by God, Jesus bore the wrath of God. God the Father s abandonment of Jesus came to an apex when Jesus cried out, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Mt 27:46). Jesus cry of dereliction signifies the wrath and curse of God poured out on him in the act of forsaking. 8 By bearing the wrath of God, Christ achieved propitiation for humanity. 5 Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1996), 373. 6 ESV, and for all future Bible references unless otherwise stated. 1983), 151. 7 Leon Morris, The Atonement: Its Meaning and Significance (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, Society 54 (2011): 230. 8 Adam Johnson, A Temple Framework of the Atonement, Journal of the Evangelical Theological
4 Without propitiation there is no way that forgiveness, reconciliation, or any other aspect of the atonement could occur. Propitiation comes before other aspects of the atonement in that it is what removes God s underlying predisposition of wrath against the sin of humanity. Without the death of Christ having a personal effect on God by removing his anger against the sin of humanity, the atonement could not occur. The inclusion of the concept of propitiation in the atonement of Christ clearly teaches that the effect of the atonement was primarily on God and the changing of his predisposition of wrath against humanity. In the atonement, Jesus acted as a substitute sacrifice and bore the wrath of God the Father. By doing so, he objectively influenced God the Father so that there was no longer any divine wrath stored up against humanity. Christ died to satisfy a principle in the very nature of God the Father. 9 The Cause of the Atonement Not only was the primary effect of the atonement on God the Father, but the primary cause and origin of the atonement also find their sources in the will of the Father. Many have proposed that the cause of the atonement is found elsewhere, perhaps in the need to satisfy some type of satanic rights or to provide a moral example to humanity. However, these and other views are simply not supported by the Bible. The overwhelming evidence from Scripture points to the cause of the atonement primarily originating from the goodwill of the Father. Galatians 1:4 says that Christ gave up his life according to the will of our God and Father. Scripture also teaches that God was pleased to dwell in Christ and to use Christ to reconcile to himself all of humanity (Is 53:10; Col 1:19-20). The moving cause of the atonement is found in the good pleasure of God to save sinners by a substitutionary 9 Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1984), 2:796.
5 atonement. 10 God simply wanted to save humanity. However, this idea can be pressed slightly harder to reveal what it was about the nature of God that caused him to desire to save humanity. When turning to Scripture to answer this question, two aspects of God s character rise to the foreground. It was both the divine love and everlasting justice of God which produced in him the desire to provide atonement for humanity. Throughout the Bible, God s everlasting love is repeatedly linked with the work that Christ did on the cross (Jn 3:16; Rom 5:8; Gal 2:20). It was because of God s love for humanity that he provided means for reconciliation to occur. Christ s life and death are the expression of God s love for us. 11 However, if it were only love that compelled God to provide for the atonement, then the blood sacrifice of Christ would not have been required. Indeed, the second aspect of God s desire to save humanity is equally as important. It is impossible to mention the love of God as a cause of the atonement without also mentioning the justice of God. Romans 3:26 says that God sent Christ into the world in order to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Some have tried to argue that one of these aspects of God s nature is more important than the other. For example, consider contemporary Christianity. The popularity of John 3:16 and the general emphasis on God s love often leave the justice of God in some back room as if it only comes secondary to the love of God. However, this view, and any view which does not equally emphasize both aspects, is lacking. Both the love and the justice of God are completely 10 Berkhof, Systematic Theology, 367. Hill Press, 1959), 221. 11 H. Orton Wiley and Paul T. Culbertson, Introduction to Christian Theology (Kansas City: Beacon
6 and equally necessary in order to have a biblical view of God s nature and the cause of the atonement. 12 One more important note needs to be made about the cause of the atonement. John Stott, an evangelical author and scholar, notes that Christ was sent to the cross as a result of our own greed, envy, cowardice and other sins. 13 He has a point here. According to 1 Corinthians 15:3, Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures. Although the ultimate cause of the atonement was God s loving and just desire to save humanity, there would have been no need for the atonement if there was no sin. In light of this, it is correct to say that the cause of the atonement was primarily God s desire to save humanity, but this only came about as a response to the sinfulness of humanity. Therefore, just as one must not ignore the subjective aspects of the atonement when discussing the objective nature, so it is important to remember that even though the primary cause of the atonement was the love and justice of God, the sin of humanity also played a role in the cause of the atonement. Galatians 1:4 sums this up well when it says that Christ gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. 14 The Necessity of the Atonement Before addressing whether or not the death of Christ was necessary, it is important to take a step back and realize that God was under no compulsion to offer atonement for the sins of humanity. There would have been nothing unjust about God leaving humanity in its fallen state. Zondervan, 1999), 248-49. 12 Wayne Grudem, Bible Doctrine: Essential Teachings of the Christian Faith (Grand Rapids: 13 John R. W. Stott, The Cross of Christ (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1986), 83. 14 Emphasis added.
7 God could quite justly have abandoned us to our fate. He could have left us alone to reap the fruit of our wrongdoing and to perish in our sins. It is what we deserved. 15 There is absolutely no scriptural support for the idea that God was under some obligation to provide for the atonement. Just as God did not spare the angels when they sinned (2 Pt 2:4), he did not have to spare humanity. However, as has already been shown, God, in his everlasting love, did choose to provide for the atonement. As a consequence of this decision, it became absolutely necessary for the atonement to occur in the way that it did. There was no other way for God to save humanity. Therefore, the atonement was absolutely necessary, but only as a consequence of God s loving decision to save humanity. 16 One verse that is often cited to prove the absolute necessity of the atonement is the prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus prayed, My father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will (Mt 26:39). The fact that Jesus still had to be crucified is a testament to the truth that it was not possible for God to provide forgiveness and reconciliation for humanity apart from Jesus actual death on the cross. Romans 3:25 says that God presented Christ as a sacrifice because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. In other words, there were sins that had been committed in the past which God had not punished. Because God is a just and holy God, sin must always be punished. The only way that God could truly operate in his justice was to provide a punishment for the sins that he had previously looked over. Thus, it was absolutely necessary for Jesus to act as the substitute sacrifice for these sins. 17 15 Stott, Cross of Christ, 83. 16 Grudem, Bible Doctrine, 246. 17 David Martin Lloyd-Jones, Great Doctrines of the Bible: God the Father, God the Son (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1996), 330. Logos Bible Software.
8 There are several other places where Scripture makes it clear that it was absolutely necessary for Christ to die. Jesus himself said that he must die (Jn 3:14; Mt 16:21; Lk 17:25). One of the most straightforward assertions from Scripture that addresses the necessity of Christ s death comes from Acts 17:3. This verse speaks of Paul explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and rise from the dead. Paul would not have argued this point if there were some other way by which the atonement could have been made. If these verses are taken seriously, it becomes evident that there was no other way that God could have provided for the atonement. There are some who continue to speculate about other ways that God could have met all of the requirements of his holy character without the sacrifice of Jesus. However, in light of these verses, such speculations become insignificant. According to Scripture there is no doubt that the only basis on which a Holy God could forgive sin was by His Son bearing the penalty of the sinner s guilt. 18 Conclusion The atoning work of Christ on the cross is a multifaceted event that stands at the foundation of Christian doctrine and belief. Although it is often made to sound as though it was primarily God s gift to humanity and made its primary influence on humans, this creates an inadequate view of what occurred on Calvary. The truth is that God the Father was profoundly influenced and affected by the atonement. The atonement was not a one-sided event in which God poured out salvation blessings on humanity. On the contrary, the atonement was a profoundly personal event during which both Savior and saved were deeply influenced. The death of Christ on the cross finds it origin, purpose and necessity in the being of God the Father. 18 G. P. Duffield and N. M. Van Cleave, Foundations of Pentecostal Theology (Los Angeles: L.I.F.E. Bible College, 1983), 183. Logos Bible Software.
Bibliography Berkhof, Louis. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1996. Brand, Chad, Charles Draper, and Archie England, eds. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003. Logos Bible Software. Duffield, G. P. and N. M. Van Cleave. Foundations of Pentecostal Theology. Los Angeles: L.I.F.E. Bible College, 1983. Logos Bible Software. Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology. 2 Vols. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1984. Grudem, Wayne. Bible Doctrines: Essential Teachings of the Christian Faith. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999. Johnson, Adam. A Temple Framework of the Atonement. Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 54 (June 2011): 225-37. Leow, Theng-Huat. The Cruciality of the Cross: P. T. Forsyth s Understanding of the Atonement. International Journal of Systematic Theology 11 (April 2009): 190-207. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=3ed20c6c-d780-4203- 8b12-81ae85378896%40sessionmgr11&vid=4&hid=9 (accessed March 30, 2012). Lloyd-Jones, David Martyn. Great Doctrines of the Bible: God the Father, God the Son. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1996. Logos Bible Software. Moody, Dwight L., J. K. Barney, J. C. Ryle, W. Aitken, T. Dewitt Talmage, C. H. Spurgeon, Horatio Bonar, David J. Burrell, and D. W. Whittle. Calvary s Cross. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1966. Morris, Leon. Glory in the Cross: A Study in the Atonement. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1966. Morris, Leon. The Atonement: Its Meaning and Significance. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1983. Stott, John R. W. The Cross of Christ. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1986. Vanderhorst, Ariel James. Mere Atonement: C. S. Lewis & the Multiple Angles of Redemption. Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity 22 (April 2009): 27-31. 10
Wiley, H. Orton and Paul T. Culbertson. Introduction to Christian Theology. Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press, 1959. 11