PENAL SUBSTITUTION Madi Maria ANSELM Humans have offended
PENAL SUBSTITUTION Madi & Maria
ANSELM • Humans have offended an infinite and ultimate God by breaking his laws • Therefore, we have an infinite and ultimate debt to God • This debt is one of honour – ‘this is the debt which man and angel owe to God, and no one who pays this debt commits sin; and this is the sole and complete debt of honour which we owe to God, and which God requires of us’ • Humans aren’t infinite or ultimate, so we can’t pay that debt sufficiently, and only a member of the Godhead could do that
KARL BARTH • Karl argued that Christ died in peoples’ place, rather than to satisfy God’s need for punishment • Instead Jesus bore all of our sins and took them to hell when he died • He also believed in recapitulation, the belief that Christ’s life was as important as his death • Christ connected with many people during his life, drawing them in not just to pay the penalty on their behalf but to lead them to eternal life
COLIN GUNTON • Gunton also takes the modern view of substitution • He argued that God governs the universe like a feudal judge • In the OT people would make amends for their sins through the sacrifice of animals • Jesus fits into this sacrificial system by becoming the sacrificial lamb who atones for the entirety of humanity’s sinfulness • This means the end of the sacrificial system
KEITH WARD • Ward criticised the substitution theory because if a human used the same substitution theory in a human context, many believe it would not be considered justifiable • For example, a righteous judge taking the death penalty of a guilty murderer would not be justifiable • Similarly, it is simply incorrect for an innocent individual to take the punishment of a guilty individual (who receives no punishment for it) • Why can this theory then be legitimate for God?
MICHAEL WINTER • He argued that the penal substitution theory is incompatible with the teachings of the scripture • Jesus’ parables of forgiveness imply that compensation is unnecessary for reconciliation • Jesus specifically said “Forgive and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6: 37) • If Christ pays humanities debt for sin, God cannot truly forgive us
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