Atonement

Atonement¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2005

When Christians say that Jesus is the atonement for sin, they usually mean that his death paid the penalty for man's transgression of God's holy standard.² Indeed, that is the primary English definition of the word: To atone is to make amends or reparation. It is as if man pawned his life as collateral for the pleasure of sin and then discovered that he could not pay the high interest to redeem it. Jesus' death pays the inflated ticket price to get man out of 'hock.' While atonement does involve the satisfaction of a debt, there is more to the biblical definition than remuneration (expiation).

I. The meaning of atonement 

Rewarded in Heaven

Recompense According to Deeds—Are You Ready?¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2007

In Paul's second letter to the church at Corinth, he describes a potentially uncomfortable review that every believer will face.

2 Cor 5:10 ...we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

The apostle is not addressing a person's entry to heaven but his status in heaven, whether ruling a city or pushing a broom. So, are you ready for your review?

God is not indifferent to people's behavior. While He may not respond positively or negatively in this life, He will certainly respond in the next life, and in a manner that is entirely appropriate.²

Circumcision and salvation

Circumcision of the Heart¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2001

Perhaps more than any other aspect of Torah, circumcision has negative connotations in Christian circles. It is the ultimate expression of legalism and the antithesis of grace. Indeed, some of Paul's statements appear to support this evaluation, or at least the conclusion that circumcision has lost whatever significance it once had.

Rom 3:1 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? ...30 [T]here is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.

1 Cor 7:18 Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. 19a Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing.

Gal 5:6a For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value.

Gal 6:15 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything;

Col 3:11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

In fact, circumcision can actually be detrimental to one's relationship with God.

Gal 5:2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.

Is Paul countermanding divine instruction in the Old Testament concerning circumcision, or is he rather concerned with a misunderstanding of the practice? To answer that question, one must first establish what the Old Testament teaches about circumcision.

Put not your faith in these things

Inadequate Means of Salvation¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2012

During the Second Temple Period, as foreign rule led to worsening conditions among many in the Jewish community, people turned their attention from the difficulties of this life to the ideal state of the next life, which led naturally to the question: How can one enter the blissful realm of God? There were several erroneous theories that claimed credence as the answer, but all of them were Inadequate Means of Salvation.

Healing in the atonement?

Healing in the Atonement¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—1995

Some Christians claim the benefits of Jesus' atonement go beyond forgiveness of sin to include healing of disease.² To support this notion, proponents appeal primarily to Isaiah's statement about the messiah: "by his wounds we are healed" (Isa 53:5b). They also say that Jesus illustrated this element in his earthly ministry, as one of the gospel writers observes.

Matt 8:16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases."

According to this view, believers can lay claim to this additional provision through prayer and through faith in the efficacy of Jesus' work.

However attractive this idea seems, it suffers from several deficiencies, one of which is to assume a far more specific meaning of the relevant biblical passages than their contexts indicate.³ Isaiah is not talking about physical maladies but about spiritual malaise, as a review of the entire verse makes clear.

Unpardonable sin

Unpardonable Sin¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2012

If a person commits a crime—be it shoplifting, selling drugs, even murder—our society has determined the appropriate consequence or penalty for such a crime—be it a fine, jail time, even execution. That penalty is the temporal payment society demands from an individual who breaks the law, a payment he must make to absolve his guilt before society. (In Israelite society, animal sacrifices were also a means of temporal payment.) The demands of society, the penalties its courts exact, apply only in this life. Beyond that point, a person falls exclusively under God's jurisdiction and answers to Him alone.

When human law corresponds to God's law, there is an eternal payment He demands from the transgressor, a payment that individual must make to absolve his guilt before God. That eternal payment, however, is beyond anything the offender can afford—no fine he can pay, no time he can serve, no animal sacrifice he can make, not even offering his own life. The only payment sufficient to absolve his guilt before God, and the only payment God accepts, is what Jesus made on the cross. Understanding this distinction between what is temporal, affecting only this life, and what is eternal, affecting also the next life, is essential to understanding the nature and consequence of unpardonable sin.

When the biblical authors talk about specific sins,² they make some careful distinctions. Certain offenses are more serious than others, and the penalty God demands for disobedience is appropriate to their gravity. One of the main tenets of Israel's faith, a declaration appearing repeatedly in scripture, is that "the LORD [is a] gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness... and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin" (Exod 34:6-7a).³ Were this not an accurate description of His character, we would surely perish. Nevertheless, we also read in scripture about unpardonable sin, iniquity beyond God's power to forgive.⁴ What could be so heinous that it renders the offender unredeemable?⁵

The Book of Life

When does God write a person's name in the Book of Life?¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—1995

The biblical authors speak about more than one heavenly record!² In describing the final judgment, Daniel and John write that God refers to several documents.³

Dan 7: 10c The court was seated, and the books were opened.

Rev. 20:12a And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.

The volume that appears most often in scripture is the Book of Life (8x), which is a list of all God has delivered from death.⁴ It does not include the name of every human being,⁵ only of the righteous, those God redeemed by the blood of the Lamb (note the association in two verses below). The unrighteous do not become part of this ledger, as John repeatedly makes clear in his Revelation.

What must one believe?

The Fate of the Unevangelized¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2009

After the Day of Pentecost, Peter and John are in the temple proclaiming the gospel. When the religious authorities attempt to dissuade them from preaching about Jesus, Peter responds,

Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.

From this passage, it would seem that God determines people's final destiny according to their acceptance or rejection of Jesus.² Indeed, Jesus, himself, says that the future disposition of men's souls is dependent upon their relationship to him.³

John 14:6 ...I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Moreover, the biblical authors indicate that rejecting Jesus is tantamount to rejecting God and that the result is eternal condemnation.⁴ John states,

John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.

The assurance of eternal life is comforting for us who have accepted the gospel, but what about those who have not had this opportunity? What is the fate of the unevangelized, of those who never heard about Jesus (or who heard a distorted message)? The question is statistically significant, because it concerns the vast majority of people who have ever lived (Fudge 1994:615). It is also theologically significant, because it reflects (or affects) our understanding of God's character.

Christian theologians have generally taken one of three positions across a broad spectrum. I will outline them briefly, then treat in more detail the position that has the strongest biblical support. The two extreme positions are restrictivism and universalism.

Access to God was always the same

An Equal-Accessibility Deity¹
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Does God Have Different Rules for Different People in Different Periods?
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2007

Does God have different rules for different people in different periods of history? Does the way they receive salvation change as His plan unfolds? ...No. God is an "Equal-Accessibility Deity," in that believers, both Jews and non-Jews, come to God the same way.

• People have always had contact with Him through prayer (without the need of additional human mediation)²

• People have always been justified by faith apart from works.³

• People have always received forgiveness for sin upon repentance.⁴

Salvation in the Old Testament

Salvation in the Old Testament¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—1995

Parts of the biblical text can become so familiar to us that we read them without thinking, assuming we understand when, in fact, we may be missing the point or even failing to notice a potential problem. One such passage for me was...

Rom 4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."

I had considered it, as I assumed Paul intended, to be one of the clearest statements that God has always justified (i.e., saved) by faith, that there was no difference between the way people got saved before or after the New Testament. However true that may be, when I looked more closely, I noticed a problem with the Old Testament text Paul cites and the way he uses it.

Gen 15:5 [The LORD] took [Abram] outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

What is the problem? ...The Genesis passage is not about salvation.² How, then, does this affect (our understanding of) Paul's argument?

Calvinism and Arminianism

Calvinism and Arminianism¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2006

Most believers are in agreement on the major issues of theology we have examined thus far, so I have spiced up the discussion with statements on these topics by pseudo-Christian groups. The finer points of soteriology, however, have generated significant debate among orthodox Christians, especially during the sixteenth century Reformation, when two prominent schools of thought emerged: Calvinism and Arminianism.

Calvinism derives its name from the French reformer, John Calvin (1509-1564). The primary emphasis of this school is God's sovereignty, and proponents at the Council of Dort (1618) distilled the main tenets into five points, with the helpful acronym: t-u-l-i-p.

1. Total depravity (or natural inability)
2. Unconditional election (or predestination)
3. Limited atonement
4. Irresistible grace (or effectual calling)
5. Perseverance of the saints

Calvinism is the dominant theology of Anglican, Reformed, and Presbyterian churches.

Arminianism derives its name from a Dutch theologian, Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609), who was himself a Calvinist but began to question some of the teachings of that school and became an outspoken critic of it. The primary distinction of Arminianism is its recognition of man's responsibility, and proponents outlined the system in the Remonstrance of 1610, largely in answer to the five points of Calvinism (albeit without a helpful acronym).

1. Freewill
2. Conditional election
3. Unlimited atonement
4. Resistible grace
5. Failure of the saints (or falling from grace)

Arminianism is the dominant theology of Wesleyan and Methodist churches.

Theology Series Chapter 7: Salvation

Chapter VII: Soteriology
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

Our last unit established, among other things, that man has 'fallen and he can't get up,' at least, not without God's help. This next unit deals with divine aid, what theologians call soteriology or salvation. Because this is just a survey, we will confine our study to answering two questions:

• First, why does God save us? What is His purpose, His motivation and intention in acting on our behalf?

• Second, how does God save us? What does the procedure involve, and what is our part, if any, in it?

Most of the information about this topic comes from the New Testament, an interesting distinction that we will examine later.
[The end notes can be found in the linked pdf]

Honorable service

FATHER'S DAY:
The Father's Willingness (John 12:26; 15:16)
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2011

Sometimes boys will get in a bragging match over the merits of their respective fathers: "My dad's stronger than your dad. Well, my dad's smarter than your dad." It is good when a child can be proud of his father, although such an exchange is often given to some exaggeration.

An Army kid was boasting about his father to a Navy kid. "My dad is an engineer. He can do everything. Do you know the Alps?" "Yes," said the Navy kid. "My dad built them." Not wanting to be outdone, the Navy kid spoke: "Do you know the Dead Sea?" "Yes," said the Army kid. "Well...my dad's the one who killed it!"

It is good when a child can be proud of his father. This applies to earthly fathers as well as to one's heavenly Father. The difference, of course, is that bragging about your heavenly Father is not given to exaggeration, because however you describe Him does not even come close to how great He is.

It is common in Judaism to refer to God as "Our Father."¹ So, when Jesus teaches his disciples a short prayer, he addresses it to "Our Father, who is in heaven" (Matt 6:9).² Jesus often describes God in ways that give his disciples and us insight into God's character. What does it mean to have God as our Father? As his children, what obligations do we have to Him? Can we expect anything from Him? ...In Jesus' final week before his crucifixion, he answers these questions, explaining the requirements God has for His children and how He will respond when they meet those requirements. Please turn to John 12, where Jesus espouses an important...

Principle: The Father will honor those who are dutiful.

Hints of Heaven #5: The Great Challenge

Hints of Heaven:
Reflections on the Realm of the Righteous—
#5 The Great Challenge (Matt 25:21,34)
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

Do you ever get bored? I have never understood the concept of boredom, perhaps because I have always found a way to occupy my attention. I understand, though, that some people are not so easily amused as I am and may even prefer some diversion, if they need to pass the time.

Fred, Jim, and Scott were at a convention together and were sharing a large suite on the top floor of a 75-story skyscraper. After a long day of meetings, they were dismayed to learn that the elevators in their hotel were out of order and that they would have to climb 75 flights of stairs to get to their room. Bill said to Jim and Scott, "Let's break the boredom of this unpleasant task by concentrating on something interesting. I'll tell jokes for 25 flights, Jim can sing songs for the next 25 flights, and Scott can tell sad stories for the rest of the way." At the 26th floor, Bill stopped telling jokes, and Jim began to sing. At the 51st floor, Jim stopped singing, and Scott began to tell sad stories. "I will tell my saddest story first," he said.... "We have to turn back." "Why?" came his friends incredulous and unison cry. "Because" Scott replied... "I left our room key in the car."

Thankfully, the 'stairway to heaven'¹ will not require us to climb several flights or to amuse ourselves along the way. In fact, the ascent is not difficult at all, and it is to a destination that entails "The Great Challenge."

The final installment in our series, Hints of Heaven, brings us back to the Olivet Discourse, where the disciples ask Jesus about the kingdom of heaven. In Matt 25, he explains people's experience when they come before the great king who will determine their fate. As we noted last time, in "The Great Contrast," there will be only two groups at the end, a division Jesus confirms here. He also offers clues about the prospects of those who enter the kingdom.

Hints of Heaven #4: The Great Contrast

Hints of Heaven:
Reflections on the Realm of the Righteous—
#4 The Great Contrast (Luke 16:19-31)
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

Are you indecisive? Do you have trouble making up your mind? Are you afraid of commitment? Rather than taking a stand, do you prefer straddling the fence?

A large group of people gathered in the 'no man's land' of the hereafter, between heaven and hell. On one side stood Jesus, and on the other side stood Satan. Separating Jesus and Satan was a fence. Jesus and Satan began calling to people in the group and, one by one, each having made up his own mind, they went either to Jesus' side of the fence or to Satan's side of the fence. Eventually, the whole group had divided, moving to one side or the other. Jesus took his group to heaven, and Satan took his group to hell. One man, however, joined neither group. He climbed the fence and sat on it. Soon, Satan returned. "Have you forgotten something?" the man on the fence asked. "Nope," Satan said, "Come with me." The man objected, "I sat on the fence. I chose neither you nor him." "That's what you think," Satan replied.... "I own the fence."

Contrary to popular mythology, Satan is not in charge of hell. Remember: hell is not the devil's playground; it is (or, will be) his prison.¹ Nevertheless, he does to some extent "own the fence," which is what Jesus meant when he said, "He who is not with me is against me" (Matt 12:30a).

The next installment in our series, Hints of Heaven, is "The Great Contrast," which illustrates that there are only two sides in the cosmic conflict and there is no neutral ground, no fence on which to sit.²