Just God?: Redeeming the Cross of Christ

8/8/2019 Just God?: Redeeming the Cross of Christ

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Just God?

Redeeming the Cross of Christ

John Dao (Box 76A)

12/21/2010

Systematic Theology II

Dr. Vidu

How is God just in requiring an innocent man to die in order to let the guilty go free? How can we

reconcile Pauls use of cultic metaphor to Jesus understanding of his own death? This paper hopes

to explain why modern theories of atonement are both inadequate and problematic and offers analternative understanding of Christs obedience and servitude as the primary mechanisms of the

salvific work on the cross.


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And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, The LORD, the LORD, thecompassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love andfaithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion andsin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and theirchildren for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.

Exodus 34: 6-7 NIV

These are the words spoken by God to Moses on top of Mount Sinai and are

Gods declaration of His full name and nature. It is against this backdrop of Semitic

understanding that we may reflect upon theology of who God is and can even hope

to build upon what God has already established himself to be. However, it is this

very verse that contemporary atonement theories struggle to be reconciled to.

There are by and large four main popular theories of atonement brought

about by early theologians that currently exist: Ransom Theory (or Christus Victor)

of Irenaeus and Gregory of Nyssa, Penal Substitution of Martin Luther and John

Calvin, Satisfaction Theory by Anselm, and Peter Abelards Moral Influence Theory,

all of which are based off of a literal understanding of Pauls metaphors for Christ

and him crucified1. However, the very nature of metaphor is not a literal one.

When we say that Jesus was the lamb of God, we do not literally mean Jesus was a

lamb, as we claim only his dual full divinity and full humanity, not a triune nature of

man, God, and sheep. However, to use metaphor is to see something through the

lens of something else. Upon viewing the crucifixion through the lens of a lamb

being sacrificed highlights certain similarities, but it would be a mistake (or at least

an illogical jump) to say that Jesus was a lamb being sacrificed.

Penal substitution makes use of a literal reading of this metaphor. Jesus was

sacrificed and thus took the punishment and the full force of the wrath of God in

11 Cor 2:2


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our place. When we read Romans 3:25-26, it seems to be in support of Penal

substitution, that God justified his past forgiveness of sins through the sacrifice of

Jesus Christ. However, there are a few problems with this reading. First of all, God

must remain just as the result of atonement, but what is just or fair about the

murder of an innocent so that all those who are actually guilty of sin maybe

forgiven? This depiction of God makes Him out to be no better than the Jews who

demanded of Pilate that Barabbas be released unto them instead of Jesus, in whom

Pilate found no basis for charge (Luke 23:4 NIV). As Abelard writes,

How cruel and wicked it seems that anyone should demand the blood of an

innocent person as the price for anything, or that it should in anyway please

him that an innocent man should be slainstill less that God should consider

the death of His own Son so agreeable that by it he should be reconciled to

the whole world!2

It affirms that God would honor human sacrifices (which are everywhere

condemned in the Old Testament)3. It is without question that God abhors child

sacrifices and shedding the blood of innocents, and how much more so His very

own son!

Secondly, it divorces the love of God from the Justice of God, both of which

are essential to Gods character and name as noted in Exodus 34:5-7. It pits the

compassionate Christ against the wrathful Father thus causing conflict within the

Trinity. Christ then becomes the victim of divine domestic abuse, which is hardly

the image of God we would like to portray. It is very unclear as to how Christ

2Epistle ad Rom. 3:19-26; from A Scholastic Miscellany, ed. E.R Fairweather (London: SCM, 1956) 283.

3Deut 12:30-31; Jer 19:4-6; Psalms 106:37-38; Ezekiel 16:20


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becoming sin who knew no sin4 and becoming a curse for us5 (an expulsion or

scapegoat metaphor) means. If this were literally true, then we can safely say that

sin no longer exists in us because of its transferral to Christ, however this is

obviously not true. We could read it instead as the consequences of sin are taken

away, as becoming a curse seems to imply, and leads to the conclusion that the

death of Christ justifies our sin, that even if we sin it does not matter. The

consequences of this thought are obvious, and Paul even preaches against this in

Romans 6 and 7. Paul says to count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in

Christ Jesus6 yet a few lines later he writes For the wages of sin is death, but the

gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.7 It would seem that the Christian

is still responsible for letting sin reign in our mortal bodies8, as we still retain the

capacity to choose whom we are slaves to (either God or sin, never both). If

salvation was brought about by belief in the cross alone, there is no room for faith

and obedience or any room for personal transformation as the transaction is

completely objective.

How then do we reconcile Pauls metaphor of sacrifice in Romans 3:25-26?

The Greek word is translated as a sacrifice of atonement (NIV)

orpropitiation (NASB), however these translations seem misleading compared to

the words use in the Old Testament as the cover of atonement or Mercy seat.

Potentially, Christ is not the sacrifice for atonement, but rather the place where

atonement occurs or the means of expiation. Keeping in mind Pauls audience (both

42 Cor 5:21

5Gal 3:13

6Rom 6:11

7Rom 6:23

8Rom 6:12


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Jew and Gentile), this understanding is entirely plausible. Paul may be referring to

Jesus not as a sacrifice to placate the wrath of God9, but rather Christ as the place

we could come for atonement. This interpretation harmonizes with Old Testament

Scriptures as it keeps away from pagan sounding blood magic rituals and also is in

line with Gods character as both forgiving and loving, but is He just?

It says that God will not let the guilty go unpunished, a principle that seems

completely in opposition to forgiveness. Psalms 78:38 reads,

Yet he was merciful;

he forgave their iniquities

and did not destroy them.

Time after time he restrained his anger

and did not stir up his full wrath.

How is God justified in only partial punishment of their sins if the Law demands

death? Is God above his own Law, or as the Maker of the Law he reserves the right

to honor or dishonor it as he wills? The latter cannot be true, as just as the

Israelites entered into covenant with YHWH, YHWH entered into covenant with

Israel, and God honors his promises, else there would be no reason to trust in Him

and his Law would become arbitrary. So then, God is not (yet) justified in forgiving

Israel, and thus comes why many feel the doctrine of atonement is necessary: that

God is not just unless someone is punished, but just how does Christs death on a

cross vindicate not only man, but God himself?

9This would deny the sovereignty of God by his being affected by cultic ritual. This was also contrary to many

Greek philosophers of the time. Plato considers it an absurd notion to be able to manipulate the Gods through

sacrificial bribery. Finlan, Stephan. Problems with Atonement. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2005. Pg 23.


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However, one thing this does establish is the God has the power to forgive

sins long before the death of Jesus on the cross. Modern Christian conceptions of

atonement have suggested to us that it was the work of Christ on the cross which

forgave our sins and it was the blood of Christ which washed us white as snow10.

This notion is not only problematic but it does not take into account the authority of

Jesus to forgive sin while he was still alive.

David says in Psalm 32:1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven11,

whose sin is covered! Now quite possibly this could be prophetic and David is

exclaiming the future forgiveness that Christ would give, however if this was merely

the case, David would not be alive to even prophesy as such as Israel would have

been wiped out long ago, say in Exodus 32, not to mention this psalm most likely

comes right after Davids adultery with Bathsheba and subsequent plot to murder

Uriah. God has been forgiving mankind since Genesis and honoring his promise to

Noah to never again wipe out humanity12.

In many places throughout the Gospel as well, Jesus forgives sin13 in addition

to proclaiming salvation14 well before He died. It cannot be that sins were forgiven

through the cross, but rather it must be through the cross that justice was

accomplished. If it were the former, than in fact it would have been unjust to all

those who lived well before the time of Jesus ministry and crucifixion (not to

mention those who live in ignorance of the event) to have been denied access to

10Isaiah 1:18

11The Hebrew reads more like whose sin is carried or lifted

12Gen 8:20-22

13Mark 2:5; Luke 23:34

14Luke 19: 9; Luke 23:43


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saving faith in Christ. The way to forgiveness wasnt opened on the cross; it has

been open from the start.

So why did Jesus die if it wasnt to forgive us of our sins? Paul writes He did

it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who

justifies those who have faith in Jesus15. Ive already said that there is no justice

is an innocent man being punished to that the guilty can walk free, but how then

can we (and God) be justified? Anselm, though his Satisfaction theory is dismissed

by many as being purely speculative and not biblically grounded16, he illustrates

Gods dilemma well: either God punishes us for our iniquities or God must be

satisfied, however God promised Noah to never again wipe out humanity17, and He

promised Abraham to make him into a great nation so that the world may be

blessed through him18, as well as a promise to David of an everlasting house and

throne19, so God cannot fully punish Israel (and all of humanity) for their sins

without going back on His word and damaging his reputation. The only other

option, then, is that we be able to satisfy our end of the covenant with God, which

of course is impossible for us. The situation, therefore, looks hopeless and God

looks like a fool for putting in place this system which is failure by design, unless, of

course, God gives us a way in which to obtain righteousness. And this is exactly

what he does.

15Rom 3:26

16For more, see Green, Joel B, and Mark D. Baker. Recovering the Scandal of the Cross. Downers Grove:

InterVarsity Press, 2000. Pg. 12617

Gen 8:20-2218

Gen 12:2-319

2 Sam 7:16


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The life of Christ is the fulfillment of the law20 and of the prophets and

promises to both Abraham and David. Romans 8 1-4 clearly outline this:

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the

law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do21 in that it was

weakened by the sinful nature22, God did by sending his own Son in the

likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering23. And so he condemned sin in

sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully

met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the

Spirit.24

So God indeed made a way for us to attain righteousness, and thus God is justified

in forgiving us because of our faith in Christ given by God. It is the Law which

leads us to Christ, but we still havent answered one question: How does Christ

dying make us righteous?

The fact that Christ died isnt spectacular as he didnt do anything that isnt

common to all men, but then again, Christ was no ordinary man. The fact that

Jesus was God incarnate is an essential doctrine to Christianity. Because it was

through the disobedience of Adam that sin entered the world to corrupt and

condemn all men, what God required was the perfect obedience of another man in

20Romans 10:4

21Namely impart righteousness

22Rom 7:18 describes sinful nature as the reason which we could not fulfill the law

23For more information on Pauls use of cultic metaphors, See (Finlan 2005)

24Living according to the Spirit is the only way through which righteousness comes


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order to then redeem it25. It is written To obey is better than sacrifice26. Jesus

was not a sacrifice for our sins, but its rather through Christs obedience that God

was appeased, obedience even unto death. But why would God command Jesus to

die?

Before I answer this, I want to bring up Genesis 22, the testing of Abraham.

God commands Abraham to kill his only son and the child of promise, Isaac, even

though he detests child sacrifice. Abraham does so without question, because he

believes God and obeys. Through Abrahams obedience, an angel stops Abraham

from the sacrifice with these words, Do not do anything to him. Now I know that

you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.27

And miraculous, God provides salvation to Isaac by means of a ram caught by the

horn in a nearby thicket. And we see because of Abrahams obedience even to kill

his only son, God reaffirms the covenant with Abraham28.

While the parallels are not exact, the overtones are similar to that of Christs

own death establishing a covenant. In both accounts, God provides the sacrifice,

the one and only son of the promise is offered up, and it is obedience which results

is the establishment of a covenant. Christs death makes absolutely no sense for

the very reason that an innocent man who was very obviously innocent chose to die

for crimes he didnt commit. It was a completely selfless act of love that was a

pure and holy to God, and what God desired all along

29

, and thus satisfies what God

has required not in terms of punishment or honor restoration but in relationship

25Rom 5:19

261 Sam 15:22

27Gen 22:12

28Gen 22:16-18

29Hosea 6:6 The Hebrew carries with it meanings of loyalty, steadfast love, kindness, and mercy


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with humanity (which is the one thing not self contained within the Trinity). Most

assuredly it was not Christs death in and of itself that pleased/satisfied God, but it

was his life

Christs death was also to fulfill the four major covenants of the Old

Testament (Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, and Davidic) as well as the prophets30. It is

clear as well that Gods will and Jesus will are separate as seen in the garden of

Gethsemane. As Mann writes Gethsemane has become the place where Jesus

wrestles with his ideal-self (the one whose intent it is to go to the cross for all) and

the possibility that his real-self would seek to walk away from the garden and so,

by this act, from others and from God.31 Jesus prays Father, if you are willing,

take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done. 32 If it were not so, then

could we really say Jesus was being obedient if he were just a puppet or extension

of God and his temptations in the desert just an act? It only appears as a single

divine will because of the close communion Jesus shares with the Father, as he

states, the Son can do nothing by Himself; he can only do what He sees His Father

doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.33 It is this communion

we are able to now take part in because of the Holy Spirit and our reconciliation to

Christ through his death34

However, just because God foreknew that His Son would be killed it doesnt

equate to God sending Jesus specifically just to die. Jesus states his reasons for

coming into the world as preaching (Mark 1:38) and to call sinners (Mark 2:17)

30Isaiah 53; Ps 22:16; Ps 69:4; Ps 22:6-8;

31Mann, Alan.Atonement fora 'Sinless' Society. Waynesboro: PaterNoster Press, 2005. Pg 118

32Luke 22:42

33John 5:19

34Rom 5:10


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but most notably the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to

give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45; Matthew 20:28) Jesus death is

only part of the reason Jesus was sent, but what is meant by a ransom?

Christus Victor or Ransom theory is the idea that God rescues us from Satan

and the bondage of sin. This theory has the most biblical support35 for it and is one

of the earliest theories of atonement in Christianity dating from the time of

Irenaeus. Even with Jesus alludes to it in Mark 3:27 In fact, no one can enter a

strong mans house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong

man. Then he can rob his house. In a sense, it is Satan who possesses us (often

of our own accord36) and it is Christ who is strong enough to plunder us from Satan

himself. However, the metaphor isnt perfect (as metaphors tend not to be), as

Heim points out If God is ransoming us from other powers, why does God have to

submit to their terms?37 but Irenaeus idea that God is just even to Satan is not

outside of Gods character.

So then, how should we live? If we use the model of atonement which I

have proposed here, that through Christs obedience both God and man are

justified (God for his forgiveness and man for his sin), then it only follows suit that

Christ becomes our moral example. Throughout all of the New Testament,

obedience is stressed more than anything. To live as Christ taught is, as Paul

taught to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God as our

spiritual act of worship and to not conform any longer to the pattern of this world

35Fulfills the prophecy of Gen 3:15

36Romans 6:19

37Heim, S. Mark. Saved from Sacrifice: a Theology of the Cross. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006.


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but instead to be transformed by the renewing of your mind.38 Christ set the

example of humility which enables love and the idea that whoever wants to be first

must be slave of all.39 In short, we are to be Disciples of Christ who possess faith

through obedience which is credited to us as righteousness40 who teach all to obey

everything Jesus has commanded us41, to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and

mind and to love our neighbors as ourselves.42 Because Christ has redeemed

human beings by being human, humanity no longer has the stigma of completely

sinful and disobedient. One of us, Jesus Christ, has proved humanity capable of

perfection, and thus has redeemed us all through his incarnation. Being a human is

no longer a disadvantage but rather through Christs resurrection and exaltation to

the right hand of the Father, we too were lifted up with him. The same power

which raised Christ dwells in us.43 This is atonement of double justification.

In the end, the death of Christ is not the full gospel, but rather it must be

coupled with the resurrection. Christ died to save sinners, but he certainly is not

dead. God knew that the death of Christ was but temporary and so did Jesus, but

it didnt make it any easier to bear (in fact the anxiety of know when you will die

and how made it worse). There is only one appropriate response to the death and

resurrection and it is worship and praises of thanksgiving for grace. After all:

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!44

38Romans 12:1-2

39Mark 10:44

40Romans 4:3, 22-24; Gen 15:6

41Matthew 28:20

42Matthew 22:37-40

43Rom 8:11

442 Cor 5:17


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Bibliography

Epistle ad Rom. 3:19-26; from A Scholastic Miscellany, ed. E.R Fairweather (London: SCM, 1956).

Finlan, Stephan. Problems with Atonement. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2005.

Green, Joel B, and Mark D. Baker. Recovering the Scandal of the C

ross. Downers Grove: InterVarsity

Press, 2000.

Heim, S. Mark. Saved from Sacrifice: a theology of the Cross. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006.

Mann, Alan.Atonement fora 'Sinless' Society. Waynesboro: PaterNoster Press, 2005.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984

by International Bible Society. Used by Permission of Zondervan. All rights Reserved.

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Just God?: Redeeming the Cross of Christ