1888 / Loud Cry Message

21.3 Atonement and Justification

by Hubert F. Sturges, www.144000.cc, March 1, 2010

Topics:

Atonement Defined
Christian Views of Atonement
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia of Judaism
Bible Guide
Justification
Legal Justification

A definition of terms and a discussion of various concepts of Atonement, which will help in understanding what Jesus did at the Cross of Calvary. This article is long, but is important in understanding Atonement and Justification in Theology.

Atonement

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/atonement

a·tone·ment (-tnmnt) -- noun

1. Amends or reparation made for an injury or wrong; expiation.
a. Reconciliation or an instance of reconciliation between God and humans.
b. Atonement (Christianity) The reconciliation of God and humans brought about by the redemptive life and death of Jesus.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009.

http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/atonement

In Christian theology, various doctrines of atonement have been advanced in history, all of which give central place to the life and death of Jesus.

The classical theory of atonement, widely accepted in the early Church, depicted Jesus as the divine victor in a cosmic struggle with the devil for rights over the human soul.

In medieval Latin theology emphasis shifted from the divine to the human side of Jesus. The most widely held theory at this time, often called vicarious atonement, was first stated by

St. Anselm (1) only human beings can rightfully repay the debt which was incurred through their willful disobedience to God, although only God can make the infinite satisfaction necessary to repay it; therefore God must send the God-man, Jesus Christ, to satisfy both these conditions. Anselm's doctrine, slightly altered or elaborated, has become part of Roman Catholic theology and of that of many Protestant churches.

Peter Abelard promoted the theory of God's unconditional mercy and on the gradual growth toward union with God as inspired by Christ's selfless example. Here the juridical concept is replaced by an organic and social concept (Moral Influence theory).

The tendency today in the Church is not to regard any single interpretation of atonement as all-embracing but to view Christ's atoning work from a variety of vantage points.

1. Peter Abelard: 1033?–1109, prelate in Normandy and England, archbishop of Canterbury, Doctor of the Church (1720), in Why God Became Human (1197–98).

Christian views of atonement

http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/Atonement/

In Christianity, atonement refers to the redemption achieved by Jesus Christ by his crucifixion and resurrection. Because of its centrality to Christian belief, it has been the source of much discussion and controversy throughout Christian history. Christians begin with the proposition that the death of Jesus Christ relieves believers of the burden of their sins. But what was the actual meaning of Christ's death? Why did He have to die? The meaning of an event of such transcendent significance to Christians is hard to capture in any one verbal formula. But several have been ventured:

* Origen taught that the death of Christ was a ransom paid to Satan in satisfaction of his just claim on the souls of humanity as a result of sin. This was opposed by theologians like St. Gregory Nazianzen, who pointed out that this would have made Satan equal to God.

* St. Irenaeus of Lyons taught that Christ recapitulated in Himself all the stages of life of sinful man, and that His perfect obedience substituted for Adam's disobedience.

* St. Athanasius of Alexandria taught that Christ came to overcome death and corruption, and to remake humanity in God's image again. See On the Incarnation by St. Athanasius.

* St. Anselm taught that Christ's death satisfied God's offended sense of justice over the sins of humanity. Also, God rewarded Christ's obedience, which built up a storehouse of merit and a treasury of grace that believers could share by their faith in Christ. Anselm's teaching is contained in his treatise Cur Deus Homo, which means Why God Became Human.

* Abelard held that Christ's Passion was God suffering with His creatures in order to show the greatness of His love for them.

* John Calvin (see Anselm) taught that Christ, the only sinless person, volunteered to take upon Himself the penalty for the sins that should have been visited on the rest of humanity. Calvin's view is called substitutionary atonement.

* Karl Barth (see Abelard) taught that Christ's death manifested God's love and His hatred for sin.

The several ideas of these and other theologians can be summed up under these concepts:

* Substitution: the idea that God assumed the penalty for human sins on the Cross, and volunteered punishment so that the faithful might escape it;

* Example: the idea that Christ's death was meant as an object lesson in ideal submission to the will of God, and to show the path to eternal life;

* Revelation: the idea that Christ's death was meant to reveal God's nature to us, to help us to know Him and His nature better, and to show us the coming resurrection.

* Victory: the idea that Christ defeated Death through his death, and gave life to those in the grave.

The Christian will appreciate the mystery of atonement through a balance of all four themes.

Atonement

http://www.answers.com/topic/atonement noun

1. Amends or reparation made for an injury or wrong; expiation.

2. a. Reconciliation or an instance of reconciliation between God and humans.
b. Atonement Christianity. The reconciliation of God and humans brought about by the redemptive life and death of Jesus.
3. Obsolete. Reconciliation; concord.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia:

Religious concept in which obstacles to reconciliation with God are removed, usually through sacrifice. Most religions have rituals of purification and expiation by which the relation of the individual to the divine is strengthened. In Christianity, atonement is achieved through the death and resurrection of Jesus. In Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and some Protestant churches, penance is a sacrament that allows for personal atonement (see confession). In Judaism the annual Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, is the culmination of 10 days centered on repentance.

Encyclopedia of Judaism:

(Heb. kapparah). A state of reconciliation between the sinner and the offended party prior (to) forgiveness of the Sin. Whether deliberate or unwitting, the offense must first be expiated---in some instances by the payment of a "ransom" (Heb. kofer, i.e., compensation). Judaism views the sinner as one spiritually alienated from God, from his fellow-man, or from his ideal self. Atonement, in the religious sense, means a reversal of the alienation caused by sin whereby the offending party is restored to spiritual "at-one-ment" (i.e., unity) and ultimately forgiven. Atonement, in Jewish teaching, can only be achieved after a process of Repentance which involves recognition and admission of the sin, feelings of remorse, restitution to the offended party, and a resolve not to repeat the offense.

The exercise of human freedom is central to atonement. Just as man is free to sin, so he is free to repent, and it is for him (man) to take the initiative in seeking atonement. The Bible and rabbinic literature contain numerous references to God as a merciful and forgiving Sovereign who does not desire the death of the sinner but rather that he return from his evil ways and life (Ezekiel 33:11). In Judaism there is no concept of "prevenient grace" whereby God takes the first step. Atonement depends first on the sinner's genuine, wholehearted repentance. Only when that becomes evident in the sinner's conduct does God proceed to the stages of granting atonement and pardon.

In unwitting offenses against ritual law, the Bible prescribes a sin-offering. This is not viewed as payment of restitution to an offended God but rather as a sacrament intended to restore the ideal relationship between man and God, a relationship that had been impaired by man's sin. Confession, as an expression of repentance, always accompanied such Sacrifices and Offerings. When the prophets of Israel directed harsh criticism against sacrifice, their real target was not the sacrificial system as such but insincere atonement and the perfunctory way in which the offering was made (Isaiah 1:11ff.; Hosea 14:2-3; Amos 5:21ff.; Micah 6:6-8). No sacrifices could atone for deliberate transgressions, and the concept of a vicarious sacrifice was largely alien to Judaism.

Following the destruction of the Second Temple (and, to a certain extent, even before), Prayer replaced sacrifice, and propitiatory devotions became the chief means of restoring a broken spiritual relationship. Fasting and the giving of charity were recommended paths to atonement. No priest or other intermediary helps the sinner to expiate his offense. The sinner must stand alone before God, and only God can forgive him.

A ten-day period is set aside at the beginning of each year so that deliberate attention can be paid to the exercise of spiritual renewal. The climax of this period is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, dedicated entirely to prayer and fasting. There some who follow the ancient scapegoat (Azazel) ritual whereby an individual's sins are symbolically expiated by a white fowl. The Day of Atonement can help bring atonement only for offenses against God. For those sins committed against one's fellow man, atonement is granted only after the sinner has made full restitution and sought the offended party's forgiveness.

Bible Guide:

This is a somewhat random collection of concepts related to the Atonement. It serves only as a complement to the more complete discussions above.

In ritual, the subject of "atonement" is invariably a priest and the direct object a contaminated thing, in the non-ritual literature the subject is usually the deity and the direct object a sin (e.g. Psalm 78:38; Jeremiah 18:23; Ezekiel 16:63) which is its implicit meaning.

The holiness of the sanctuary is complemented in the priestly source by the notion of the holiness of the land of Israel. Correspondingly, the land too is capable of defilement (e.g. Leviticus 18:25, 28, for sexual immorality; Numbers 35:33-34, for murder; cf also Ezekiel 36:17; Deuteronomy 21:23), and just as the sanctuary needs atonement, so does the land (Numbers 35:33). Furthermore, the implications are likewise identical: defilement of the land will result in the destruction of Israel just as it did for the previous inhabitants (Leviticus 18:28; 20:22), because God can no longer abide in it.

Another postulate of the biblical doctrine of atonement is that God will spare the community by virtue of the merit of the just people in it, e.g. Abraham's intervention on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:16-33). The atoning power of the righteous reaches out not only horizontally to the community but vertically to posterity. This principle undergirds all of God's covenants with Israel: with the patriarchs for offspring and soil (Genesis chap. 15; 17:1-8; 22:17-18; 25:23; 35:9-12; Exodus 32:13), with Phinehas for a priestly line (Numbers 25:11-13), and with David for a royal dynasty (II Samuel 7:12-16). See DAY OF ATONEMENT.

In the NT the word atonement (or a close translation), appears infrequently (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 2:17; I John 2:2; 4:10). In each case it alludes to, or is taken from, an OT reference. In the OT it can be said that God atones (Isaiah 53:10) and so on in the NT, God, through Christ, is reconciling the world unto himself (II Corinthians 5:19). Evidence for God's love is seen in the fact that he "sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins" (I John 4:10; cf I John 2:2). Paul used similar language when he spoke of Jesus as someone whom God put forth "a propitiation by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness" for the remission of sins that have been committed (Romans 3:25). The imagery here is clearly from the temple, or the mercy-seat in the ark. Just as the covering there had been the place where God's forgiving mercy was demonstrated, so God's saving mercy was manifested in the cross of Christ.

Consequently the NT writers spend little time debating who is the agent of atonement or who is being atoned. Rather they concentrate their attention on the conviction that, in Jesus, sin had been done away with, and that those who lived in faith under his lordship were able to share in his victory over sin. The Christus Victor model emerged as stronger than the model of Christ as paschal lamb who made atonement for all people's sins.

Justification

# In Christian theology, justification is God's act of declaring or making a sinner righteous before God. The concept of justification occurs in many books of the Old and New Testaments.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justification_(theology)

Justification

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/justification

1. reasonable grounds for complaint, defence, etc.

2. the act of justifying; proof, vindication, or exculpation

3. (Christian Religious Writings / Theology)

a. the act of justifying

b. the process of being justified or the condition of having been justified

4. (Christian Religious Writings / Theology) Also called justification by faith. Protestant theology; the doctrine that God vindicates only those who repent and believe in Jesus

Justification definition

http://www.yourdictionary.com/justification

1. a justifying or being justified

2. a fact that justifies or vindicates

3. Christian Theology: the state or condition, necessary for salvation, of being blameless or absolved of the guilt of sin

Justification

http://www.brainyquote.com/words/ju/justification181982.html

• The act of justifying or the state of being justified; a showing or proving to be just or conformable to law, justice, right, or duty; defense; vindication; support; as, arguments in justification of the prisoner's conduct; his disobedience admits justification.

• The showing in court of a sufficient lawful reason why a party charged or accused did that for which he is called to answer.

• The act of justifying, or the state of being justified, in respect to God's requirements.

Justification

-- Britannica Concise Encyclopedia:

http://www.answers.com/topic/justification

In Christian theology, the passage of an individual from sin to a state of grace. Some theologians use the term to refer to the act of God in extending grace to the sinner, while others use it to define the change in the condition of a sinner who has received grace. St. Paul used the term to explain how people moved from sin to grace through the death and resurrection of Jesus and not through any human effort. St. Augustine saw it as an act of God that makes sinners righteous, while Martin Luther stressed justification through faith alone.

　Bible Guide:

-- Justification

To be justified, means to be made righteous, and just actions towards other human beings must flow from those who have been made right. It is most often used in Paul's letters to the Romans and Galatians. The concern is with justice and being in a relationship with God. The just person is one who has been justified, is accepted by God, and lives in harmony with God's will.

For classical Judaism the ways and means by which one is justified are not simplified. Bildad the Shuhite cynically asks, "How then can man be justified before God?" (Job 25:4). The Psalmist in a note of despair concludes: "in your sight no one living is justified'' (Psalm 143:2).

Early Christians accepted this, but, in the Pauline discussions in Romans and Galatians, there was a change of focus. Paul asserts that faith in the saving work of Christ on the cross and in the resurrection suffices to enter the covenant of salvation (Romans 4:24-5:1).

Paul describes the person who has been "justified freely by his grace'' (Romans 3:24) and who has accepted God's way of righting wrong, as one who also embodies in life the justice of God for God is "both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus" (Romans 3:26). The early Christians spoke of the harvest of justification or righteousness (Philippians 1:11) and saw the relationship as that between seed and fruit; at times justice was the fruit and peace the seed and at times their relationship was reversed (James 3:18). In this manner they affirmed that justification which brings peace (Romans 5:1), and justice, are intimately related (Romans 14:17).

Philosophy Dictionary:

-- justification

A central concept both in ethics and epistemology. An action or a belief is justified if it stands up to some kind of critical reflection or scrutiny; a person is then exempt from criticism on account of it. The philosophical question is one of the standards that have to be met and the source of their authority. A surprisingly popular line of thought in epistemology is that ‘only a belief can justify another belief’ (Davidson). The implication that neither experience nor the world plays a role in justifying beliefs leads quickly to coherentism.

Law Encyclopedia:

-- Justification

A sufficient or acceptable excuse or explanation made in court for an act that is otherwise unlawful; the showing of an adequate reason, in court, why a defendant committed the offense for which he or she is accused that would serve to relieve the defendant of liability.

A legal excuse for the performance or nonperformance of a particular act that is the basis for exemption from guilt. A classic example is the excuse of self-defense offered as justification for the commission of a murder.

.............................................

Legal Justification

http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/justification

A sufficient or acceptable excuse or explanation made in court for an act that is otherwise unlawful; the showing of an adequate reason, in court, why a defendant committed the offense for which he or she is accused that would serve to relieve the defendant of liability (justification for committing an unlawful act).

A legal excuse for the performance or nonperformance of a particular act that is the basis for exemption from guilt. A classic example is the excuse of Self-Defense offered as justification for the commission of a murder.

Justification

1. The act by which a party accused shows and maintains a good and legal reason in court, why he did the thing he is called upon to answer.

2. The subject will be considered by examining, 1. What acts are justifiable. 2. The manner of making the justification. 3. Its effects.

3. When the plea of justification is supported by the evidence, it is a complete bar to the action. Vide Excuse.

Justification

-- Britannica Concise Encyclopedia:

http://www.answers.com/topic/justification

In Christian theology, the passage of an individual from sin to a state of grace. Some theologians use the term to refer to the act of God in extending grace to the sinner, while others use it to define the change in the condition of a sinner who has received grace. St. Paul used the term to explain how people moved from sin to grace through the death and resurrection of Jesus and not through any human effort. St. Augustine saw it as an act of God that makes sinners righteous, while Martin Luther stressed justification through faith alone.

Justification

http://en.mimi.hu/law/justification.html

The act by which a party accused shows and maintains a good and legal reason in court, why he did the thing he is called upon to answer.