Condensed Theology Lecture 25

8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 25

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/condensed-theology-lecture-25 1/52

Condensed Theology

A Primer in Systematic Theology



Christology:

The Doctrine of Christ

What does the Bible teach about

Jesus Christ?



Christ’s Work:

The Atonement



The Atonement Defined

• The atonement refers to the work Christdid by dying for sinners on the cross

• This is sometimes referred to as Christ’s

passive obedience.

– Phil 2:8: Being found in appearance as aman, He humbled Himself by becoming

obedient to the point of death, even death ona cross.



The Cause of the Atonement

God



The Atonement’s Cause:

God’s Love & Justice• Love

– Rom 5:8: But God demonstrates His own love towardus, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died forus.

– John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that He gaveHis only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Himshall not perish, but have eternal life.

• Justice – Rom 3:25: …whom God displayed publicly as a

propitiation in His blood through faith. This was todemonstrate His righteousness, because in theforbearance of God He passed over the sinspreviously committed.



The Atonement’s Cause

• The Father inflicted the penalty for sinupon his son – 2 Cor 5:21: He [the Father] made Him who

knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so thatwe might become the righteousness of God inHim.

– Isa 53:6b, 10a: But the LORD has caused the

iniquity of us all To fall on Him….10But theLORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief.



The Necessity of the

Atonement



The Atonement’s Necessity

• The atonement was not absolutely necessary inthe sense that it was not necessary for God tosave any people at all;

• Rather, it is a consequent absolute necessity inthat since God decreed to save sinners, theatonement is absolutely necessary—it is anabsolutely necessary consequence of God’s

determination to save sinners.




• Matt 26:39: And He went a little beyond them ,and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "MyFather, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me;

yet not as I will, but as You will.‖• Luke 24:25-26: And He said to them, "O foolish

men and slow of heart to believe in all that theprophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for

the Christ to suffer these things and to enter intoHis glory?"




• Heb 2:17: Therefore, He had to be madelike His brethren in all things, so that Hemight become a merciful and faithful high

priest in things pertaining to God, to makepropitiation for the sins of the people.

• Heb 10:4: For it is impossible for the blood

of bulls and goats to take away sins.



The Nature of the Atonement



The Atonement’s Nature:

Bearing Sin

• Bearing sin

– At the very beginning of his ministry Jesus isreferred to as ―the lamb of God who takes

away the sin of the world!‖ (John 1:29).

– 1 Pet 2:24: ―[Jesus] Himself bore our sins in

His body on the cross, that we might die to sin

and live to righteousness; for by His woundsyou were healed.‖




Bearing Sin

• Bearing sin

– Isa 53:12: Yet He Himself bore the sin ofmany, And interceded for the transgressors.

– 2 Cor 5:21: He made Him who knew no sin tobe sin on our behalf, so that we might becomethe righteousness of God in Him.




Being Abandoned

• Being abandoned

– John 17:5: Now, Father, glorify Me togetherwith Yourself, with the glory which I had with

You before the world was.

– Matt 27:46: About the ninth hour Jesus criedout with a loud voice, saying, "ELI, ELI, LAMA

SABACHTHANI?" that is, "MY GOD, MYGOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?"




Bearing the Wrath of God

• Bearing the wrath of God

– 1 John 2:2: …and He Himself is the propitiation for

our sins.

– The term ―propitiation‖ refers to a sacrifice that turnsaway the wrath of God and makes his dispositionfavorable (propitious) toward those for whom thesacrifice was made.

– But this does not mean that the Father grudginglysaves us.

– God’s love is the source, not the consequence of the

atonement.






– Heb 2:17: Therefore, He had to be made likeHis brethren in all things, so that He might

become a merciful and faithful high priest inthings pertaining to God, to make propitiationfor the sins of the people.

– 1 John 4:10: In this is love, not that we lovedGod, but that He loved us and sent His Son tobe the propitiation for our sins.






– Rom 3:25-26: …whom God displayed

publicly as a propitiation in His blood through

faith. This was to demonstrate Hisrighteousness, because in the forbearance ofGod He passed over the sins previouslycommitted; for the demonstration, I say, of Hisrighteousness at the present time, so that Hewould be just and the justifier of the one whohas faith in Jesus.




Bearing Completely Sin’s Payment

• Bearing completely sin’s payment

– Sometimes in popular preaching it is statedthat Jesus suffered eternally on the cross for

our sins; – But this is not precisely what happened…






– While it is true that Jesus death for our sinsmeans that we do not have to suffer an

eternity of torment in hell, Jesus suffered onlyfor a time.

– What would have taken us eternity to bear, hewas able to bear in his body on the cross.

– In fact, that Jesus suffered for a limited timeon the cross demonstrates that his sufferingwas the sufficient payment for sins.






– John 19:30: Therefore when Jesus hadreceived the sour wine, He said, "It is

finished!" And He bowed His head and gaveup His spirit.

– Rom 8:1: Therefore there is now no

condemnation for those who are in ChristJesus.





• Bearing completely sin’s payment – Heb 9:25-28: …nor was it that He would offer Himself

often, as the high priest enters the holy place year byyear with blood that is not his own. Otherwise, He

would have needed to suffer often since thefoundation of the world; but now once at theconsummation of the ages He has been manifestedto put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Andinasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and

after this comes judgment, so Christ also, havingbeen offered once to bear the sins of many, willappear a second time for salvation without referenceto sin, to those who eagerly await Him.





• Did Christ descend into hell?

– Acts 2:26-27: Therefore my heart was glad and mytongue exulted; moreover my flesh also will live inhope; because you will not abandon my soul toHades, nor allow your holy one to undergo decay.

– Rom 10:6-7: But the righteousness based on faithspeaks as follows: "DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART,'WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?' (that is, to

bring Christ down), or 'WHO WILL DESCEND INTOTHE ABYSS?' (that is, to bring Christ up from thedead)."





• Did Christ descend into hell?

– Eph 4:8-9: Therefore it says, "WHEN HEASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A

HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTSTO MEN." (Now this expression, "Heascended," what does it mean except that Healso had descended into the lower parts of theearth?




Bearing Completely Sin’s Payment• Did Christ descend into hell?

– 1 Pet 3:18-20: For Christ also died for sins once for all, the justfor the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been putto death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also Hewent and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who

once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting inthe days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which afew, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through thewater.

– 1 Pet 1:11: …seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferingsof Christ and the glories to follow.

– 2 Pet 2:5: …and did not spare the ancient world, but preservedNoah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when Hebrought a flood upon the world of the ungodly.





• Christ did not descend into hell

– Luke 23:43: And He said to him, "Truly I sayto you, today you shall be with Me in

Paradise." – Luke 23:46: And Jesus, crying out with a loud

voice, said, "Father, INTO YOUR HANDS ICOMMIT MY SPIRIT." Having said this, Hebreathed His last.






– John 19:30: Therefore when Jesus hadreceived the sour wine, He said, "It is

finished!" And He bowed His head and gaveup His spirit.

– 1 Pet 2:24: …and He Himself bore our sins in

His body on the cross, so that we might die tosin and live to righteousness; for by Hiswounds you were healed.






– What, then, are we to make of the Apostles’

Creed: ―He descended into hell‖?

– The following is the footnote from the Creedsand Confession of RBC, explaining thematter:




Bearing Completely Sin’s Payment• ―This phrase is the most controversial in the

creed. It was unknown in earlier versions of theApostle’s Creed and did not appear in the Latincreeds until it appeared in one of two of Rufinus’

versions in AD 390. Even though he includedthe phrase, he did not believe that it referred tohell, but understood it to mean ―buried.‖ Inharmony with the Greek form of the creed, hetook it to mean that Christ descended into the

grave; for hadēs can simply mean ―grave.‖ Itwas not until AD 650 that the phrase was againincluded.





• ―Throughout the history of the church there have been

three dominant interpretations of the phrase: (1) it is tobe identified as the place of the dead, both of therighteous and the wicked (Hebrew, sheōl ; Greek, hadēs).

Thus it means simply that Jesus continued in the realstate of death until the resurrection; (2) it signifies theintensity of Christ’s sufferings on the cross, where he

tasted the pain of hell for sinners; and (3) it refers to an

actual self-manifestation of Christ to the dead betweenthe time of his death and resurrection.





• ―RBC believes that the statement ought to be

understood in the first sense; for this creed wasdeveloped over and against Gnostic teaching

that suggested that the eternal son of God didnot truly become a man. This statement makesclear the point that Jesus died a real, humandeath as any ordinary human being.‖




Reconciling Man to God, and God to Man

• Romans 5:10-11: For if while we wereenemies we were reconciled to Godthrough the death of His Son, much more,

having been reconciled, we shall be savedby His life. And not only this, but we also

exult in God through our Lord Jesus

Christ, through whom we have nowreceived the reconciliation.





• 2 Cor 5:17-21: Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is anew creature; the old things passed away; behold, newthings have come. Now all these things are from God,who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us

the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was inChrist reconciling the world to Himself, not counting theirtrespasses against them, and He has committed to usthe word of reconciliation. Therefore, we areambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an

appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, bereconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to besin on our behalf, so that we might become therighteousness of God in Him.





• Eph 2:14-17: For He Himself is our peace, whomade both groups into one and broke down thebarrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in Hisflesh the enmity, which is the Law of

commandments contained in ordinances, so thatin Himself He might make the two into one newman, thus establishing peace, and mightreconcile them both in one body to God throughthe cross, by it having put to death the enmity.

AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TOYOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TOTHOSE WHO WERE NEAR.





• Col 1:19-22: For it was the Father's goodpleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, andthrough Him to reconcile all things to Himself,having made peace through the blood of His

cross; through Him, I say, whether things onearth or things in heaven. And although youwere formerly alienated and hostile in mind,engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now

reconciled you in His fleshly body through death,in order to present you before Him holy andblameless and beyond reproach.




Redeeming Man

• Mark 10:45: "For even the Son of Man didnot come to be served, but to serve, andto give His life a ransom for many.―

• Matt 26:28: …for this is My blood of the

covenant, which is poured out for many forforgiveness of sins.




Redeeming Man

• 1 Pet 1:18-19: …knowing that you were notredeemed with perishable things like silver orgold from your futile way of life inherited fromyour forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a

lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood ofChrist.

• Rev 5:9: And they sang a new song, saying,"Worthy are You to take the book and to breakits seals; for You were slain, and purchased forGod with Your blood men from every tribe andtongue and people and nation.‖




Redeeming Man

• Heb 9:12: …and not through the blood of goats

and calves, but through His own blood, Heentered the holy place once for all, having

obtained eternal redemption.• Heb 9:15: For this reason He is the mediator of

a new covenant, so that, since a death hastaken place for the redemption of the

transgressions that were committed under thefirst covenant, those who have been called mayreceive the promise of the eternal inheritance.




Redeeming Man

• Titus 2:14: …who gave Himself for us to redeem usfrom every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself apeople for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

• Exodus 19:4-6: 'You yourselves have seen what I did to

the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, andbrought you to Myself. Now then, if you will indeed obeyMy voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be Myown possession among all the peoples, for all the earthis Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and

a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speakto the sons of Israel.‖




Redeeming Man

• Rom 3:24: …being justified as a gift byHis grace through the redemption which isin Christ Jesus.

• Eph 1:7: In Him we have redemptionthrough His blood, the forgiveness of ourtrespasses, according to the riches of Hisgrace

• Col 1:14: …in whom we have redemption,the forgiveness of sins.




Redeeming Man

• Acts 20:28: Be on guard for yourselves and forall the flock, among which the Holy Spirit hasmade you overseers, to shepherd the church ofGod which He purchased with His own blood.

• 1 Cor 6:19-20: Or do you not know that yourbody is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you,whom you have from God, and that you are notyour own? For you have been bought with a

price: therefore glorify God in your body.• 1 Cor 7:23: You were bought with a price; do

not become slaves of men.




Redeeming Man

• Gal 3:13: Christ redeemed us from the curse ofthe Law, having become a curse for us-- for it iswritten, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO

HANGS ON A TREE "—• Gal 4:4-5: But when the fullness of the time

came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman,born under the Law, so that He might redeem

those who were under the Law, that we mightreceive the adoption as sons.




Vanquishing Satan

• John 12:31: Now judgment is upon this world;now the ruler of this world will be cast out.

• John 16:11: …and concerning judgment,

because the ruler of this world has been judged.• Gen 3:15: And I will put enmity Between you

and the woman, And between your seed and herseed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you

shall bruise him on the heel.




Vanquishing Satan

• Col 2:13-15: When you were dead in yourtransgressions and the uncircumcision of yourflesh, He made you alive together with Him,

having forgiven us all our transgressions, havingcanceled out the certificate of debt consisting ofdecrees against us, which was hostile to us; andHe has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to

the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers andauthorities, He made a public display of them,having triumphed over them through Him.




Vanquishing Satan

• Heb 2:14: Therefore, since the childrenshare in flesh and blood, He Himselflikewise also partook of the same, that

through death He might render powerlesshim who had the power of death, that is,

the devil, and might free those who

through fear of death were subject toslavery all their lives.

Th A ’ N




A Sacrificial Death for Sin

• Sometimes the sacrificial death of Christ for sinis couched in terms of Christ’s body

– Rom 7:4: Therefore, my brethren, you also were

made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, sothat you might be joined to another, to Him who wasraised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruitfor God.

– Heb 10:10: By this will we have been sanctifiedthrough the offering of the body of Jesus Christ oncefor all.

Th At t’ N t





• Sometimes the sacrificial death of Christfor sin is couched in terms of Christ’sblood

– Rom 5:9: Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved fromthe wrath of God through Him.

– 1 John 1:7: …but if we walk in the Light as

He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowshipwith one another, and the blood of Jesus HisSon cleanses us from all sin.

Th At t’ N t





• Sometimes the sacrificial death of Christfor sin is couched in terms of Christ’scross

– Eph 2:16: …and might reconcile them both inone body to God through the cross, by ithaving put to death the enmity.

– Col 1:20: …and through Him to reconcile all

things to Himself, having made peace throughthe blood of His cross; through Him, I say,whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Th At t’ N t





• Sometimes the sacrificial death of Christ for sinis couched in explicit terms

– Heb 2:9-10: But we do see Him who was made for alittle while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus,because of the suffering of death crowned with gloryand honor, so that by the grace of God He might tastedeath for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, forwhom are all things, and through whom are all things,

in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author oftheir salvation through sufferings.

Th At t’ N t





• Sometimes the sacrificial death of Christfor sin is couched in explicit terms

– Rom 5:6: For while we were still helpless, at

the right time Christ died for the ungodly. – 1 Cor 15:3: For I delivered to you as of first

importance what I also received, that Christ

died for our sins according to the Scriptures.



The Extent of the Atonement

For whom did Christ die?



The Atonement’s Extent

• I will not address this subject at this time,as I do not want to spoil next week’s

sermon…

• Sorry…

• Not really…

Condensed Theology Lecture 25

Documents

Transcript of Condensed Theology Lecture 25