Atonement Theory Essay

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THEORIES OF ATONEMENT
INTRODUCTION
There are four primary atonement theories: Christus Victor, Satisfaction, Exemplar and Penal Substitution. This paper will seek to explain each of these theories, describe the historical circumstances when it was articulated and how those circumstances influenced that theory, and explain how each described the work completed by Christ’s resurrection and ascension.
CHRISTUS VICTOR Christus Victor is the theory that Jesus’ death was a victory over death itself, the devil and evil. It was the position of the early church and supported by many Biblical references to Jesus being engaged in a battle with Satan, i.e. Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13. Paul references the power of Satan in Acts 26:17-18. (Bird, …show more content…
In the Old Testament system of sacrifice, the offerer would lay hands on the animal being sacrificed before the sacrifice was made, suggesting that the animal was a vicarious substitution for the offerer himself. (Leviticus 4:15, 16:21). 1 Corinthians 5:7 describes Christ’s death as a Passover sacrifice. The lamb that died in the first Passover sacrifice died in place of the firstborn of each Hebrew family. (Bird, 2013). This theory found new life the time of the reformation in the writings of Luther and Calvin. (Dillistone, 1953). In the modern period, this was important to Karl Barth’s doctrine of reconciliation. Barth identified four aspects of substitution by Jesus. Those aspects are: (1) he acted as judge to displace others from judgment and free them; (2) he took the place of the judged and became sin, a genuine exchange of places; (3) he took our place in judgment as the Father’s act to bring reconciliation; and (4) he established the justice of God which assures conformity of action with God’s freedom and character. Penal substitution in central to any account of atonement because it demonstrates that Jesus bore the penalty due sinners. (Bird,
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