1885 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

he sent his Son to be the propitiation[covering] for our sins. (1 John 4:9,10.)We now pass to a hasty review of theexpressions of the left column. The ideathat it was necessary for a God to die, asthe "great atoning sacrifice" for a man'ssin, cannot be called new, even if it shouldby some be considered light. It is thecommonly held, inconsistent, unscriptural,and "mysterious" view of theatonement, handed down from the darkages, which we thank God we got rid ofyears ago.The peculiarity of fallen human natureto go from one to the other extreme likea pendulum is remarkably illustrated inthe treatment of this subject--it eitherwants to say that there was no ransomnecessary, and none given, or else, thatthe penalty was so great that nothingshort of the sacrifice of a God could bean "atoning sacrifice" for human sin.In its confusion our contemporary saysboth. (See the contrasted statements ofthe two columns.) Would to God it hadthe courage and humility to acknowledgeits confusion and accept the favor of Godin His appointed way.How contrary to this is the teachingof Scripture, that the penalty of humansin was the forfeiture of HUMAN EXISTENCE,and that in order to be man'sransom and give a "CORRESPONDINGPRICE" it was necessary that Jesusshould become a man, that as by MANcame death, by a man ALSO the resurrectionor restoration of the dead mightbe accomplished. (1 Cor. 15:21.) Andtherefore, He who ransomed us, left hisformer glory and spiritual "form ofGod," and humbled himself to ournature and was "MADE FLESH," (Phil. 2:6-8,and John 1:1-3,14), and gavehimself a ransom for all. And theapostle distinctly tells us, that "the MANChrist Jesus" who "gave himself" wastherefore highly exalted, and given a