Atonement

RECOVERING BIBLICAL AT-ONE-MENT : M.
M. M. NINAN
Thus the duty of every rational creature as subjecting every inclination to the will of God. Of this
Anselm writes, "This is the debt which angels and men owe to God. No one who pays it sins; everyone
who does not pay it sins. This is the sole and entire honor which we owe to God, and God requires
from us. One who does not render this honor to God takes away from God what belongs to him, and
dishonors God, and to do this is to sin. Moreover, as long as he does not repay what he has stolen, he
remains at fault." (I.11)
Anselm's belief that all sin stems from a violation of God's inherent honor forms the backbone of his
theory of atonement. In effect this theory was a reinterpretation of Anselm's unique perspective as a
result of medieval society's shift in its understanding of justice from that of Roman law to a feudal
system. Erickson writes, “The classic Anselmian formulation of the Satisfaction View needs to be
distinguished from Penal Substitution. Penal Substitution states that Christ bore the penalty for sin, in
place of those sinners united to him by faith. Anselm, by contrast, regarded human sin as defrauding
God of the honour he is due. Christ's death, the ultimate act of obedience, gives God great honour. As
it was beyond the call of duty for Christ, it is more honour than he was obliged to give. Christ's surplus
can therefore repay our deficit. Hence Christ's death is substitutionary in this sense: he pays the
honour instead of us. But that substitution is not penal; his death pays our honour not our penalty.”
Satisfaction Theory was derived from ancient Jewish ritual practices (including the Day of Atonement)
where animals were sacrificed to satisfy God’s need for blood. Jesus becomes the ultimate sacrifice to
appease a God who is so offended by human sin, that only the spilling of his own son’s blood will bring
satisfaction. Incidentally, Canaanite religions were not the only ones to sacrifice their children to
appease Baal and other gods. There are a number of Biblical examples of Judean kings and leaders
who also ritually sacrificed their children, much to Yahweh’s displeasure.
What then is to be done to vindicate when there is a violation, a disrespect to the King of King Himself?
God has two choices: punishment and satisfaction.
Punishment would restore honor to God through the removal of freedom or ability from the individual,
and through demonstrating God's sovereignty.
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