The Two Dimensions of the Atonement

Heidelberg Catechism.2 He blamed the classical (i.e., Protestant) doctrine of lands3, I participate in this debate on atonement by advocating a theory of.
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Sponsored Products are advertisements for products sold by merchants on Amazon. When you click on a Sponsored Product ad, you will be taken to an Amazon detail page where you can learn more about the product and purchase it. To learn more about Amazon Sponsored Products, click here. It serves to highlight differences, expose weak points, and provide the reader with questions and issues to pursue. The book makes a positive contribution both through highlighting the diversity of thinking about the atonement within evangelicalism and through encouraging discussion about this diversity.

The book presents four views side by side and allows the reader quickly to see what the primary differences and similarities are between the various positions. By including defenses of positions by those who hold to these divergent views, this volume adds a valuable dimension to the evangelical discussion on the issue of the atonement.

If you are looking for a more focused discussion on the atonement--that is, in terms of today's evangelical milieu, The Nature of the Atonement can certainly serve as a fine forum for exploring essential matters of the Christian faith. His books include Why Bother With Truth? Four Views and The Meaning of the Atonement: Would you like to tell us about a lower price? If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support?

Learn more about Amazon Prime. A long history of biblical exegesis and theological reflection has shaped our understanding of the atonement today. The more prominent highlights of this history have acquired familiar names for the household of faith: Christus Victor , penal substitutionary, subjective, and governmental. Recently the penal substitutionary view, and particularly its misappropriations, has been critiqued, and a lively debate has taken hold within evangelicalism. This book offers a "panel" discussion of four views of atonement maintained by four evangelical scholars.

The proponents and their views are: Christus Victor view Joel B. Kaleidescopic view Bruce R. Healing view Thomas R. Penal Substitutionary view Following an introduction written by the editors, each participant first puts forth the case for their view. Each view is followed by responses from the other three participants, noting points of agreement as well as disagreement. This is a book that will help Christians understand the issues, grasp the differences and proceed toward a clearer articulation of their understanding of the atonement. Read more Read less. Prime Book Box for Kids. Add both to Cart Add both to List.

These items are shipped from and sold by different sellers. Buy the selected items together This item: The Nature of the Atonement: Ships from and sold by Amazon. Ships from and sold by goodbooks Customers who viewed this item also viewed. Page 1 of 1 Start over Page 1 of 1. God and the Problem of Evil: Five Views Spectrum Multiview. Five Views Spectrum Multiview Books. The Cross of Christ.

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Nothing but the Blood of Jesus: Review "The directness of the responses is a strength of the book.

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There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. I was born and raised in evangelical and reformed churches on the penal substitutionary view of the atonement. And, as one contributor to this work points out, the penal substitutionary model "is so pervasive in American Christianity that many Christians may wonder whether the saving significance of Jesus' death can be understood in any other way.

After all, for about years or so, until the time of Anselm, the Christus Victor perspective dominated the church's thinking and teaching. And today this model is seeing something of a revival of interest on both the popular front CS Lewis and the theological NT Wright --I happen to be Anglican today. So, I thought, there must be something here worth investigating.

©Damsteegt: Sanctuary and Advent Experience

And, sure enough, as I read the opening essay by Greg Boyd, I couldn't help responding, "Yes, of course! But then I moved on to Tom Schreiner's case for penal substitution and I recovered my senses with an "oh yeah. Finally, wowed as I was by each presentation, I found Joel Green's essay on the kaleidoscopic model to be a brilliant synthesis. It's not easy reading as he delves into epistemology and hermeneutics to make his case that each view properly appeals to different historical and cultural circumstances.

The responses, while affirming appreciation for the multiple dimensions of God's atoning work, worry that Green's approach teeters on the brink of postmodernism and that their own model is more foundational or basic to a robust Christian theology and ethic. I, for one, came away convinced of Green's "both and" vs. But here's why you really need to read this book. As another reviewer noted, the value of this book is that it is a great reminder of the richness of the atonement.

Though I opened the book as an academic exercise, it quickly turned into a devotional read instead. My heart was swept away as the authors both plumbed the depths of our sinfulness and mined the riches of God's saving work in the atonement.


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And only in a "four views" work like this one would you find such riches all in one place. Distrust and envy pervaded the church and was manifested in loveless and inhuman behavior, character assassination, and abundant gossip.

Instead of following God's counsels to complete the mission He had assigned to the remnant, leadership adopted human strategies that coupled with Christless emphasis on the law, created an unfavorable impression of legalism on nonmembers. During the early s Dr. Kellogg's pantheism "spiritualized" away the existence of a real heavenly sanctuary. His view that God's presence permeates everything made Christ's ministry in a particular place irrelevant.

Social involvement in medical and humanitarian work of a nondenominational nature replaced the practice of spiritual self-examination, the affliction of soul to meet the coming Lord. It also preempted the need to proclaim the distinctive prophetic truths of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The theological consequences of this spiritualizing of the sanctuary doctrine led to denial of both Christ's investigative judgment work and of His special work of cleansing His people. Inevitably came the conclusion that nothing at all happened in With these denials came a muting of the sense of urgency.

Prophetic preaching declined, and indifference marked our attitude toward our unique landmark doctrines.

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Present truth was redefined in terms of preoccupation with the social and humanitarian dimensions of the gospel at the expense of living in anticipation of Christ's soon return. Ellen White called Kellogg's spiritualization of heavenly realities the "alpha" of apostasy and warned that an even worse "omega" was soon to follow. A majority of Seventh-day Adventists continue to base their understanding of the sanctuary on the Bible.

They have concluded that the pioneer discoveries of the present truth have shed great light on Christ's intercessory ministry in their behalf. In some parts of the world, however, we see a continuation of the earlier "spiritualizing" trend. A flood of new Bible translations aids this process, for most new translations do not use "cleansed" in Daniel 8: Because these terms do not readily call to mind Day of Atonement imagery, some people have downplayed or given up the idea that the passage refers to the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary. However, such is the richness of the Hebrew verb in Daniel 8: Saddest of all, perhaps, the spiritualization of the sanctuary deprives people of harmoniously cooperating on earth in the final work our Saviour is currently performing during the "hour of God's judgment.

Downsizing the sanctuary doctrine. Other contemporary attempts to interpret the sanctuary can be characterized as downsizing the doctrine. Recently, for example, one minister9 remarked that if you can make sense out of the Seventh-day Adventist fundamental belief statement on the sanctuary doctrine, congratulations.

To him the sanctuary has little practical relevance. Its investigative judgment aspect, he says, has been a stumbling block for many young Seventh-day Adventists, undermining the gospel and promoting perfectionism, legalism, guilt, and in relation to the time of trouble, a religion of fear and arrogance.

Our presentation of Christ's sanctuary ministry, this minister insists, should be limited to His role as Intercessor, a role that involves participation in human suffering, taking on Himself our diseases including AIDS. As Christ suffered with sufferers and intercedes for them, so Seventh-day Adventists should also alleviate human suffering. In response, we can certainly agree on the importance of Christ's work as Intercessor. Adventists, indeed, have already incorporated its various dimensions into the fundamental beliefs dealing with Christ's role, work, and ministry see numbers 2, 9, and Christ's identification with suffering humanity may not have been stressed everywhere as it should have been, but this does not mean that we should downplay the progressive understanding of the heavenly sanctuary discovered through Bible study in the years following The insights gained in constitute a part of present truth that continues to be relevant, seeing it calls the attention of the world to the arrival of the judgment hour and to the urgent need to participate with Christ in overcoming every sin.

Regressing to the pre sanctuary view that confined Christ's ministry to only that of Intercessor is a serious neglect of present truth. It is a distortion of the gospel proclamation foreseen for our time in the three angels' messages of Revelation And it provides a false gospel of false assurance in that it fails to tell people what will happen if they reject Christ's final offer of overcoming grace.

Negative feelings toward the sanctuary doctrine are not solved by downsizing it. Now, as never before, there is a need for a deep study of the Scriptures. Our pioneers arrived at their insights through thorough Bible study, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Similarly, Seventh-day Adventists today need deep Bible study, observing correct principles of Bible interpretation and guided by the Spirit. It is true that this doctrine has been misused, but is that a reason to discard it? Because some people overeat the healthiest food and develop serious diseases, shall we discard healthy foods?


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    4. Because some people keep the Sabbath legalistically, shall we give up all Sabbath observance? Misuse of the sanctuary doctrine does not justify stripping it of its splendid progressive light. In my own life it has brought joy knowing that daily my Saviour intercedes for me, my family, my church, and the world. It has also brought urgency, knowing that the final judgment is now in progress and that God is eager for me to "afflict my soul" and overcome all sin. In response to His law as well as to His ongoing grace, I give myself daily in total dedication to sharing the good news of the cleansing of the sanctuary.

    Its proper and balanced understanding brings no fear, but abiding assurance and strength. I believe that as I cooperate with His power and grace in overcoming sin, my destiny is secure. The work of my High Priest and Judge in the sanctuary has strengthened my confidence in Him as has nothing else. In many cases it implies a rejection of the special cleansing of the soul temple, preferring to emphasize instead the legal, or forensic, aspect of judgment without integrating the personal experience of believers, the essential "affliction of soul" of every believer Lev.

    Sometimes pre-Advent is used to distance the judgment from , implying that there will be a judgment before the second Coming, but no one knows when. Often associated with the preference for pre-advent is the view that the judgment is unqualified good news. Admittedly, in the past some Adventists have worried unduly about the investigative judgment, their cases pending before the judgment bar.

    Today many feel that any worry is unhealthy, inhibiting the joy of believers. The judgment, they say, is nothing but good news. But doesn't the truth lie somewhere between these extremes? It may be helpful to remember that this judgment is not good news for the little horn of Daniel 7, an entity made up of professed Christians who claim to love and follow Jesus. Their sincere convictions are no excuse for their unChristlike persecuting behavior.

    The investigative judgment portrayed in Daniel 7 reveals to the universe who the true heirs of the kingdom are see especially verses 21, Preoccupation with cleansing without faith. An emphasis on cleansing the soul temple without the faith of Jesus is as unhealthy as preoccupation with unwarranted assurance.

    Those who are preoccupied with the quest for a perfectly sinless lifestyle in preparation for the Second Advent without an awareness that from a human perspective such a goal is impossible are engaged in an exercise of futility. A major lesson of was I that it is only through the imparted faith of Jesus as a result of total surrender that a Christlike life can be realized. The practical results of a healthy view of the sanctuary doctrine for the church today bring the full participation of believers into the final compassionate outreach that will enlighten the whole world and usher in the coming of the Lord.

    The greatest danger to the sanctuary doctrine is indifference resulting from failure to see its relevance and practicality. The first step toward reaching a balanced interpretation of the sanctuary doctrine is to study the whole scriptural counsel, studying every relevant passage in its context. The true interpretation will be centered on Christ.

    Every sanctuary-related passage should be studied from the viewpoint of what it teaches about the preciousness of Jesus and what He has done and is doing for us.

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    Otherwise, the doctrine will not be able to exert its proper inspiring and transforming influence, rendering it "irrelevant. The true interpretation will retain the two-dimensional, or two-level, understanding of Christ's day of atonement ministry on earth today as well as in heaven. It will see His work as associated intimately with grace, forgiveness, and the blotting out of sins in the heavenly sanctuary.

    Proper emphasis on this ministration of the Lamb's blood in heaven will lead sinners to repentance. God provides the abundant grace to lead sinners to repentance and believers to a daily deepening work of repentance and commitment. Thus the believer experiences both justification and sanctification. This process involves 1 belief in Jesus and His saving work as our personal intercessor in the heavenly sanctuary, and 2 reconciliation to God, which means entering into a dynamic covenant relationship with Christ our high priest.

    It means a work of confession, repentance, consecration, and restitution. Those who are truly reconciled to God will respond by making things right with those they have offended and by loving their enemies. Proclamation of the sanctuary truth i fully restores the biblical harmony between God's plan of salvation as portrayed in both the Old and New Testaments, a harmony that fell into disregard as a result of the apostasy of the "man of lawlessness.