What Atonement Theory Should We Hold?
Christians believe that Jesus’ death was more than just a terrible miscarriage of justice. The death of Jesus is the means by which we receive salvation.
But how exactly does that work? What does his death on the cross do? In theological terms, what is the correct atonement theory?
There are those who would suggest that the penal substitution theory is the only biblical theory. However, there are a number of theories available. Stephen Morrison summarizes seven theories of atonement.
Which one of them is the one true theory?
I have no idea. It may be one or a combination of a number of them. They probably all have some truth to them.
This may be controversial to some but I agree with C.S. Lewis and his comments from Mere Christianity.
Now before I became a Christian I was under the impression that the first thing Christians had to believe was one particular theory as to what the point of this dying was. According to that theory God wanted to punish men for having deserted and joined the Great Rebel, but Christ volunteered to be punished instead, and so God let us off. Now I admit that even this theory does not seem quite so immoral and silly as it used to; but that is not the point I want to make. What I came to see later on was that neither this theory nor an other is Christianity. The central belief is that Christ’s death has somehow put us right with God and given us a fresh start. Theories as to how it did this are another matter: A good many different theories have been held as to how it works; what all Christians are agreed on is that it does work.
There is some good common sense theology here. “The central belief is that Christ’s death has somehow put us right with God and given us a fresh start.” That has the power to build bridges across different traditions.
I’m not saying that people shouldn’t hold to particular theory of the atonement. What I am saying is the atonement shouldn’t be used to divide Christians.
Jesus’ prayer in John 17:21 was that we would be one. Not that we all would agree on every theological interpretation but that we would be one in following Jesus.
Let us focus on what unites us. Jesus died on the cross for us. Through that death we can be made right with God.
