Christology

CHRISTOLOGY

2005-2006

LESSON TWENTY-ONE

I. The Sacerdotal Office of Christ in the State of Humiliation (con’d)

A. The Vicarious Satisfaction (p. 344 et. seq.)

1. Expression “vicarious satisfaction” is an ecclesiastical term.

2. Expression expresses truths clearly revealed in Scripture.

a. God’s immutable justice:

(1) Demands of men perfect obedience to His Law.

(2) Pronounces eternal damnation on all transgressions.

(3) Number (1) above taught in Mt 22:37,39.

(4) Number (2) above taught in Gal 3:10.

(5) God’s wrath and curse extends into eternity: Mk 9:47,48.

(6) Every individual stands guilty before God:

(a) Ro 3:9-19.

(b) Ro 5:10.

b. God laid upon Christ, and Christ willingly accepted, the obligation in man’s stead.

(1) Both to keep the Law and to bear the punishment the Law exacts.

(2) Gal 4:4,5.

(3) Gal 3:13.

(4) 1Pe 3:18.

c. Term reproduces the teaching that through His substitutional obedience and death God’s wrath against men was appeased.

(1) Ro 5:18,19.

(2) 2Co 5:19.

(3) Took place:

(a) Not by a fiat of His power.

(b) But through the intervention of Christ as Mediator.

B. Objective and Subjective Reconciliation (p. 347 et. seq.)

1. Objective reconciliation.

a. Christ effected the reconciliation of all men with God 2000 years ago.

b. God is already reconciled, an accomplished fact.

c. Ro 5:10 (again).

d. 2Co 5:19 (again).

e. Ro 4:6-8,25.

2. Subjective reconciliation

a. Takes place only by faith.

b. Only for this reason does faith reconcile us to God.

c. 2Co 5:20: believe and accept the objective reconciliation.

d. Ro 5:11.

3. Doctrine of objective reconciliation critically important.

C. Objections Raised Against the Vicarious Satisfaction (p. 351 et. seq.)

1. God can forgive sins by His almighty power.

a. Debate useless.

b. Scripture declares His way of our salvation.

2. It disparages God to predicate of Him anger, wrath as if nothing less than Christ’s substitutional suffering and death would effect reconciliation.

a. Scripture tells us correct conceptions of God.

b. Ro 1:18.

c. God’s wrath evidenced further in fact of death of all men.

3. Since God’s love manifested in Christ’s death, His death can not have occurred to appease God’s wrath.

a. Scripture says it reveals both.

b. Ro 5:8-11.

c. God’s love includes the settlement with the righteousness of God.

4. It would be a patent injustice if God punished the innocent Christ instead of guilty mankind.

a. Whatever God does is just.

b. Scripture clear He did impute our guilt to the innocent Christ.

c. Who dares to judge God?

5. Since Christ did not suffer eternal damnation, His suffering was therefore not vicarious.

a. Gal 3:13 (again).

b. 1Jn 1:7: it was the Son of God!

6. Doctrine is too “juridical” and lacks “ethical” value.

a. Their quarrel is with Scripture.

b. Scripture reveals that the process is in all its factors judicial.

c. Scripture reveals that all morality springs from these purely juridical processes.

d. Purely “ethical” process would make justification impossible.

e. Ro 6:14.

D. Arguments against this Doctrine still raising their heads.