The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Satisfaction View of the Atonement

Lynda,

1. The biblical teaching concerning the atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ certainly includes the idea of "satisfaction", i.e., God was "satisfied" with Christ's sacrifice of Himself, both in His perfect keeping of the law and in His death on the cross as the qualified substitute for those whom He came to save. However, Anselm apparently wanted to understand this "satisfaction" as being simply in regard to God's honor without doing justice to the myriad places where the death of Christ satisfied divine justice. The entire OT sacrificial system was based upon God's "legal" requirements, i.e., His covenant with man beginning with Adam in the garden. The language in the NT likewise clearly speaks in forensic terms, e.g., Rom 3:24-26; 8:3,4; Gal 3:13; Col 2:14; Heb 9:15; 10:4-10; 1Pet 3:18; 1Jh 4:10, et al. The word "justification" alone shows that salvation is a legal matter.

2. I am not familiar with the Greek Orthodox's views concerning the atonement of Jesus Christ. But given all the other heretical views and practices of that church, I wouldn't let his disagreement with you bother you.