Theology
Heaven and Hell
I think the question is, “can’t God do any better than that?” Or put another way, “Isn’t God capable of doing any better than us in coming up a way of reconciling the demands of justice with the demand for compassion, understanding and mercy?” I reckon God is capable of doing so. I’ve got no […]
God is Love: The Central Christian Metaphor
David Tracy It remains a matter of some amazement that Christianity’s central metaphor for understanding God is “God is Love.” This extraordinary metaphorical insight first occurs, in the history of the Christian piety and reflection, in The First Letter of John. Although First John is written in the genre of “letter,” it also functions, as […]
Substitutionary Atonement
Rowland Croucher wrote: I don’t want to prolong this discussion too much but I think there’s a question which hasn’t been answered directly yet. (If it was the comment was too oblique for this brain of mine :-): ===>>> Why can’t we have a theology of substitutionary atonement *without* the notion of ‘satisfaction’? Nathan replied: […]
Heaven and Hell
Back in the late ’60s when I was a full-time evangelical staffworker with students in Sydney, Australia, I used to engage Ormsby Wilkins in debate on 2UE (and about 90 other affiliated radio stations). He was the John Laws of those days (but much brighter, sort of like Phillip Adams). He was an atheist, and […]
Substitutionary Atonement
I think I may need to clarify what I do believe instead of just what I don’t believe, because it seems that some assume that as soon as I question the doctrine of substitutionary atonement, that I have stripped the Cross of its meaning as paying for our sins, radically departed from evangelical teaching, and […]
Your God is Too Small
Over the weekend I had occasion to dig out my copy of J. B. Phillips’ “Your God Is Too Small”. This was published in 1952, but even after half a century many of his thoughts are very relevant. Under “Managing Director” in the first part (“Destructive”) in the book one paragraph reads: All `lofty’ concepts […]
Substitutionary Atonement (more)
Substitutionary Atonement From a pastor-friend: I was hoping you or someone (where are you, Spurgeon?) could give us a reasonable defence, or at least clarify the parameters or valid aspects of the substitutionary theory. I know for example that the idea that ‘the Father turns his face away’ [quote S.Townend ‘How Deep the Father’s Love’] […]
Paradigms of the Atonement
From a N T theologian-friend: Thank you for the discussion on ways of understanding the death of Jesus. I’ve found it a helpful to talk of four basic paradigms for thinking of the implications of Jesus’ death and resurrection: sacrificial, legal, victory and discipleship ‘models’ of ‘at-one-ment’ (which I understand was William Tyndale’s invented word […]
Errors in the Bible?
From a netfriend: There appears to be a serious chronological disparity between the timeline of Joseph and the timeline of his brothers. First let’s look at Joseph after he was sold into slavery: 37:2 Joseph is 17. 37:28 Joseph is sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers (Judah et al). 41:46 Joseph was aged […]
Substitutionary Atonement (more)
One pastor-friend wrote: So what happens to the wrath of God? Nathan replied: What happens to your wrath when you are justifiably outraged by something done to you, but in the love and grace you have learnd from Christ you forgive without seeking some form of retribution? Take your answer, multiply it by perfection, and […]
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