Substitutionary Atonement of Christ

Definition and Meaning

Substitutionary atonement refers to paying a price on behalf of another and thereby redeeming them. In Christianity it denotes the teaching that Jesus Christ, by dying on the cross, bore in humanity's place the punishment for sin that people deserved and, by that price, set them free from the bondage of sin and death. Atonement is the broader concept of cleansing sin and restoring the relationship with God. Within that concept, substitutionary atonement emphasizes "substitution" and "payment of a price."

Biblical and Historical Background

In the Old Testament, the doctrine draws on the Old Testament sacrifices, in which animals shed their blood in place of people; the rites of the Day of Atonement; and the Suffering Servant, who bears the sins of many (Isaiah 53:4-6). In the New Testament, Jesus said that he came "to give his life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45), and Paul and Peter likewise described Christ's death as one in which he bore sin in the place of others (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24).

Various explanations have been offered of how substitutionary atonement accomplishes salvation.

• Ransom theory: Some of the early Church Fathers regarded Christ's death as a ransom paid to free captive humanity.
• Satisfaction theory: In the late eleventh century, Anselm taught that Christ paid on humanity's behalf the debt owed to God's honor, which sin had violated.
• Moral influence theory: In the twelfth century, Abelard emphasized the love of God revealed at the cross, which moves people to turn back from sin.
• Penal substitution theory: The Reformers held that Christ bore in humanity's place the punishment for sin required by God's justice. This understanding became the mainstream Protestant view.
• Christus Victor: In the twentieth century, the Swedish theologian Gustaf Aulén brought renewed attention to the early church's view of the cross as a victory over sin, death, and the powers of evil.

Views also differ on the extent of the atonement. Calvinism formulated in the Canons of Dort the doctrine of limited atonement, which holds that Christ died for the elect. Arminianism maintained universal atonement, the view that Christ died for all people.

Practice in the Korean Church

In Korea, Protestants of all denominations confess substitutionary atonement as central to salvation. The doctrine is frequently addressed in Holy Week sermons, in the Lord's Supper, and in hymns, though the emphasis varies by denomination.

• Presbyterian: Korean denominations that follow the Westminster Confession of Faith place penal substitution at the center. The more strongly Reformed a denomination is, the more explicitly it tends to teach limited atonement.
• Methodist and Holiness: Following the tradition of Wesleyan theology, these denominations hold that Christ died for all people and teach that his grace extends to everyone as prevenient grace.
• Full Gospel: Pentecostal denominations such as the Korea Assemblies of God hold that the atonement includes not only the forgiveness of sins but also the healing of disease (divine healing), citing Isaiah 53:5 and Matthew 8:17. The Fivefold Gospel set forth by David Yonggi Cho represents this understanding. Other denominations sometimes disagree about whether healing is directly included in the atonement.
• Progressive theology: Some progressive theologians, while critiquing penal substitution, give attention to other interpretations such as the moral influence theory and Christus Victor.