New Testament Survey Pauline Epistles Week 8

1. New Testament Survey Pauline EpistlesWeek 8 Romans 9 - 16 The Work of Christ - Atonement

2. The Work of Christ: AtonementNotes from Ladd • Atonement: • Properly understood as “reconciliation” • Atonement is central to Pauline thought • “The death of Christ dealt with the problem of human sin and brought people into fellowship with God” Ladd • I Cor. 15:3 – Christ’s death is of first importance • Almost every letter deals with: • Death, blood, cross or crucifixion

3. Objectives of Christ’s Death • It showed the love of God • It served as a sacrifice • It was vicarious (for others than Himself) • It was substitutionary • It was propitiatory • It was redemptive • It was triumphant

4. Christ’s Death: Showed God’s Love • Christ’s death revealed God’s love • The proof of God’s love was the cross • Rom. 5:8 – “…while we were yet sinners.” • We see God’s love against the backdrop of His wrath against sin. • Morris: “Unless we give real content to the wrath of God, unless we hold that men really deserve to have God visit upon them the painful consequences of their wrongdoing, we empty God’s forgiveness of its meaning.”

5. Christ’s Death: Served as Sacrifice • Rom. 3:25 – Alludes to “Great day of Atonement” • Eph. 5:2 – “…a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God • Blood of Christ (reference to): • Propitiation – Rom. 3:25 • Justification – Rom. 5:9 • Redemption – Eph. 1:7 • Brought near to God – Eph. 2:13 • Peace – Col. 1:20

6. Christ’s Death: Vicarious • Christ died: • Not merely as an event • Not for His sake • But, “He died for us” I Thes. 5:9 • His life as a “ransom for many” Mk 10:45 • Christ was made to be sin on our behalf: • He came under the blight of sin • He entered into sins deepest gloom • He shared with men its awful weight & penalty

7. Christ’s Death: Substitutionary • Christ was not our representative in sin • II Cor. 5:21 – “Jesus alone knew no sin” • Christ suffered for sin “in our stead” • Objectively – something we could not do • Not Subjectively – what he did does not change meaning per circumstances. • Through Christ’s death the believer finds: • Deliverance from the power of sin • Release from domination and bondage of law • Freedom from the world

8. Christ’s Death: Propitiatory • Propitiation – to appease a person who has been offended • Propitiation has been provided by God to rescue people • God rescues even though man is: • Deserving of God’s holy wrath • Condemned as a guilty sinner • Doomed to death by his guilt (destined to perish) • Man is thus: acquitted, justified & saved

9. Christ’s Death: Redemptive • Redemption: • Price paid to buy back something in pawn • Price paid to ransom prisoners of war • Price paid to purchase the freedom of a slave • I Tim. 2:6 – Christ’s death – a ransom • What price was paid? • Christ’s death • What did His death buy? • Man is bought back from sin and death • Man is bought back from the curse of law

10. Christ’s Death:Triumphant • Christ is triumphant over: • Cosmic powers • Evil spiritual world • I Cor. 15:24-25 – Christ’s mission and initial defeat • Col. 2:15 – Christ disarmed (or stripped) • The evil powers of their insignia of rank • The evil powers of their arms • There is an intimation of a greater triumph still to come