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The five traditional theories of the Atonement of Jesus Christ that have received wide adoption over the past 2000 years include the following:

(1) Ransom Theory
(2) Satisfaction Theory
(3) Christus Victor Theory
(4) Penal Substitution Theory
(5) Governmental Theory

We will quickly provide a high level recap of the basic tenets / ideas of each of these five theories, and we will then detail the primary areas where each of these theories are not fully in harmony with the teachings of the scriptures.

Since we will be attempting to do this with big strokes of the brush, please note we might not get every last nuance of each theory fully to the “t.”

Having said that, if each theory falls short in their major tenets, they can’t be rehabilitated in the minutia.

(1) Ransom Theory

“Essentially this theory claimed that Adam and Eve sold humanity over to the Devil at the time of the Fall; hence, it required that God pay the Devil a ransom to free us from the Devil’s clutches. God, however, tricked the Devil into accepting Christ’s death as a ransom, for the Devil did not realize that Christ could not be held in the bonds of death. Once the Devil accepted Christ’s death as a ransom, this theory concluded, justice was satisfied and God was able to free us from Satan’s grip.” (Robin Collins)

Problems with this theory:

(1) Who is Satan that he should be equal with God? Said differently, if Satan were truly co-equal with God (meaning God was NOT more powerful than Satan), then this is the reason why God was forced to pay him a ransom in order to buy us back.
(2) It is really in the nature of God to trick someone else (in essence to rob someone) … even if the person being robbed were the Devil? If God knew that he would offer Christ to Satan as a ransom, and if the Devil accepted this offering fully expecting that he would be able to keep Christ, and then if Christ was able to escape the Devil’s grasp, which the Father fully knew Christ could do, wouldn’t this deceptive action be contrary to God’s honor and trust?
(3) This theory does nothing to address the idea of whether a sinner experiences a change of heart as a result of Christ’s Atonement in both the garden and on the cross. If we were simply ransomed from the Devil, and that was it, would we then be brought back to God in the same sinful state we currently existed in … or is there an additional mechanism through which we are changed to become more like our Father in Heaven?
(4) This theory does nothing to address the idea of how we are healed – or made whole – of actions others have taken that in turn injured (or robbed) us, or of our own actions that have injured and robbed others.
(5) This theory does nothing to address the idea of how we are healed – or made whole – of events that do not necessarily involve the actions of a sinner … like a birth defect, a nature disaster, a financial downturn, etc.
(6) This theory does nothing to address how Heavenly Father is made whole when our actions cause others to reject Him, thus robbing him of that which He prizes above all else … the souls whom He has created (His jewels).

(2) Satisfaction Theory

When humans sin, they defraud God of the honor that He is due. Christ’s death, the ultimate act of obedience, gives God great honor. Since it was beyond the call of duty for Christ to perform the Atonement, it is more honor than he was obliged to give. Christ’s surplus can therefore repay our deficit. Hence Christ’s death is substitutionary in this sense: he pays the honor due to God instead of our having to pay this honor (note – this substitution is not penal, rather his death pays our honor and not our penalty).

Sin is viewed as the withholding of honor due to God. In his death, since he was under no obligation to die, being sinless, Christ brought infinite glory to God. This brought a reward to Christ that He did not need so he passes it on to sinners if they live according to the gospel. Thus, the basis for receiving the benefit of Christ’s death is works.

(1) This theory does nothing to address the idea of whether a sinner experiences a change of heart. If works satisfies God’s honor, can we simply do works grudgingly, yet remain sinful at our core? Said simply, are we brought back to God in the same sinful state we currently exist in, or what is the mechanism through which we change to become more like Heavenly Father?
(2) This theory does nothing to address the idea of how we are healed – or made whole – of actions others take to injure us, or of our own actions that injure others.
(3) This theory does nothing to address the idea of how we are healed – or made whole – of events that don’t involve a sinner … like birth defects, nature disasters, financial downturns, etc.
(4) This theory does nothing to address how Heavenly Father is made whole when our actions cause others to reject Him, thus robbing him of that which He prizes above all else … the souls whom He created (His jewels).

(3) Christus Victor Theory

Jesus Christ died in order to defeat the power of evil (such as sin, death, and the devil) in order to free mankind from their bondage. This theory is related to the Ransom view with the difference being that there is no payment to the devil or to God. Within the Christus Victor framework, the cross did not pay off anyone but defeated evil thereby setting the human race free.

(1) This theory does nothing to address the idea of whether a sinner experiences a change of heart. Said simply, are we brought back to God in the same sinful state we currently exist in, or what is the mechanism through which we change to become more like Heavenly Father?
(2) This theory does nothing to address the idea of how we are healed – or made whole – of actions others take to injure us, or of our own actions that injure others.
(3) This theory does nothing to address the idea of how we are healed – or made whole – of events that don’t involve a sinner … like birth defects, nature disasters, financial downturns, etc.
(4) This theory does nothing to address how Heavenly Father is made whole when our actions cause others to reject Him, thus robbing him of that which He prizes above all else … the souls whom He created (His jewels).


(4) Penal Substitution Theory

Jesus Christ dies to satisfy God’s wrath against human sin. Jesus is punished (penal) in the place of sinners (substitution) in order to satisfy the justice of God and the legal demand of God to punish sin. In the light of Jesus’ death, God can now forgive the sinner because Jesus Christ has been punished in the place of the sinner, in this way meeting the retributive requirements of God’s justice. This legal balancing of the ledgers is at the heart of this theory, which claims that Jesus died for legal satisfaction.

(1) This theory does nothing to address the idea of whether a sinner experiences a change of heart. Said simply, are we brought back to God in the same sinful state we currently exist in, or what is the mechanism through which we change to become more like Heavenly Father?
(2) This theory does nothing to address the idea of how we are healed – or made whole – of actions others take to injure us, or of our own actions that injure others.
(3) This theory does nothing to address the idea of how we are healed – or made whole – of events that don’t involve a sinner … like birth defects, nature disasters, financial downturns, etc.
(4) Is our Heavenly Father really out to punish humankind? Is that His true nature. Or does he have mercy, grace, and compassion. Does He truly want us to return to live with Him? Are we not his jewels that He treasures?
(5) This theory does nothing to address how Heavenly Father is made whole when our actions cause others to reject Him, thus robbing him of that which He prizes above all else … the souls whom He created (His jewels).

(5) Governmental Theory

This theory of the Atonement is a slight variation upon the Penal Substitution theory, which is notably held in Methodism. The main difference here is the extent to which Christ suffered. In the Governmental Theory, Jesus Christ suffers the punishment of our sin and propitiates God’s wrath. In this way, it is similar to Penal Substitution. However, in the Governmental Theory, Jesus Christ does not take the exact punishment we deserve, He takes a punishment. Jesus dies on the cross therefore to demonstrate the displeasure of God towards sin. He died to display God’s wrath against sin and the high price which must be paid, but not to specifically satisfy that particular wrath. The Governmental Theory also teaches that Jesus died only for the church, and if you by faith are part of the church, you can take part in God’s salvation. The church then acts as a sort of hiding place from God’s punishment.

(1) This theory does nothing to address the idea of whether a sinner experiences a change of heart. Said simply, are we brought back to God in the same sinful state we currently exist in, or what is the mechanism through which we change to become more like Heavenly Father?
(2) This theory does nothing to address the idea of how we are healed – or made whole – of actions others take to injure us, or of our own actions that injure others.
(3) This theory does nothing to address the idea of how we are healed – or made whole – of events that don’t involve a sinner … like birth defects, nature disasters, financial downturns, etc.
(4) Is our Heavenly Father really out to punish humankind? Is that His true nature. Or does he have mercy, grace, and compassion. Does He truly want us to return to live with Him? Are we not his jewels that He treasures?
(5) This theory does nothing to address how Heavenly Father is made whole when our actions cause others to reject Him, thus robbing him of that which He prizes above all else … the souls whom He created (His jewels).

NOTES:

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