Category Archives: Theology

Atonement: The Lamb of God

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Jay F Guin

So as we ponder the meaning of the atonement, we have to take up what is likely the most pervasive metaphor for Jesus’s role in the atonement — Jesus, the Lamb of God. What does that mean? What are we … Continue reading →

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Atonement: The Covenant Model, Part 3

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Jay F Guin

Romans Gorman does not deal with Romans because, I suppose, there is no explicit reference to “new covenant” in the epistle. But there are plenty of references to Jeremiah 31 and Deuteronomy 30:6. I’ve covered these in detail in the … Continue reading →

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Atonement: The Covenant Model, Part 2

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Jay F Guin

What does the New Testament say about the “new covenant”? I dare say few readers could answer this question, because the question is largely ignored in the commentaries, even though — as Gorman points out — it appears to be … Continue reading →

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Atonement: The Covenant Model, Part 1

Posted on July 16, 2012 by Jay F Guin

Long time readers will recall that I’m a Michael J. Gorman fan. I did a lengthy series a while back based on his Inhabiting the Cruciform God: Kenosis, Justification, and Theosis in Paul’s Narrative Soteriology — which is truly a … Continue reading →

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Atonement: Reflecting on the Powers, Part 3 (Repaired)

Posted on July 15, 2012 by Jay F Guin

Before we leave the subject of “powers,” we need to consider the neo-Anabaptist position on them. By “neo-Anabaptist,” I mean such authors as John Howard Yoder and Stanley Hauerwas, and I’m a fan. They’ve taught me a lot. But I’m … Continue reading →

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Atonement: Reflecting on the Powers, Part 2

Posted on July 14, 2012 by Jay F Guin

In the last post, I introduced the idea that God became King of the nations via the cross and the resurrection. It is, indeed, a major theme of the four Gospels, as described by N. T. Wright in How God … Continue reading →

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Atonement: Reflecting on the Powers, Part 1

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Jay F Guin

This idea of “gods” and “powers” is profoundly disturbing, of course. After all, Christians have long insisted on monotheism. The classic text is, of course, the Shema — (Deu 6:4 ESV)  4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the … Continue reading →

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Atonement: Further on Christus Victor and Paul’s Epistles

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Jay F Guin

We’ve taken this detour through the “powers” to better understand why the early church fathers would imagine that the atonement is all about God’s defeat of the powers, authorities, princes, etc. — especially Satan. That seems foreign to modern ears, but … Continue reading →

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Atonement: The Powers in the New Testament, an Introduction

Posted on July 11, 2012 by Jay F Guin

We’re continuing to consider materials from the book God’s Rivals: Why Has God Allowed Different Religions? Insights from the Bible and the Early Church, by Gerald R. McDermott. We’re not presently concerned with his principal argument, that is, the significance of … Continue reading →

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Atonement: The Powers in the Old Testament

Posted on July 10, 2012 by Jay F Guin

As mentioned in the last post, the scriptural notion of “powers” and “authorities” is routinely ignored in our Bible studies. And yet the Christus Victor theory of atonement is based on God’s victory over the powers in Jesus by means of … Continue reading →

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