Lutherans, Calvinists, and Arminians: The Atonement of Christ

This is the 3rd of 5 blogs regarding how Lutheranism relates to the 5 points of Calvinism and the 5 points of the Arminian Remonstrants. The first one dealt with the depravity of man and the second dealt with predestination and election. Now we are on to the atonement of Christ. The first two blogs in the series can be found at these links:

Lutherans Calvinists Arminians: Depravity

Lutherans Calvinists Arminians: Predestination

If you are looking for a quick, short, and spot-on Lutheran evaluation of the 5 points of Calvinism, my friend Pr. Jordan Cooper has done an excellent short work on this topic over at his blog. The work can be found here:

Lutheran Evaluation of the 5 Points of Calvinism - Pr. Cooper

Here comes the big one. The core of the Christian faith is Christ crucified and resurrected. The three camps here all have differing atonement stances. Much of the wrangling between the camps revolves around what the atonement actually did and who it was for. To do that, we ought to look at some different atonement theories that have been put forth in Christian history.

1. Recapitulation - This theory, associated especially with Eastern theologies and Iranaeus, puts a strong emphasis on Christ’s life as well as His death undoing the collective transgression of humanity. It also emphasizes the replacement of Adam’s headship in sin over the human with Christ’s headship.

2.Ransom - This view was very popular among some early theologians, such as Origen. It emphasized that Christ’s death was a ransom paid by God to Satan for ownership of humanity.

3. Christus Victor - This atonement theory emphasizes Christ’s victory over death and hell at the cross. Generally associated with Eastern theology, but also plays a large role in Reformation theologies.

4. Satisfaction - This view focuses on the atonement being a solution to God’s offended dignity or justice. Associated with Anselm, penal substitution is a type of satisfaction.

5. Substitution - This view emphasizes direct vicarious substitution for sinners to pay the just demands their sin requires. This view is specific to Reformation theologies.

6. Moral Influence - This view has its emphasis on the cross of Christ as a demonstration of God’s love that provides a moving example of His love that will lead sinners to repentance. Associated with Peter Abelard, this view is popular with liberal theologies. Some Arminians also are favorable to this view.

7. Moral Government - This view emphasized God’s just government of the world and establishes repentance as the basis on which humans can approach God. This was formulated in Arminian theology as an alternative to substitution. Hugo Grotius was the main pioneer in this regard.

 

Those are the seven major theories, and all other theories more or less fall into the broader category of one or more of those seven.

 

Atonement in Calvinism

 

The 3rd point of the famous TULIP in Calvinism is the L, which stands for limited atonement. This view within Calvinism has a couple different sub-views, depending on the flavor of Calvinist. Some of the higher Calvinists emphasize that the atonement was for the elect alone and that God has nothing but wrath and hatred for the non-elect. Others, and more often, take a more moderate view of limited atonement, saying that the atonement of Christ is sufficient for all, but efficient only for the elect and none else. So, they rightly place an infinite value on the atonement of Christ, but a limited intent; limited only to those whom God has predestined to glory. Thus, various Calvinist authors can state things such as:

 

"I may be called Antinomian or Calvinist for preaching a limited atonement; but I had
rather believe a limited atonement that is efficacious for all men for whom it was
intended, than a universal atonement that is not efficacious for anybody, except the
will of man be joined with it." ~Charles H. Spurgeon (Calvinistic Baptist)

 

"We hold most firmly the doctrine of particular redemption, that Christ loved his
Church, and gave himself for it; but we do not hold the doctrine of the limited value
of his precious blood. There can be no limit to Deity, there must be infinite value in
the atonement which was offered by him who is divine. The only limit of the
atonement is in its design, and that design was that Christ should give eternal life to as many as the Father has given him; but in itself the atonement is sufficient for the
salvation of the whole world, and if the entire race of mankind could be brought to
believe in Jesus, there is enough efficacy in his precious blood to cleanse everyone
born of woman from every sin that all of them have ever committed." ~Charles H. Spurgeon (Calvinistic Baptist)

 

"For it was the entirely free plan and very gracious will and intention of God the Father that the enlivening and saving effectiveness of his Son’s costly death should work itself out in all his chosen ones, in order that he might grant justifying faith to them only and thereby lead them without fail to salvation. In other words, it was God’s will that Christ through the blood of the cross (by which he confirmed the new covenant) should effectively redeem from every people, tribe, nation, and language all those and only those who were chosen from eternity to salvation and given to him by the Father; that he should grant them faith (which, like the Holy Spirit’s other saving gifts, he acquired for them by his death); that he should cleanse them by his blood from all their sins, both original and actual, whether committed before or after their coming to faith; that he should faithfully preserve them to the very end; and that he should finally present them to himself, a glorious people, without spot or wrinkle." ~Canons of Dort, Point II. Article VIII

 

"Again, as we have seen, particular redemption does not limit the sufficiency of Christ's death. With the New Testament, advocates of particular redemption can cheerfully proclaim, 'Christ died for sinners,' 'Christ died for the world,' and 'Christ's death is sufficient for you,' acknowledging also with the Scriptures that the assurance 'Christ died for you' is to be given only to believers." ~Michael Horton, Systematic Theology, p. 519

 

"To all those for whom Christ has purchased redemption, He does certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same; making intercession for them, and revealing unto them, in and by the word, the mysteries of salvation; effectually persuading them by His Spirit to believe and obey, and governing their hearts by His word and Spirit; overcoming all their enemies by His almighty power and wisdom, in such manner, and ways, as are most consonant to His wonderful and unsearchable dispensation." ~Westminster Confession, VIII, 8

 

However, it is unclear as to whether John Calvin himself was a proponent of limited atonement. Calvin states:

 

"Also we ought to have good care of those that have been redeemed with the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. If we see souls which have been so precious to God go to perdition, and we make nothing of it, that is to despise the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ." ~John Calvin, Sermon on Ephesians 5:11-14

 

"He makes this favor common to all, because it is propounded to all, and not because it is in reality extended to all; for though Christ suffered for the sins of the whole world, and is offered through God’s benignity indiscriminately to all, yet all do not receive him." ~John Calvin, Commentary on Romans 5:18

 

So, in Reformed Theology, there is limited, particular, or definite atonement. Classically, we'll say their stance is that Christ's death is of infinite value, but is only efficient and intended to save the elect alone. Their view on the controversial "Covenant of Redemption" (Pactum Salutis) is one of the key cogs that leads to this doctrine, even though some Reformed authors reject the idea. (O. Palmer Robertson, a Presbyterian, rejects it in his book "The Christ of the Covenants") The Covenant of Redemption, in terms for us laymen, emphasizes that the Father, Son, and Spirit acted covenantally before the foundation of the world to carry out a plan of salvation. God elects, Christ atones for, and the Spirit regenerates, only for the persons who are elected to salvation and none else.

 

Also, by far the biggest and most important atonement motif in Reformed Theology is Penal Substitution. As we saw above, this view emphasizes Christ's payment for the sins of people to satisfy the demands of God's justice. Christ, in effect, takes our place. Our sin is imputed to Him. Some Reformed theologians (many of them) also wrap in the Christus Victor and Recapitulation motifs (i.e. Michael Horton), but they are clearly secondary to Penal Substitution and mean nothing apart from it. Penal Substitution is the very core of the Gospel in Reformed Theology, in a very real sense.

 

To sum: Calvinism says that Christ's death is primarily a penal substitution for the elect alone and for nobody else, but it truly is sufficient for everyone and 50 billion other worlds, since Christ is God. but it's intent is to save the elect.

 

Atonement in Arminianism

 

The Arminian and Wesleyan view of the atonement is far different from the Reformed view. The Arminians are generally very big on the Moral Government theory and the Moral Influence theory. The Arminian view explicitly denies Penal Substitution in favor of a potential atonement. In short, Christ's death makes all men savable, but actually saves nobody.

 

"To demonstrate His hatred for sin, God commissioned His Son to die upon the cross. God is not able to simply forgive sins, but He must be appeased through a sacrifice (Isa. 53). For this reason, Christ died for our sins. Christ's death does not totally seal our salvation, but allows God to relax the demands of the law, and respond favorably to man." ~Elmer Towns

 

"The atonement is universal. This does not mean that all mankind will be unconditionally saved, but that the sacrifice offering of Christ so far satisfied the claims of the divine law as to make salvation a possibility for all. Redemption is therefore universal or general in the provisional sense, but special or conditional in its application to the individual." ~H. Orton Wiley, Introduction to Christian Theology, pp. 234-235

 

"The soteriology of Wesleyan Arminianism, taken as a whole, excludes the Satisfaction theory, and requires the Governmental as the only theory consistent with its doctrines. The doctrines of soteriology, with the atonement included, must admit of systemization, and be in scientific accord. If not, there is error at some point, as no truth can be in discord with any other truth. Now certain cardinal doctrines of the Wesleyan soteriology are very conspicuous and entirely settled. One is, that the atonement is only provisory in its character; that it renders men salvable, but does not necessarily save them. Another, and the consequence of the former, is the conditionality of salvation. Nor is this such as Calvinism often asserts, yet holds with the monergism of the system, but a real conditionality in accord with the synergism of the truest Arminianism. On these facts there is neither hesitation nor divergence in Methodism. With these facts, the atonement of Satisfaction must be excluded from her system of doctrines, and the Rectoral theory maintained as the only doctrine of a real atonement agreeing with them." ~John Miley, http://truthinheart.com/EarlyOberlinCD/CD/4/Miley/miley.htm

Thus, in Arminianism, especially the popular Wesleyan Armininism, Christ's death is mainly a demonstration of God's love that makes everyone savable, conditioned upon their response to it. They generally deny substitution in all of its forms.

Atonement in Lutheranism

There are some things to be commended in the Calvinist view of the atonement. They uphold Penal Substitution and that is a good thing. They also uphold, on a secondary basis, theories like Christus Victor and Recapitulation. Those are good as well. However, there is one big black eye on the Calvinist theory of the atonement that seeks to glorify God, but in practice has a negative effect on the believer. I am talking obviously about the extent of the atonement to the elect alone. This idea attempts to peer into God's hidden decree by means of a covenant with very little exegetical support from Scripture. The attempt is admirable. The exegesis is not.

The Arminian view of the atonement has very little to commend about it. They reject (consistently) all forms of substitution. That's not a good thing, because ultimately that grounds our salvation in something we do; even if that something is only a decision. They are however, correct about the extent.

In Lutheranism, we affirm a doctrine referred to as universal objective justification. This doctrine, in layman's terms, says that Christ universally and objectively justified the entire human race at Calvary. This can be shown especially in light of passages such as Romans 5:18. Therefore, Christ bought the entire human race, as passages such as 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 and 2 Peter 2:1 suggest. Of course the Calvinist as well as the Arminian scream "that's universalism!" to this view. And in one sense, sure, it is. But we also hold to a limited salvation. Not everyone will be saved. The confessions state:

Epitome, VIII, 14: Therefore the Son of God truly suffered for us, however, according to the property of the human nature which He assumed into the unity of His divine person and made His own, so that He might be able to suffer and be our High Priest for our reconciliation with God, as it is written 1 Cor. 2:8: They have crucfied the Lord of glory. And Acts 20:28: We are purchased with God's blood.

Solid Declaration, VIII, 44-45: Dr. Luther says also in his book Of the Councils and the Church: We Christians must know that if God is not also in the balance, and gives the weight, we sink to the bottom with our scale. By this I mean: If it were not to be said [if these things were not true], God has died for us, but only a man, we would be lost. But if "God's death" and "God died" lie in the scale of the balance, then He sinks down, and we rise up as a light, empty scale. But indeed He can also rise again or leap out of the scale; yet He could not sit in the scale unless He became a man like us, so that it could be said: "God died," "God's passion," "God's blood," "God's death." For in His nature God cannot die; but now that God and man are united in one person, it is correctly called God's death, when the man dies who is one thing or one person with God. Thus far Luther.

Hence it is manifest that it is incorrect to say or write that the above-mentioned expressions (God suffered, God died) are only praedicationes verbales (verbal assertions), that is, mere words, and that it is not so in fact. For our simple Christian faith proves that the Son of God, who became man, suffered for us, died for us and redeemed us with His blood.

Saxon Visitation Articles 1592, Art. IV, 1,2:

The False and Erroneous doctrine of the Calvinists On Predestination and the Providence of God.

That Christ did not die for all men, but only for the elect.  

That God created the greater part of mankind for eternal damnation, and wills not that the greater part should be converted and live.  

Well, there is a clear statement of universal atonement from the Saxon Visitation Articles. In Lutheranism, we hold to a universal objective justification (Most Lutherans. Some reject UOJ) wrought for the entire human race. We accept Penal Substitution, Christus Victor, and Recapitulation. We believe that Christ's death actually saves, like the Reformed do. We believe that Christ's death is universal in extent along with the Arminians, while rejecting the major motif that Arminianism proposes. Therefore, in Lutheranism, Christ died for you, in an actual sense. But you must receive it through no merit of your own. Not by us making Christ's death effective as in Arminianism. Christ's death is already effective, as in Calvinism. As monergists, we hold that God alone saves us through Christ's death alone, by grace alone, through faith alone. We thus uphold monergism along with universal grace and a universal saving will of God, along with predestination of the elect to salvation. We will stand where Scripture behooves us to stand. How do we receive this? Very simply put, through the free gifts given to us by God's grace which delivers Christ to us. What are these? Baptism, Preaching the Gospel, and the Lord's Supper. Christ's death is given to us as a one-sided free gift in Word and Sacrament. Not of ourselves and nothing of ourselves. All of God giving the crucified and risen Christ through real objective means in which He sanctifies natural things and makes them holy. Be Baptised. Hear the Word. Take and eat, for this is My body and blood.

Christ for everyone universally. Christ for you!