Welcome to Breakpoint, a daily look at an ever-changing culture through the lens of unchanging truth. For the Colson Center, I'm John Stone Street. Earlier this month, pastor and best-selling author John Mark Comer posted that a new book was now a, and I quote, knockout blow to penal substitutionary atonement, or as the theology nerds call it, PSA.
Now, I asked Dr. Thaddeus Williams, assistant professor of systematic theology at Biola University, to weigh in on this historic Christian doctrine that's proclaimed throughout scripture and championed by several of the church fathers. Here's what Dr. Williams had to say. Penal, as in the word penalty.
Points to the fact that, as Christian apologist Francis Schaefer says, man is guilty before the lawgiver of the universe, doing what is contrary to his character. Therefore man has true moral guilt. Guilt isn't just about subjective guilt feelings. It's about our objective problem before God, the lawgiver and judge. A problem that needs a solution whether or not we feel like it.
Yes, God as judge offends postmodern sensibilities, in which the only publicly recognized sin is the sin of judging others. But we must take our cues from God and His Word, not the feel-good gurus of our age. The Bible speaks of the just God's wrath when we break his good laws over 500 times. The substitutionary part of PSA is what Peter was after when he describes Christ's suffering as, quote, the righteous for the unrighteous. This astounding swapping of places, what Martin Luther called this wonderful exchange, is echoed by Paul in Second Corinthians 5:21.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Jesus himself speaks of giving his life as a ransom for many in Mark 10:45. Isaiah fifty three five, which scholars say looks as if it had been written beneath the cross upon Golgotha, also speaks clearly of substitution. Quote, he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities. In his book, Andrew Rillera offers three objections to PSA.
First, many find PSA too legal and therefore not relational. Rolera defends, quote, a gospel rooted in divine benevolence and covenant, not in retribution and contract. But this objection makes a false either-or out of a beautiful both-and. Think of marriage. Marriage is, among other things, legal.
But newlyweds don't say the ink is dried on our marriage certificate, relationship over. No. The legal declaration seals, authenticates, and enhances the relationship. The same can be said for legal adoption. What Jesus accomplished legally on the cross has everything to do with what we can say relationally.
That we are God's beloved children and Christ's cherished bride. Second, Rolera argues that Jesus' death is not an act of substitution. The audience is not supposed to look at Jesus' suffering and death and think, Phew, Jesus did all that instead of me. Rather, they are to look upon Jesus the author and perfecter of faithfulness, and thereby pattern their lives after the crucifixion. Again, we find a beautiful both and reduced to a false either or.
And that's the beauty of PSA. It doesn't rule out, but radiates other aspects of Christ's atonement so we can appreciate them in a fuller light. Hermann Bawink said The work of Christ is so multifaceted that that it cannot be captured in a single word nor summarized in a single formula. Multifaceted is exactly the right word for the cross. It conjures an image of a diamond with multiple facets.
So Peter says, Christ also suffered for you, leaving an example, so that you might follow his steps, First Peter 2.21. But then he rejoices that Jesus Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree. Do you see the point? Jesus dying instead of us adds meaning to him dying ahead of us. There's just no either or here.
Jesus, taking our pain, sheds light on how we can follow his example in a way that doesn't reduce love to a fuzzy sentimentalism. and likewise The idea that Jesus triumphed over Satan's powers on the cross, the Christus Victor view. is certainly taught in Scripture. yet that victory rests on us being in Him as Jesus forgave our law breaking, canceled our legal debts, and nailed it to the cross, according to Colossians 2, 11 to 15. Jewelers have a term for the flat top of a precious stone that serves as a window into the lower facets of the diamond so they sparkle more radiantly.
They call it The table. PSA is the table of atonement. It's precisely because Jesus died instead of us that his death ahead of us and his death against the forces of darkness shine in their true biblical radiance. A third and final objection is that P S A makes God out to be some unhinged abuser. The father vents his rage onto his own son, so he can mellow out and love us as children rather than loathe us as criminals.
while unfortunately pushed in some pulpits. That is thankfully not what P S A means. The father was not brimming with hatred for us until Good Friday. but because he so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. And moreover, the atonement is an act of God.
That is the entire triune God, Father, Son and Spirit, acting in perfect unison, never Father against Son. That was theologian and author doctor Thaddeus Williams talking. about penal substitutionary atonement.
Now certainly the life, the death, and resurrection of Christ is about more than just penal substitutionary atonement. But it certainly is not about less. For the Colson Center, I'm John Stone Street with Breakpoint. If you're a fan of Breakpoint, would you leave us a review wherever you download your podcast? And you can always find more resources like this one at breakpoint.org.
