John Launchbury - Engaging the Moral Exemplar Q&A - ANZATS Conference 2016: The Atonement
Channel: Blackburn Berrys
Date: 2016-07-20

Historically the Christian church has favored a variety of mechanisms to depict the work of Christ. Ransom was supplanted by Satisfaction in a time of honor, and by Penal Substitution in a time of legal principles. As the role of authority is increasingly questioned in the 21st century, it may be time to re-elevate the narrative of the Moral Exemplar, the prevailing understanding during the first millennium of Christianity.

Ransom, Satisfaction and Substitution are all transactional theories: in Ransom, God had to buy us from the devil; in Satisfaction he had to assuage Honor; and in Substitution he has to satisfy the demands of Law. In contrast, Exemplar is transformational. It argues that everything God has done has been to show us how much he wants us in his family, and to effect real change in us.

The shift from transaction to God-led transformation is profound and provokes a powerful reexamination of atonement. Reconciliation is found as much in the resurrection of Jesus as in his death; the covering of Christ is to provide us with confidence rather than helping God cope with sin; and Jesus is no longer the lawyer standing beside us arguing our case before God. Rather, he is God’s mediator who stands beside us to give us courage and power as we confront sin.

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