Table Of ContentThe Atonement
Salvation Through the
Blood of Christ
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LOGOS PUBLICATIONS,
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by
Eureka Press Pty. Ltd.
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April, 1990
The Atonement
Salvation Through the
Blood of Christ
Comprising Extracts and Short Articles
which have appeared in
Christadelphian magazines and writings
expounding the important principles of
Atonement, Sin, Sacrifice
and Redemption.
Foreword
Paradoxically, the subject that concerns reconciliation and
redemption has been the cause of much dispute and contention. When
God determined that the Seed of the Woman would overcome the
Seed of the Serpent it was upon the basis of divinely-appointed enmity.
That enmity has manifested itself in a variety of circumstances
throughout the ages. The Master had to contend vigorously with the
Scribes and Pharisees whose philosophy made the power of God of no
account, and whose teaching destroyed the elements of salvation:
"Woe unto you, for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for
ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to
go in" (Matt. 23:13). Very clearly, the Master did not tolerate wrong
doctrine on matters relating to eternal salvation.
This attitude was repeated by the apostle Paul who told the Galatian
brethren to preserve the purity of the gospel he had delivered to them,
since "there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of
Christ" (ch. 1:7). Problems on the subject of the atonement surfaced
early in apostolic times: "Many deceivers are entered into the world,
who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver
and an antichrist" (2 John 7). It is not surprising, therefore, that the
latter-day ecclesia should face similar disparity with differing views on
this subject.
It is important, however, that the simple, clear and beautiful themes
of divine reconciliation through the blood of the Lamb be understood.
Though many may not easily grapple with the difficult and obscure
twists and turns of argument, the golden thread of principle must be
appreciated and admired by those who seek the atoning cover of the
Lord's work for his people.
Out of controversy can come many glorious facets of Truth. That is
certainly the experience of those who carefully read the writings of our
pioneer brethren, who contended against false doctrine without and
within the brotherhood. In this volume we have recorded some of the
articles, debates and booklets issued during the past century. The
reader will be able to carefully peruse the various articles, and thereby
develop in understanding of the subject — so as to behold the grandeur
of what Yahweh accomplishes in His Son in order to reveal His glory
and to benefit His creation.
The contents are by no means exhaustive. This book is designed to
complement the excellent expositions already available in Elpis Israel,
Eureka, Law of Moses, and similar volumes, to which the reader is
recommended. We feel sure that the articles which appear herein,
developed out of difficulty and contention, will prove to be a most
helpful exposition of the Atonement, and assist in providing a valuable
reference work for further study.
It is produced with great appreciation of the drama that Yahweh set
forth upon Golgotha's hill two thousand years ago, and whose plan of
reconciliation is being worked out in the lives of individuals called to
salvation. If the precepts and principles discussed in these articles be
understood and appreciated, the reader can hardly fail to admire and
accede to them in the development of character, and finally benefit in
immortality. For the atoning work of Yahweh through His Son, which
began with "great and precious promises" will conclude in the granting
of "divine nature in those who have escaped the corruption that is in
the world through lust" (2 Pet. 1:4). Then both character and nature
will be perfected and the whole creation will redound to the glory of
Yahweh. It is to that end that this volume is published.
G. E. Mansfield (April, 1990).
'My Sins Are Not
Hid From Thee"
In the Psalms the sufferings of Christ are vividly
manifest, as well as "the glory that should follow".
Those sufferings are not to be confined to the closing
scene of his tribulation ... We must consider how he felt
and what he thought in relation to his whole
surroundings. The opportunity of doing this is
abundantly afforded in the Psalms, and more
particularly in Psalm 69, to which Paul refers —
"Christ pleased not himself, but as it is written, The
reproaches of them that reproached Thee fell on me"
(Romans 15:2).
Turning to that Psalm, we are presented with the
inner and personal experience of Christ in a form not
accessible in the Gospel narratives. Verse 5 —
"O Lord, Thou knowest my foolishness, and my sins
are not hid from Thee".
The application of this to Christ is only intelligible on
the principle that he partook of the common nature of
our uncleanness — flesh of Adamic stock—in which, as
Paul says, there "dwelleth no good thing" (Rom. 7:18);
a nature the burdensome of which arises from its native
tendencies to foolishness and sin.
This burden is felt in proportion as higher things are
appreciated. Christ knew as no man can know, the
gloriousness, spotlessness, and spontaneous holiness of
the Spirit nature ... True, Christ sustained the burden;
he carried the load without stumbling ... Still, the
burden was there, and his consciousness of it finds
expression in the words under consideration. R.R.
Contents
Foreword 4
Contents 7
Section One: The Atonement 9
Section Two: The Slain Lamb 29
Section Three: Questions and Questions . 57
Section Four: A Debate on
Resurrectional Responsibility 85
Section Five: The Blood of Christ 155
Section Six: Logos Expositions 179
Index to Chapters in Section Six 180
Index to Bible Quotations 361
Introduction to Section One
A lecture by the second editor of The Christadelphian magazine
appeared in serial form in 1929 and was later reissued as a pamphlet for
general distribution. Brother C. C. Walker set out to explain in simple
terms the true meaning of the word "atonement" and some of the
difficult phrases of the subject.
Unfortunately, with the vagaries of the English language over the
years, changes to meanings of many words have occurred. A
significant example of this is in 2 Thess. 2:7 where the apostle speaks
of the restraining influence of paganism in the words as translated:
"only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way". The
words letteth, and let once meant "to withhold, restrain, prevent", but
that is no longer the case. In fact, the words now describe the very
opposite meaning!
The word "atonement" is variously defined in dictionaries,
according to the particular viewpoint of the compiler. A wrong
impression of the word used in the Scriptures has therefore occurred,
and difficulty in understanding associated Biblical terms has resulted.
It is necessary to define the word by its Scriptural meaning, and, since
it appears sixty-nine times in the Old Testament, we have plenty of
scope for study. It is important, however, to be clear in such definition,
for sometimes controversy has occurred about the term, when
opposing parties have had different definitions of the word itself! In
fact, the occurrence of "atonement" in the New Testament AV (Rom.
5:11) is not the identical word to that of the Old Testament, and should
be translated "reconciliation" as Brother Walker points out.
This section, containing his lecture on the subject, will provide a
valuable basis to understand the words used in the Scriptures
concerning this matter.
Section One
The Atonement
The Bible Doctrine of
Reconciliation to God
A lecture by C.C. Walker
"We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now
received the atonement" (Rom. 5:11)
THE ATONEMENT
"Atonement": Definition and Synonyms
The English phrase, "the atonement," is found but once in the New
Testament (A.V.), namely, in Rom. 5:11. The passage with its context
runs as follows:
"When we were yet without strength,.in due time Christ died for the
ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradven-
ture for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commen-
deth his love toward us, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for
us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved
from wrath through him. For if while we were enemies, we were recon-
ciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled we
shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God
through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the
atonement" (verses 6-11).
In the margin here the alternative "reconciliation" is given for
"atonement" in the text; and in the Revised Version "reconciliation"
has been put in the text, thus harmonizing the context, and leaving that
term "reconciliation" as the sole English representative of the original
Greek word katallagee, the only occurrences of which in the N.T. are
the following: Rom. 5:11; 11:15; 2 Cor. 5:18,19.
It is obvious from the foregoing that "the atonement," or "reconcili-
ation," has to do with the death of Christ the Son of God in reconciling
men to God. But what is the radical idea underlying the original term?
It is a change of status from some other position — a restoration to
favour, the verb katallasso being formed from allos, another. An
allophulos was a man of another race or nation, i.e., not a Jew (Acts
10:28). Such were the Ephesian Christians by nature (Eph. 2:11), but
in Christ they were "no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citi-
zens with the saints, and of the household of God" (verse 19).
The synonyms of "atonement" in the New Testament are "reconcili-
ation," as above, "ransom," "redemption," "propitiation," "justifica-
tion," in all of which it is to be understood that God, the Father, is the
Prime Mover, and that His purpose, justice and mercy are always
manifested and upheld in His work.
Thus, as to "ransom": Jesus said, "The Son of Man came not to be
ministered unto but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many"
(Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45). "There is one God, and one mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ran-
som for all, to be testified in due time" (1 Tim. 2:5,6), (or, R.V., "the
testimony to be borne in its own times"), that is by the apostles (com-
pare 2 Tim. 2:8).
So also with regard to "redemption," of which word "ransom" is but
a much shrunken form. Believers are "justified freely by God's grace
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