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Monday, June 22, 2009

Penal Substitution

"The notion which the phrase "penal substitution" expresses is that Jesus Christ our Lord, moved by a love that was determined to do everything necessary to save us, endured and exhaused the destructive divine judgment for which we were otherwise inescapably destined, and so won us forgiveness, adoption, and glory. To affirm penal substitution is to say that believers are in debt to Christ specifically for this, and that this is the mainspring of all their joy, peace, and praise both now and for eternity."

-J.I. Packer, quoted from In My Place Condemned He Stood

6 comments:

Nick said...

Unfortunately, Penal Substitution is not a doctrine taught in Scripture, here is a debate against a Calvinist which demonstrates this:
http://catholicdefense.googlepages.com/psdebate

Eron said...

Chance,

Good quote. That book is on my reading list. I think I am just going to read the one chapter called "The Logic of Penal Substitution." It is about 50 pages though and I hate long chapters. I hear that one chapter is worth the book.

Nick,

Old news buddy, old news.

Plev

Nick said...

What do you mean by "old news"? The debate was only a few months ago.

As for the "Logic of Penal Substitution," that falls prey to many of the errors I point out in my debate, especially it's failure in conforming to Scripture.

chance n said...

EP,
Every chapter is excellent. The chapter you are talking about is excellent.

Nick,
I don't want to completely respond without reading your debate. Please forgive my delay, but know that I fully believe Penal Substitution to be the heart of the Gospel and the only source of a sinner's hope and joy. I believe it conforms to Scripture beautifully.

Eron said...

Nick,

What I meant was that the overall debate over penal sub has been going for centuries. You said, "Penal Sub is not a doctrine taught in Scripture." I am just saying that you are not the first to say that or "debate" it.

Shanz,

Hey man. I wouldn't spend too much time in all this. Blog debates are enticing but really accomplish little. Nick is eager to find someone to debate. Don't be too flattered that he found your blog. It really is a waste of time. Trust the one who wrote on Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames and still receive angry debaters to this day!

All that to say, for a better debate that will be more beneficial to you, check out IVP's Nature of the Atonement: 4 Views. Schreiner contributes an article as well as Greg Boyd and Joel Green. And if you want, I can send you snippets from my notes in Wellum's The Doctrine of the Work of Christ that I took a few years back. We covered all these issues.

Talk to you soon.
Plev

chance n said...

Plev,
Consider your advice heeded, my friend. Thank you. Go ahead and send me those note "snippets" and thanks for the book resource.

CN