155
April 1925
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
of Christ
The Philosophy of the Death RENE A. AESOHMMAN Speaker of th e Ju n e (1924) Class o f th e Bible In stitu te (Concluded from March num ber)
of Los Angeles
hum an government, do no t even ques tion this, bu t tak e it as self-evident. They feel th a t man is wrong, under the w rath of God, an outlaw, a rebel. All heathen nations and philosophers felt, therefore, the need of expiatory sacrifice, or of a setting “at-one,” an atonement. Indeed, hum an conscience requires the vicarious death of Jesus Christ. (3 ) The judicial ch aracter of the atonem ent is indeed the fundam ental one, as ta u g h t by natu re, conscience and revelation. The Bible teaches th a t the very existence and reign of God is conditioned to justice and righteous ness (Psa. 85:14; 89:15; 9 7 :2 ). Righteousness is absolutely essential to life (Prov. 1 1 :1 9 ). Righteousness is the condition for any deliverance or b etterm en t (Prov. 10 :2 ; 11 :4 ; 21:21; Rom. 3:24 -25 ). Ju stice is absolutely necessary for the well-being o f God and the universe. Its stric t observance is the condition of life and happiness, of everything; its breaking is the highest crime, open rebellion ag a in st God, the Governor, and bears in itself th e p rin ciple of ru in of th e universe and God H imself (if th a t were possible). As any earth ly governor th a t would no t enforce th e law by eith er public or re tribu tiv e justice to vindicate its rig h t fulness and su stain its respect, would thus inevitably constitute him self a crim inal and cause the ru in of his do main— so God, the Supreme Governor, m u st vindicate th e righ tfu lness of es tablished order and th e use of His au tho rity in adm inistering discipline, penalty or reward, for H is and the uni verse’s well-being. God, therefore, being a m oral gov ernor, sustaining to man the relation, no t of a creditor to a debtor, b u t th a t of a ru ler to a subject, would n o t exact retribu tiv e b u t public ju stice fo r the support of th e au tho rity of th e law. This could alone be done in such a sub stitu te as Christ was. The atonem ent in Christ was intended as a satisfaction to public justice. This comes out clearly in Rom. 3:21-26. 3. Moral A rgument. Thé principle of vicarious sacrifice of which Christ’s death is the culmin ating expression, is th e basic element, (Continued on page 174)
This fact was eternally purposed by God (1 P ete r 1 :2 0 ). This fact was prophetically an nounced in th e Old T estam ent (1 P eter 1:10-12; Luke 24:24, 44; Isaiah 53: 42). This fact was typically foreshadowed in th e Old T estam ent (1 Cor. 10:11; Rom. 5 :15 -21 ), and in the tabernacle, sacrifices and feasts. This fact was affirmed by Jesus Christ H im self during His earth ly life (Matt. 12:31-33; John 10:10, 11). This fact was actually executed in due tim e on Calvary (Gospels of Mat thew, Mark, Luke, and Jo h n ). 2. Jud icial A rgument. (1) Any th ink ing man will agree th a t th is physical world distinctly re veals design, harmony and order, and must therefore logically be the domain of “ one” government. The physical laws refer back' to “ one” Lawgiver. Violation of laws of n atu re (of gravity, electricity, etc.) are autom atically pun ished upon the delinquent, while the discovery of and obedience to the laws of n atu re lead to health, prosperity and happiness. I t is th erefo re a first tru th of reason th a t righteousness or obe dience to physical laws is essential to physical and therefore all life, while violation of these means ru in and death. (2) H istory, observation and expe rience unanim ously reveal an active, all-determ ining principle of righteous ness, even in th e moral sphere (Acts 2 8 :4 ). Moreover, all men are almost equally equipped w ith a strong moral faculty, called conscience (Rom. 1 :19 ; John 1:14; Rom. 2 :14 -15 ). The aver age uncultured heath en is strongly legal. The unavoidable conclusion is th a t the one existing God is essentially a righteous God, a moral agent. As He manages th e physical world, so He manages th e sp iritual world; the breaking of physical laws brings physi cal d eath ; breaking of sp iritu al laws brings sp iritu al death. Sin is the breaking of the law (1 John 3 :4 ). “The wages of sin is d eath ” (Rom. 6 :2 3 ). This is logical and inevitable. Man’s legal or moral relation and re sponsibility to God is a first tru th of reason. The child, the heathen, and
V. Some P roofs fo r th e Veracity of th e Christian Conception of Christ’s Death The Christian claims th a t the death of Christ was vicarious or substitution ary. He claims th a t Christ’s death is the one and only ground and guaranty fo r all th e doctrines of Soteriology, as well as the one th a t determ ines and settles forever all th e doctrines of Es chatology. The Christian claims th a t the death of th e Lord Jesus Christ is no t only the one basic tru th of th e Christian relig ion, b u t th e only ground for salvation for any man. T h at m ust be accepted even if a t the expense of any o ther re ligious, moral, ethical o r scientific rival-theory. Christ’s death was neces sary,— was unique. I t was the final “ exegesis” (John 1 :18) of the m ind of God, a determ ining act th a t did not "happen in a corner,” b u t in the center of th e moral and sp iritu al universe, and as such, is th e L igh t which en- ligh ten eth every man th a t cometh into the world (Jo h n 1 :9 ). Redemption provided by th e shed blood of Jesus Christ is the only ration al ground of hope for any individual man or hu m anity in general (Acts 4 :1 2 ). Its ac ceptance does n o t mean th e abdication of our intellectual, moral or ethical natu re, but, contrariw ise, commends itself to them as it is never contrary to real philosophy, logic, ethics or science. Though it is prim arily a m a tte r of experiential realization and of Divine revelation, it will still stand and vindi cate itself as the one solid foundation tru th , “ the Rock of Ages,” when ap proached from any quarter. To sub sta n tia te th is proposition, a few argu ments will be lined up here. 1. S crip tu ral A rgum ent. “ Christ died according to S cripture” (1 Cor. 15 :1 -5 ). Christ’s vicarious death is the foundation tru th around which Scripture crystallizes. “ Christ an d Him crucified” may stand as a def inition for the Old and New Testa ments. This is th e one g reat topic th a t is foretold and foreshadowed in the Old Testament> m anifested and real ized in the fou r Gospels, experienced and propagated by men in th e Acts, explained in th e Epistles and consum mated in Revelation.
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