Christus Victor

I hope each person believes their theory to be the better fit.

 

The individual is "reborn", i.e., they die to sin, and are made alive "in Christ".

If one's sins are forgiven because they have been punished in full to pay a "sin debt" then "rebirth" is obsolete. This theory focuses on men being made new creations in Christ.

 

The sinner dies to sin and is made alive or "born again" in Christ.

 

The issue is that where Penal Substitution Theory has God's wrath against men being satisfied by the expenditure of punishment (God punishing sin to satisfy the demands of retributive justice) Christus Victor views this wrath as as being propitiated through Christ Himself suffering under the curse (becoming man, bearing our sin in His flesh, taking on our "sickness", suffering and dying as a representative of mankind, and gaining victory over the bonds that held man captive).

Wrath is propitiated as men die to sin and are made alive (reborn or recreated) in Christ through His precious blood shed for us. God is satisfied through the obedience of Christ.

I guess simply put, where Penal Substitution Theory views God as having to exercise punishment on man to meet the demands of divine justice in order to redeem mankind, Christus Victor looks more to Christ Himself becoming man (the second Adam) and taking on our nature, entering our world under the curse and considers divine justice satisfied because Jesus is God.

The biggest difference, IMHO, between the theories is that Christus Victor presents men as dying to sin and are reborn in Christ (rather than that sin being punished) as redemptive. Not only is the principle of divine justice satisfied, but God Himself is satisfied as Christ renders Himself an offering for mankind.

Consider the difference. Our sins being paid (under Penal Substitution Theory) we are forgiven (essentially "sinles"). Rebirth is an afterthought. With Christus Victor one must be born again, born from above (remade in Christ). This re-creation through the blood of Christ is itself redemptive and satisfied any charge held against man.

Another point is rather than understanding God's righteousness in redemption as a righteousness manifested through the law to satisfy divine justice, Christus Victor sees redemption as the righteousness of God apart from the law. The "solution" is not, in this view, God punishing Jesus to pay our sin debt but God recreating men in Christ free from the bondage of sin and death. Men must (in this view) die to sin through the blood shed for us to be made alive (reborn) in Christ.

 

Yes, the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus. If you repent and turn to God He is faithful to forgive.

@Reformed made a good point concerning appeasement.

The Penal Substitution Theory is unique in that God's wrath itself is not appeased or propitiated but is expended by being diverted to a Substitute Who bears our sins and suffers God's wrath in our place.

Christus Victor holds that God's wrath itself is appeased, propitiated by Christ Who - bearing our sins, is the Propitiation for the sins of mankind.

 

Edited - I'm willing to let Irenaeus' beliefs be Penal Substitution Theory to those who want to claim his beliefs on the Atonement as representative of their Penal Substitution Theory.

I hold neither view (Penal Substitution Theory or Irenaeus Recapitulation Theory) so combining them is no skin off my back. Plus it could make for a very interesting hybrid.

"also of that deception being done away with, by which that virgin Eve, who was already espoused to a man, was unhappily misled,-- was happily announced, through means of the truth [spoken] by the angel to the Virgin Mary, who was [also espoused] to a man. For just as the former was led astray by the word of an angel, so that she fled from God when she had transgressed His word; so did the latter, by an angelic communication, receive the glad tidings that she should sustain (portaret) God, being obedient to His word. And if the former did disobey God, yet the latter was persuaded to be obedient to God, in order that the Virgin Mary might become the patroness (advocata) of the virgin Eve. And thus, as the human race fell into bondage to death by means of a virgin, so is it rescued by a virgin; virginal disobedience having been balanced in the opposite scale by virginal obedience. "

(From the same reference @Martin Marprelate offers as proof Irenaeus held Penal Substitution Theory).

 

I've got it

In light of the...er..."fact"...that Irenaeus held the Penal Substitution Theory we should rename the Theory- the Penal Recapitulation Theory

 

Of course, if it were reversed and Irenaeus was looking to the Penal Substitution Theory perhaps he'd say "hey....those folks also believe that He who was powerful Word and also truly man redeemed us by His own blood.......and gave Himself as a ransom for those who had been taken into captivity.........The Lord redeemed us by His blood and gave His life for our life, His flesh for our flesh......they must hold Recapitulation!!" Then we might have the Recapitulation Substitution Theory.

'Cause you know if we use the same words we essentially believe the same thing.

Christus Victor, Recapitulation, Ransom Theory, Government Theory, Moral Influence Theory, Satisfaction Theory, Ontological Substitution, Penal Substitution Theory. .... "Latin view", "Classic view"..... it's all the same - a difference without distinction.

Protestants believe Christ died and was raised on the third day. So do Catholics. You say "Catholic", I say "Protestant"....tomato, tomahto. A difference without distinction.... arguing about how many angel's can sit on the head of a pin.

 

EXACTLY!!!!! You get it (or, at least you said/ typed it). Those verses deny Penal Substitution while affirming Christus Victor (the subject of this thread).

Under Christus Victor God's wrath IS Propitiated. Not so under Penal Substitution Theory (under which God's wrath is still directed at our sin as it is poured out on Christ).

Christ has wiped out the certificate of debt with its requirements that was against us. He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.