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Atonement
While it seems to be agreed upon that Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross-has made atonement for humanity, the exact points of that achievement have been throughout all of church history. When it comes to the atonement there are so many questions like, why were God and humanity estranged? Another question that always comes to mind for me is through what measures did Christ’s sacrifice reconcile God and man? Finally how we as mere human beings to respond to such a great act? Using the writings of various authors and Dr. Towns himself I would like to dive into some of the views of the atonement.
When it comes to the online article there were several authors works that where listed. These authors range from Fuller, Morris, Elwell, W H Kent, and Kohler. There were also many different views on the atonement expressed. One particular author who’s work that stuck out to me was L Morris. Within Morris’ writing it seamed that several views on the atonement were touched. The thing that struck me about all the different viewpoints is while some of the views could seem as if to build off of each other, other views contradicted each other. For instance the Moral Influence theory insists that man’s sin is taken away when he answers in love to Christ’s sacrifice. This Moral Influence theory shares some similarities with the Sacrifice theory, which states that Christ’s sacrifice is the important component in atonement. Another theory that Morris discusses, Atonement as Victory, takes the Sacrifice theory even further and states that God’s strength is the driving force behind the atonement. There were many more theories discussed my Morris and the other authors that can be discussed but it seems to me that none of theses ideas or theories seem to present a solid model that can be steadily applied to the teachings of Scripture.
When it comes to Dr. Elmer Towns view of the atonement he seams to treat the atonement in simpler terms. Dr. Towns compares the Limited Atonement theory and the Unlimited Atonement theory. Even the Dr. Towns doesn’t come out and say the Unlimited Atonement theory is the second theory he is talking about, he does refute the Limited Atonement theory and defiantly point us readers in that track. When it comes to the Limited Atonement theory Dr. Towns gives five arguments against it. Towns states that each argument is based upon Scriptural support and doctrinal statements that, “demonstrate a wider view of the atoning death of Christ,” in light of traditional Calvinist teaching.
When I look at all the points given by Dr. Towns and all the other others it seems to me that the Unlimited Atonement theory covers numerous elements from the other theories, without ever bringing God’s love, integrity or justice into question. One passage that really stuck out to me when I was reading this was II Peter 3:9 where the Apostle Paul writes, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

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[ 1 ]. Theology for Today 2002, 429
[ 2 ]. Ibid

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