Editorial May 17, 1930 Issue

Atonement

Clifford P. Smith

The doctrine of atonement has had a curious history. From the third century to the twelfth, most Christians believed that Jesus, by his sufferings, paid a ransom to the devil, and thus effected the deliverance of those who believed on him. From then until the latter part of the nineteenth century, the orthodox view was that God accepted the righteousness of Jesus as a substitute for the righteousness of mankind, said to have been lost by the fall of man, and accepted the sufferings of Jesus as an equivalent for the punishment incurred by mankind for sin; all men being consequently released from punishment on condition of their acceptance, by faith, of his sacrifice. This information is digested from reference works which also show that the doctrine last stated is still held by the majority of Christians.

Such doctrines are intrinsically strange; they are contrary to normal modes of thought. Furthermore, they are almost unaccountable, because they conflict flatly with all that Christ Jesus said about his method and mission. For instance, the following words appear to have been carefully chosen and to be entirely plain: "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth" (John 18:37). A witness is one who furnishes evidence or proof. He intended, therefore, to furnish evidence of the truth as distinguished from error; he intended to prove the nature of reality; he intended to be a witness of the truth concerning God and man.

For this purpose, he employed both words and works. He bore witness unto the truth, not only by what he said, but especially by what he did. When he overcame an evil, he bore witness unto the truth; he did this to demonstrate reality; he did this to prove that man is not really subject to evil; he did this to show forth the actual character and power of man as the son of God. The Master's most convincing proof (the crucifixion and resurrection) was an object lesson in the Science of being. He intended that it should give to all men the spiritual understanding of Life, the demonstrable knowledge that infinite Spirit is the actual Life of man.

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