Article November 1, 2013

Vicarious sacrifice or atonement

J. F. Linscott

Originally published in the September 1, 1890 issue of the Christian Science Series (Vol. 2, No. 9)

The subject of vicarious sacrifice is one that has ever been distracting to men; one that ever will be so until placed in the realm of spiritual law, and determined by the spiritual reasoning of Science. The understanding of vicarious sacrifice, produces the at-one-ment of man as an idea of Mind, with the Mind that has begotten him.

We are called upon first to analyze and synthesize the two words of our subject with the two verses of our text. They are both Latin words with clear definitions. Vicarious means, "to change," "alteration," "turn"; also, "the position, place, or office of one person, assumed by another.” Sacrifice, to "make pure" or "holy." Thus, in putting them together, we have the idea of making pure, holy; changing, by the substitution of another character, other than ourselves. In the teaching of our text, it refers directly to Jesus the Christ; or the true man, in place of our false concept of man. Now we shall find our double texts full of doctrine as taught in Scripture—especially in the New Testament. "And, inasmuch as it is in store for men once for all to die, but after this, judgment; thus, the Christ also, having once for all been offered for the bearing up of sins of many, a second time, apart from sit, will appear, to those who for him are ardently waiting unto salvation.''

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