ENDTIME ISSUES NEWSLETTER No. 166

“The Achievements of the Cross - Part 1”

Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. D.,

Retired Professor of Theology and Church History,

Andrews University

INDEX OF TOPICS OF THIS NEWSLETTER

• How to Subscribe and Unsubscribe

• Update on my Surgery:

Remember Me in Your Prayers

• Proposed Passover Sermons for Adventist Churches

• Proposed Merger of the Anglican and Catholic Churches

• Bacchiocchi Responds to False Allegations

Response from the Rector of the Gregorian University

• Problems in Receiving this Newsletter

• THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE CROSS

(The Essay of this Newsletter)

• Announcements of Services and Products

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UPDATE ON MY SURGERY

Never before in my life I received so many messages from fellow believers in different parts of the world, reassuring me that they were praying for my surgery and prompt recovery. It has been for my wife and I a deeply moving experience reading hundreds of touching messages coming China, Singapore, the Pacific Islands, Malaysia, Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, European countries, Russia, Central and South American countries, African countries, and across the USA.

Prayers for the Success of my Surgery

The countless encouraging messages made me forcefully aware of the fact that we belong to a caring family of faith, with members scattered in various parts of the world. One evening when my wife was reading a few dozen messages, I could not help but shed tears. It was hard for me to believe God had made it possible for me to touch the lives of so many people through the spoken word and printed page. Incidentally, some of the messages were from non-SDA scholars and ministers who reassured me of their prayers.

During the three days following the surgery, a procession of people came to visit me in my small hospital room. Among them were the President of Andrews University, church pastors, seminary students, and fellow-believers whom we had not seen for many years. Frankly, I must confess that it was taxing but encouraging for me, especially on Saturday, February 24, to receive so many visitors, eager to wish me well and to offer a prayer on my behalf.

My wife was especially strengthened by the visit of so many caring visitors, whom she never knew they loved us in Christ. The problem is that my outreach in our local community is very limited, because I seldom speak in our local churches. I am much better known in Hong Kong, China, than in Berrien Springs, Michigan, where we live.

The Time and Results of the Surgery

The three hours surgery took place on Tuesday afternoon, February 20, 2007. Both the surgeon Dr. Dennis Rashbach and the anesthesiologist, Dr. Carlos Neouman, are Adventists, well-known for their professional skills. They prayed for divine assistance before my surgery. The surgeon successfully removed not only the section of the colon obstructed by cancer, but also the gold bladder that was filled with stones. This means that the incision is about 15 inches long. The recovery is proceeding faster than anticipated with no complications. In fact, I was discharged five days after the surgery on Sunday, February 25. I am trusting on divine healing to get back to a normal life after a few weeks of recovery. To ensure that my mind does not become rusted during recovery, I am preparing this newsletter for you.

An unpleasant surprise was the results of the biopsy of the liver, which reveals the presence of cancerous cells in my liver. This means that by God’s grace I won the first battle, but I have yet another battle to fight with divine help before I can declare victory. This will be a tough battle, because the cancer is widespread in the liver. My strategy is to attack the cancer in the liver using three methods: 1) faith in divine healing, 2) the latest conventional remedies, and 3) natural products that can boost my immune system. Our daughter Loretta, a Professor of Nursing at the Florida School of Nursing, has laid out a plan to boost my immune system with diet and supplementary products. It is my conviction that God expects us to use all the resources He is making available to us, while trusting His divine healing to do the rest.

The Example of Ellen White

I am reminded of the diligence of Ellen White in seeking all the available resources to fill in the gaps of the many visions she received. She was a diligent researcher, not a lazy person. She bought and used over 3000 volumes, besides asking for the help of competent brethren to find the material needed for some of the historical sections of the Conflict of the Ages.

It is unfortunate that the true story of how Ellen White wrote her books, is largely unknown to most Adventists, who believe that she received her messages like faxes from heaven. This misconception has been put to rest by the newly released book More than a Prophet, authored by Prof. Graeme Bradford. He devoted 20 years of painstaking research to the prophetic ministry of Ellen White.

About twenty conferences have donated More than a Prophet to each of their workers. Many churches are ordering the book for their congregations by the case of 30 copies for only $5.00 per copy, instead of the regular price of $25.00. With your order you will receive also a FREE DVD ALBUM with all of Prof. Graeme Bradford’s writings and his DVD live two hours video lecture on Ellen White. Airmailing expenses are included to any foreign destination.

If you or your church have not received this timely study, read the details about this special offer, by clicking here: http://www.biblicalperspectives.com/BradfordOffer/offer.htm If you have a problem to order on line, just call us at (269) 471-2915 to give us your credit card number and postal address.

While reading how Ellen White went for three weeks in 1864 to Dr. Jackson’s Sanitarium in Dansville, N.Y, for treatment and to learn more about healthful living, I was encouraged to follow her example by contacting Cancer Treatment Centers who offer both conventional and unconventional treatment. Some argue that this approach is wrong, because we should seek divine healing simply by faith. But this was not Ellen White’s approach. She journeyed to Dansville to receive treatment and instruction. Eventually this led in 1866 to establish the Western Health Reform Institute (later the Battle Creek Sanitarium), which became the vehicle for promoting Health Reform. It is evident that Ellen White rejected the false assumption that healing is guaranteed by “faith.” Simply stated, some assume that a weak faith means lack of healing, while a strong faith means certain healing. Is this a sound biblical assumption? Hardly so!

The Example of Paul

A fitting example is the experience of one of the greatest man of faith who ever lived, the apostle Paul. Three times he pleaded with God for healing his infirmity which he nicks-name “a thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor 12:7). But we are told that the Lord “said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Cor 12:9).

Like in the case of Paul, the Lord may allow the presence of some infirmities in our bodies so that His strength may be revealed through our weakness. Some of the most inspiring testimonies often come from believers who have nobly endured suffering to the end of their lives.

Please continue to pray for me that the Lord may strengthen my body to fight the cancer in my liver, while at the same time living in the reassurance that whatever the outcome may be, His grace is sufficient for me.

May I share this inspiring thought someone sent me. I took the liberty to slightly edit the original:

Happiness keeps you sweet,

Trials keep you strong,

Sorrows keep you human,

Failures keeps you humble,

Success keeps you glowing,

But only God keeps you going!

You are so special in God’s sight!

PROPOSED PASSOVER SERMONS FOR BUSY PASTORS

In a few weeks time the Christian world will take time to commemorate the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ. The celebration is known as Passover by some Christians (April 3, 2007) and Easter-Sunday (April 8, 2007) by others. The two names and dates trace their origin to the second century, when the Bishop of Rome promoted moving the Passover date to the Sunday after the Nisan 14 Passover, in order, as stated by Constantine, “to have nothing in common with the detestable Jewsih crowd.” Most Christians ignore that Easter-Sunday is not found in the New Testament. It came into existence more to show hate toward the Jews, rather than love toward Jesus Christ. You can read about it in my dissertation From Sabbath too Sunday.

Our immediate concern is not to discuss the Passover controversy of the early Church, but to propose how our Adventist Churches can participate in the celebration of the ANNUAL FEAST OF REDEMPTION: PASSOVER. Most Adventists assume that the Passover celebration came to an end with the sacrifice of Christ, the Paschal Lamb on the Cross. But there is abundant evidence showing that NT Christians did observe Passover. In fact, the change from Passover to Easter-Sunday stirred up more controversy in the Early Church than the change from Sabbath to Sunday. This historical fact is unknown to most Adventists.

The NT observance of Passover is acknowledged by Ellen White. For example, she comments on Acts 20:6 (“We sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread”), “At Philippi Paul tarried to keep the Passover. . . . The Philippians were the most loving and truehearted of the apostle’s converts, and during the eight days of the feast he enjoyed peaceful and happy communion with them” (Acts of the Apostles, pp. 390-391). Ellen White acknowledges also the importance of Pentecost for Paul when she writes that he shortened his stay at Ephesus, because “he was on his way to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost” (Redemption: or the Teaching of Paul, and His Mission to the Gentiles, p. 65). The implication of these statements is clear. Ellen White believed that Paul celebrated the Feasts of Passover and Pentecost.

The typology of Passover was initially fulfilled when Christ, the true Paschal Lamb, was sacrificed to deliver us from the bondage of sin. Yet there is still a future and ultimate fulfillment of Passover at the End, when Christ will deliver His people from the great tribulation and invite them to participate in “the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev 19:9). Christ Himself pointed to this future fulfillment of Passover when He said: “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you I shall not eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God” (Luke 22:16). In this statement Christ makes it clear that the ultimate fulfillment of Passover was not at the Cross, but will be at the End with the establishment of God’s kingdom. It is interesting to study how Christ took the non-sacrificial elements of the Jewish Passover–the Bread and Wine–to establish the Christian Passover.

Our Adventist church calendar hardly acknowledges the biblical Passover, because it is largely promotional calendar (education, Religious Liberty, Famine Relief), not religious. But an increasing number of Adventist pastors recognize the importance of preaching at Passover time on Christ’s sufferings, death, and resurrection. In fact, several pastors have told me that they have found very helpful the outline of the Passover Sermon, which is found in volume one of my book God’s Festivals in Scripture and History. To order a copy click to this link: http://www.biblicalperspectives.com/cart/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=34&osCsid=79e7eb7b4013342630c7097e26e21b4b

Adventist Messianic congregations are now emerging, not only in Israel, but even in places like Andrews University. On Passover Sabbath you will find the Andrews University Tower auditorium packed with Adventist eager to celebrate Passover according to the early Christian tradition.

The interest for the rediscovery of the spiritual meaning of the OT Festivals is reflected in the symposium that was sponsored by the Biblical Research Institute, held at Andrews University last October 24, 2006. I was invited to read a paper that was well-received. The paper is included in the CD Album with all my books and articles. To order the album, simply click here: http://www.biblicalperspectives.com/cart/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=23&products_id=47

Pastors eager to lead their congregation to a fresh appreciation of Passover–the annual Feast of Redemption–may wish to use the outlines of the last three newsletters on The Centrality of the Cross, The Necessity of the Cross, and The Achievements of the Cross. These studies are taken from my book The Passion of Christ in Scripture and History. Several Bible teachers told me that they view this section of the book as the clearest and most comprehensive Adventist study on the meaning of the Cross.

The book can be offered to church members as a study guide to the Passover Sermons. In the last newsletter I explained the mistake I made by asking the printer twice to reprint The Passion of Christ, forgetting completely that he had already delivered me the reprint of book two weeks earlier. This may have been a providential mistake that will help many of our Adventist people at this Passover season to reflect afresh on the meaning of the Cross.

To make it possible for many people to benefit from The Passion of Christ, we offer this timely book until March 31, 2007 for only $3.00 per copy for a case 34 copies ($100.00 for the case, postpaid), and $5.00 per copy for a smaller case of 10 copies ($50.00 for the case, postage paid). The regular price of the book is $25.00 per copy. You will also receive as a special bonus TWO FREE DVD ALBUMS with the two hours 3ABN live interview, where I share the highlights of the book. The DVD ALBUM regularly sells for $50.00, but you receive it free with your order.

After the 3ABN interview, the phone kept on ringing for three weeks. Viewers from different parts of the world were calling to order a copy of the book which sold out in three weeks. This double reprint came out at the right time, because in few weeks time most Christians will celebrate Christ’s Passion and Resurrection either on Passover (April 3) or on Easter-Sunday (April 8, 2007).

The book The Passion of Christ and the accompanying DVD album, are ideal witnessing tools. They will help both your church members and friends to appreciate more fully the meaning of the Cross. Your help in promoting and distributing this timely book is greatly appreciated.

This is the Special Offer for quantity orders of The Passion of Christ in Scripture and History.

• 1 copy of the book for $25.00, postage paid.

Plus ONE free 3ABN DVD album included.

• 2 copies of the book for $35.00, postage paid. ($17.50 each).

Plus ONE free 3ABN DVD album included.

• 10 copies of the book for $50.00, postage paid. ($5.00 each).

Plus ONE free 3ABN DVD album is included.

• 34 copies (one case) of the book for $100.00, postage paid.

($2.95 each). Plus TWO free 3ABN DVD albums are included.

Four Ways to Order The Passion of Christ

(1) Online: By clicking here: http://www.biblicalperspectives.com/cart/catalog/index.php?cPath=25

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PROPOSED MERGER OF THE CATHOLIC AND ANGLICAN CHURCHES

Several Adventists have asked me to investigate the news of a possible merger between the Catholic and Anglican Churches. This breaking news appeared in the British and Australian press on February 19, 2007. The news was released by Brisbane’s Catholic Archbishop John Bathersby, who is leading a radical push to merge the world’s Anglican and Catholic churches.

As joint chair of an international commission of both churches, Archbishop Bathersby helped produce a 42-page statement called Growing Together in Unity and Mission. The document proposes practical steps on how Anglicans and Catholics could re-unite under the leadership of the Pope.

Some Adventists wonder if this proposed merger marks the initial fulfilment of Ellen White’s predictions about the endtime reunification of Catholicism and Protestantism. Repeatedly in The Great Controversy Ellen White speaks of a growing and strong sentiment among Protestants to minimize their differences with the Catholic church, in order to achieve a unity among their churches under the leadership of the Pope. For example, she writes: “There has been for years, in churches of the Protestant faith, a strong and growing sentiment in favor of a union based upon common points of doctrine. To secure such a union, the discussion of subjects upon which all were not agreed—however important they might be from a Bible standpoint—must necessarily be waived” (Great Controversy , p. 444).

Can the proposed merger between the Catholic and Anglican Churches be seen as the initial prophetic fulfilment of Ellen White’s prediction about the endtime reunification of Catholicism and Protestantism? It seems to me that such an interpretation is premature for four major reasons.

First, as the Catholic Archbishop of Brisbane, John Bathersby acknowledges, “the paper was only meant to feed into an internal discussion,” and not an official announcement to the world an imminent merging of the two churches. He did not put a timetable on reunification, but judging from the slow progress of the past 50 years, he felt that an equal number of years will pass before some concrete steps will be taken toward reunification. He said: “We’ve come so far within the last 40 and 50 years, I’m prepared to be optimistic and say, well, we can go at least as far as that in the next 40 years to come.”

Second, of all the Protestant churches, the Anglican church is the closest to the Catholic Church. The reason is that the separation between the two churches that occurred 500 years ago, was motivated by political, not theological difference. It was the refusal of the Pope to approve the annulment King Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon, that eventually led the King in 1534 to make a decisive break with the Roman Catholic Church, by appointing himself Supreme Head of the Church of England, instead of the Pope. This means, as an Anglican puts it, “We rejected the Pope, not the Catholic church.” Both churches are sacramental and episcopal. The sticky point is the acceptance of the universal primacy of the Pope, which is becoming more appealing to Anglicans who find it increasingly difficult to accept a divorced future king, like Charles, as the head of their church.

Lastly, we noted in the previous newsletter that Pope Benedict XVI has no intention to promote a partnership with the Muslim or an ecumenical relationship with the Protestants. In an important Report, Benedict XVI laid down an important principle: “We must not mistake words for reality; theological progress and a few documents do not signify a thoroughgoing rapprochement . . . An ecumenism which does not face up to these difficulties which men at present find inseparable, is full of dangers.”

The present pope is committed to preserve the unicity and identity of the Catholic Church by rejecting any attempt to allow other Christian Churches to become channels of grace. Salvation is to be found only within the Catholic Church — “no salus extra ecclesia– no salvation outside the Catholic.” The present retrenchment to pre-Vatican II’s position, makes it difficult to see how Ellen White’s prediction of a reunification of the Catholic and Protestant churches can take place during the Pontificate of Benedict XVI. We need to wait for another Pope like John Paul II to see some significal ecumenical rapproachment between Catholic and Protestant churches.

BACCHIOCCHI RESPONDS TO FALSE ALLEGATIONS

I am pleased to report that on Monday, February 26, I received an email message from the Rector, that is, the President of the Pontifical Gregorian University. He acknowledges to have received my documented response, originally sent to him first on January 2 via the Post Office and then sent again via UPS on January 23, 2007.

The Rector’s email is very brief, but cordial. He wrote: “Allow me to express my sincere appreciation for the respectful manner in which you have presented  your request.

My documented response has been sent to you through TNT. Global express service.

Sincerely

Gianfranco Ghirlanda, S.J.

Rettore

Pontificia Università Gregoriana

Piazza della Pilotta, 4

00187 Roma

Within the next few days, I should receive the documented response of Rector Ghirlanda, which I am eager to read. I will be sure to report to you on the content of the response in the next newsletter.

The recent attempts to prove that Sunday was established by Christ and the apostles (see the recent declaration of Pope Benedict XVI himself mentioned in my previous newsletter No. 164), may explain why the General Secretary of the Pontifical Gregorian University attacked my moral integrity and tried to discredit the scholarly credibility of my dissertation From Sabbath to Sunday.

In an official document, the General Secretary accuses me of having falsely claimed to have received the summa cum laude academic distinction, a gold medal donated by Pope Paul VI, and the imprimatur for the abridged and unabridged versions of my dissertation.

During the past three months I worked diligently to prepare an official response to these false allegations made against me. I shared my documented response in the Newsletters No. 159 and 160. If you missed these newsletter, you can read my official response by clicking at this link http://www.biblicalperspectives.com/Gregoriana1

At this point I am eager to read the Rector’s documented response to the false allegations made against me by the General Secretary of the Gregorian University. In my next newsletter, I will share with you the highlights of the response.

PROBLEMS IN RECEIVING THIS NEWSLETTER

Several subscribers complain that they do not receive the newsletter regularly. Rest assured that the problem is not with TAGNET, my internet service provider, but with the filter placed on your account by your internet service provider.

I was having the same problem of messages not being delivered to my mailbox. I asked TAGNET to remove all filters from my account, and now I receive all the messages, including the unwanted ones. Ask your service provider to do the same thing with your account. Receiving unwanted messages is a small problem for me, because with the delete key I can remove in a few seconds all the spam messages. It is only a matter of applying what the Revelation calls “the patience of the saints,” (Rev 14:12), a rare virtue in our inpatient society.

“The Achievements of the Cross - Part 1”

Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. D.,

Retired Professor of Theology and Church History,

Andrews University

This newsletter continues the study began in the previous newsletter on the reasons for Christ’s death. The study is excerpted from chapter 4 of THE PASSION OF CHRIST IN SCRIPTURE AND HISTORY, which is entitled “The Cross of Christ.” In the previous two newsletters we considered the centrality and necessity of the Cross. We concluded that the centrality of Christ’s sacrificial death on the Cross is the foundation and center of the Christian faith. Christ understood His saving mission not in terms of living to teach moral principles, but in terms of dying to save people from their sins.

In this newsletter we move from the necessity of the Cross to the achievements of the Cross. The question we intend to address is: Why did God take our place and bear our sins? In recent years some disagreement has emerged among Adventist theologians regarding the reasons for Christ’s death. Some are uncomfortable with the notion of the substitutionary function of Christ’s death to bear the punishment of penitent sinners. They prefer to view Christ’s death as a revelation of divine love designed to rekindle a loving response in the heart of sinners.

But, if Christ had sacrificed His life merely to demonstrate His love toward us, it is hard to understand why such cruel demonstration was necessary. Love is best demonstrated not by dying for someone, but rather by living for and serving that person. The Cross must be seen as a revelation of both divine love and divine justice. This study attempts to show that salvation is through divine expiation of human sin and not merely through a divine revelation of love.

To facilitate our understanding of the achievements of the Cross, we will consider five major word pictures used in Scripture to explain the results of Christ’s sacrificial death: propitiation, redemption, justification, reconciliation, and intercession. For the sake of brevity, this Bible Study deals only with the first two word pictures: propitiation and redemption. The study of the next three word pictures (justification, reconciliation, and intercession) will be posted in the next newsletter.

The heart of the Cross is God in Christ Substituting Himself for the Salvation of Sinners.

In the previous newsletter we noted that the necessity of the Cross stems from the holiness of God and the gravity of sin. We need now to move from the necessity of the Cross to the achievements of the Cross.

Why did God take our place and bear our sins? The New Testament offers two major answers to this question, which may be summed up as revelation and salvation. Revelation is the subjective aspect of Christ’s death, namely, how Christ’s atoning death reveals God’s love in a way that can rekindle a loving response in the heart of sinners. Salvation is the objective aspect of Christ’s death, namely, how Christ’s atoning death satisfied divine justice by dealing with the objective reality of sin. For the sake of clarity, we examine the achievements of the Cross under these two main categories:

1. The Revelation of God

2. The Salvation of Sinners

THE REVELATION OF GOD’S LOVE

God has revealed Himself in various ways, but, as Hebrews 1:1-3 points out, through His own Son He has spoken to us in a special way. This means that Christ’s life, suffering, and death offer to us a unique revelation of God’s love, character, and nature. Being the culmination of Christ’s life, the Cross is also the supreme revelation of God’s love. This truth is emphatically stated in the New Testament.

The Cross Is the Supreme Revelation of God’s Love

Twice John affirms that Christ’s sacrificial death on the Cross is the supreme manifestation of true love. “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us” (1 John 3:16). For John the true definition of love is to be found at Calvary, not in a dictionary. John’s second verse is still more precise: “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). God’s love is true love because it was manifested in sending His only Son to die the death that we deserve “so that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9).

Paul also writes about the love of God twice in the first part of Romans 5. “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us” (Rom 5:5). “God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). These two texts point to the subjective and objective aspects of God’s love. Paul says that we know God’s love objectively because He has proven His love through the death of His Son, and subjectively because He continuously pours His love into our hearts through the indwelling of His Spirit.

The Cross is a supreme revelation of God’s love. First because it tells us that He sent His own Son, not a third party. Second because God sent His Son, not merely to teach us or to serve us, but to die for us—undeserving sinners that we are. The value of a love gift is determined by what it costs to the giver and how deserving the recipient is. In the gift of His Son God gave everything for those who deserved nothing from Him.

Calvary must be seen as a revelation of the love of both the Father and the Son, because God initiated and participated in the self-giving of His Son. As Paul puts it: “All is from God who through Christ reconciles us to Himself. . . . God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself” (2 Cor 5:18-19). At Golgotha, the Father was not a spectator, but a participant in the anguish and suffering of His Son. Consequently, Christ’s experience of the limitations, sufferings, agony, and death of human flesh is a supreme revelation of both the Son and the Father’s love.

The Cross Kindles a Loving Response

The revelation of divine love through the life, suffering, and death of Christ is designed to kindle a loving response in the hearts of sinners. The human heart responds to a genuine manifestation of sacrificial love. Jesus said: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). The sinner who hears the Good News of the Savior who died to rescue humankind from the penalty and power of sin is moved to respond by repenting of sin and accepting divine forgiveness and salvation.

Paul emphasizes the compelling power of Christ’s love revealed at the Cross: “For the love of Christ controls us, because we are convinced that one has died for all” (2 Cor 2:14). Similarly John writes: “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). Passages such as these clearly emphasize the moral influence exercised on the human heart by God’s love exhibited at the Cross.

The “Moral Influence” Theory

The unique demonstration of God’s love at the Cross has led many theologians during the history of the Christian church to find atoning value in the moral influence of the Cross. To them, the efficacy of the Cross lies not in any objective satisfaction of divine justice through Christ’s death, but in its subjective inspiration to respond to God’s love by changing our attitudes and actions.

The most famous promoter of the “moral influence” view of the Cross was the French theologian Peter Abelard (1079-1142). He was a popular lecturer who attracted large audiences at the University of Notre Dame, Paris. He strongly disagreed with his contemporary, Anselm, the Archbishop of Canterbury (1033-1109), on the reason for Christ’s death. In his epoch-making book Cur Deus Homo? (Why God Became Man?), Anselm explains that Christ had to suffer in His mind and body the exact equivalent of the punishment due for all of humankind’s sins in order to satisfy the demands of divine justice.

Abelard rejected Anselm’s satisfaction view of Christ’s death, proposing instead what is known as “the moral influence” view of the atonement. He wrote: “How cruel and wicked it seems, that anyone should demand the blood of an innocent person as the price for anything, or that it should in any way please him that an innocent man should be slain—still less that God should consider the death of His Son so agreeable that by it he should be reconciled to the whole world.”

Instead, Abelard explained the function of Christ’s death in exclusively subjective terms, namely, as a revelation of divine love designed to move human hearts to repent and turn to God. He wrote: “Redemption is the greatest love kindled in us by Christ’s passion, a love which not only delivers us from the bondage of sin, but also acquires for us the true freedom of children, where love instead of fear becomes the ruling affection.”

A favorite text that Abelard quoted to support his view is Luke 7:47, where Jesus, referring to the adulterous woman who anointed His feet, says: “I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Abelard misunderstood this text. He made love the ground of forgiveness, rather than its result. For him, Christ’s death offers forgiveness by evoking a loving response. When we love Christ we show that we are forgiven. As Robert Franks put it, “Abelard reduced the whole process of redemption to one single clear principle, namely, the manifestation of God’s love to us in Christ, which awakens an answering love in us.”

Supporters of the Moral Influence Theory

The moral influence view of Christ’s death has enjoyed considerable support throughout the centuries. Peter Lombard, who became Bishop of Paris in 1159, defended the view in his famous Book of Sentences. Other proponents of this view were Socinus, a sixteenth-century theologian who also denied the Trinity, and Friedrich Schleiermacher, regarded as the father of nineteenth-century liberal theology. At present, the moral influence view has been reproposed by evangelical theologians and a few Adventists writers, who find the substitutionary view of Christ’s death no longer acceptable today. In their view, the notion of substitution reflects the ancient Roman court setting, rather than that of a family love relationship.