The Big Bang of Easter– With Kudos to Mark Frontczak
Craig’s Atonement and the Death of Christ— Part Fourteen
Q. I appreciate your strong advocacy that the NT teaches that Christ died for all not just for the elect, but also that not all receive the benefits of his death if they do not place faith in Christ. Forgiveness and redemption offered is not the same as forgiveness and redemption received. As you say, Paul is not a universalist in the sense that all will be saved, but he is a universalist in the sense that all can be… Read more
Craig’s Atonement and the Death of Christ– Part Thirteen
Q. One of the issues raised in your last exegetical chapter is the difference between someone being a substitute for another and someone being the representative of another. These ideas seem to be regularly fused or confused. Can you help the readers understand the importance of this distinction as it applies to the work of Christ? A. A substitute takes the place of another person but does not represent him, e.g., a pinch hitter in baseball. A representative acts on… Read more
The Courier— a Benedict Cumberbatch Film
I’ve been a big fan of Benedict Cumberbatch for a long time, but honestly, this is hands down the best acting I’ve ever seen from him. And he is not the only one who is superb in this film. So is Merab Nindze who plays Oleg Penkovsky as the Soviet trying to head off nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia. Both men deserve to be nominated for a best actor Oscar for this performance. Rachel Brosnahan and Jessie Buckley… Read more
Craig’s Atonement and the Death of Christ– Part Twelve
Q. One place where we seem to diverge fairly significantly, if I am reading you correctly, is in regard to the imputation issue. Nothing is said in Romans about the imputation of Christ’s own righteousness (whether through his general obedience to God or more specifically his obedience by death of the cross) to the believer. The subject in Romans is the righteousness of God the Father, and this is simply not the same thing as Christ’s righteousness. God the Father… Read more
Craig’s Atonement and the Death of Christ— Part Eleven
Q. One thing that I think would further support your case in this lengthy chapter on Divine Justice is that Paul hardly ever talks about forgiveness. Yes, he quotes the Psalms in Rom. 4 but the language is very rare in the early Paulines, and only shows up once in Colossians and once in Ephesians in the later Paulines. In other words, this is not the main way Paul explains the beneficial effects of Christ’s atoning death. Expand a bit… Read more
Craig’s Atonement and the Death of Christ– Part Ten
Q. It is interesting how you take issue with the new Perspective on Paul in regard to the righteousness language, and I think you are largely right. The opposite of righteousness is unrighteousness, not unfaithfulness. And God’s righteousness leads to divine activity, but it is not that activity, it is property or character trait of a holy God. Help us unpack further how the righteousness of God relates to the saving activity, but also the judging activity of God. How… Read more
