7 By whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, according to his rich grace:
8 ,Whereby he hath been abundant toward us in all wisdom and understanding,
9 And hath opened unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in him,
10 That in the dispensation of the fullness of the times, he might gather together in one all things, both which are in heaven, and which are in earth, even in Christ: Ephesians 1:7-10 (1599 Geneva Bible)
In my research of Penal Substitution I found that this doctrine is actually a line of contention, or line of demarcation if you will, that divides Orthodox Christianity from those forms whose advocates have in some way come up with their own version of the Gospel….
These forms are diverse and too numerous to go into here. As I read the “opinions” of those decrying the validity of Penal Substitution, I could not help but notice that the modus operandi or focus of these people was never from the perspective of God’s glory or His majesty or His righteousness or His justice. No, it was always from man’s perspective of either the writer’s religiosity or philosophy. There was never any attempt to use Biblical exegesis to make their points. In other words, those who decry Penal Substitution also seem to have a serious issue with Sola Scriptura. So, instead of focusing this post on these vain arguments and speculations, let us focus of the incredible mercy of the Atonement in which Christ reconciled His people to God the Father and what that purchased for them. <Continue reading post>