The word means to atone or make amends, or to make satisfaction for wrongdoing. In Christian theology it refers to the propitiation or expiation Christ made on the Cross in order to bring about reconciliation between God and man. Since it has to do with the effect of Christ’s death, it is understandable that there have been various theories as to its meaning.

Early on in the history of the church there was the ransom theory of the atonement – that Satan held sinful man in his clutches, with a ransom to be paid. Jesus paid the ransom by his death and set man free. The prooftext for this was Jesus’ own statement: "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many" (Mt. 20:28). This is further affirmed in 1 Tim. 2:6 "(Christ) gave himself a ransom for many, to be tested in due time."

By the Middle Ages there was the satisfaction theory – Jesus’ death was to satisfy the justice of God; Jesus served as the victim to turn away God’s wrath toward the sinfulness of man. This was softened some by the moral theory of the atonement – that Jesus died because it was the will of God, "obedience even unto death," as Paul put it, but still to satisfy the wrath of God. The wages of sin is death, and that debt had to be paid.

The theories tend to make Christ either victim or victor, or both. He is victor over Satan, sin, and death, and so his death is both a propitiation – sacrifice to God for the sins of the world – and an expiation in that he serves as the victim – the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world – as the cost of sin.

The book of Hebrews has the most elaborate doctrine of the atonement, for here the death of Christ is the fulfillment of the Day of Atonement, the great day of expiation for the sins of the people in the Old Testament. Jesus is depicted as the High Priest who enters the Most Holy Place once for all, to take away sin by shedding his own blood. Hebrews 9:26b is colored purple: "but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."

All the views appear to support to some degree the substitutionary theory of the atonement, which seems to be the predominate view. This means that in some way – allowing for all the mystery – Christ died in our place, he died as our substitute, he bore our sins, he paid the price we could not pay.

It is well to allow the Scriptures to speak for themselves. Here are some of the key verses on the atonement. Each of us can decide what "theory" of the atonement, if any, these Scriptures teach.

John 1:29: "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."

Galatians 2:20: "the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me."

1 John 2:2: "He himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world."

1 John 4:10: "God loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

2 Corinthians 5:21: "God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

Ephesians 1:7: "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace."

1 Corinthians 15:3: "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures."

Romans 3:25: "whom God set forth to be a propitiation by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in his forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed."

The last reference is particularly significant in that Paul is saying that Christ is the propitiation (sacrifice) for the sins of those who lived before as well as those in Paul’s own day – and of all future sins. It is an awesome truth, and elevates the meaning of the Cross. Every sin in all human history – past, present, future – must look to the Cross for expiation!

We understand the atonement only when we understand the dreadful consequence of sin –eternal death itself. Sin dooms us to death and destruction. God could not ignore or forbear sin forever. Being both holy and righteous (just) he had to deal with sin. Because he also loves God chose to give himself, his own Son, who knew no sin – and was thus qualified – to die for the sins of the world – past, present, future. It all spells grace. We can’t comprehend it because we can’t comprehend grace, which is irrational. But each of us can say, he did it for me.

This is why the substitutionary dimension is necessary for an understanding of the atonement. A story out of the Civil War illustrates the point. It was the practice that someone could serve as a substitute for one who had been drafted into the military. A neighbor of one draftee volunteered to take his place since he had no family obligations as did the draftee. Once the war was over, and the volunteer was listed among the dead, the beneficiary was resolved to search out his grave and place a stone that read. He died for me.

That is my understanding of the atonement, and it is a fact rather than a theory – Christ died for me.

But that is not the whole story. On the third day he was raised from the dead to sit at the right hand of God in heaven. And so I believe in my heart that God raised him from the dead, and I profess with my lips that Jesus is Lord. And so I am a sinner saved by grace.

It may overstate the case to refer to Campbell’s approach to Scripture as Baconian. True, Francis Bacon was the father of "the inductive method," and Campbell was persuaded that this method – which goes from particular facts to a general conclusion – was more reliable than the deductive – which goes from a general conclusion to particulars. But there is much more to Campbell’s hermeneutics, as is evident in his rules of interpretation, which appear in his Christian System.

He was especially influenced by the "Common Sense" school of interpretation in Scotland, particularly Dugald Stewart, whom he described as "the great metaphysician." This school opted for a common sense approach to epistemology (ways of knowing) rather than the speculative approach of philosophers in general.

This led Campbell to conclude that we should read the Bible as we do any other literature – such as the daily newspaper or a letter from home – following ordinary rules of interpretation – primarily common sense. After all, he noted, the New Testament documents were written in the Koine Greek, the common language of the people.

John Locke, the British empiricism (we learn through experience, through the senses), whom Campbell called "the Christian philosopher," also influenced his hermeneutics – especially Locke’s distinction between fact and truth. While a truth is simply what is (no action), a fact is something said or done.

Campbell applied this to the Bible, which he saw primarily as a book of facts – what God has said or done. God exists is a truth. God created the heavens and the earth is a fact. God is love is a truth, while God so loved the world that he gave his own son is a fact. All facts are truths, but not all truths are facts.

It is not truths that save us, but facts. If God had only existed, or if he had only loved us, we would still be lost. But God acted out of his love – he spoke and revealed himself and gave his own Son. The gospel is made up of facts – what God has done through Christ – and it is this that saves us and unites us. Campbell thus spoke of "the seven great facts" of Ephesians 4 that summarize the gospel and form the basis for Christian unity.

But there was even more than this to Campbell’s hermeneutics. One of his rules of interpretation is "We must come within understanding distance" of the text. He is saying that we must have a heart for it, a longing to understand, what our Lord called an "honest and good heart."

The recent publication of The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement is equally significant. For it is a labor of love of scholars from all three wings of the Movement. There were three general editors, one from each church, and scores of writers from all three. It is a monumental piece of work, published by an international publishing house. If we can do something this significant together, we can do most anything together.

We are more aware of each other, and the animosities of the past, growing out of two ugly divisions, are a thing of the past. All three churches are becoming more aware of their historic call to be a unity people. The future is promising. While no one is talking of merger, there is the expectation of increasing cooperation and fellowship. This is appropriate, not only because of our common heritage, but also because we have so much to offer each other. And united in various mission efforts, we will have so much more to contribute to the church at large and to the world.

I had a great time at the Spring Woodlands Church of Christ, north of Houston, last week. I thought it odd to be meeting in a church owned by Wal-Mart! The church has sold its facility and 17 acres to Wal-Mart, and they have seven months to relocate. They are building on Interstate 45 (Houston to Dallas) a few miles north of their present location. That must be a first for a Church of Christ, selling out for a new Wal-Mart – and at a neat price! It may also be a "first" for them to have a Baptist on staff – not a Baptist "converted" to the Church of Christ, but a bona fide Baptist. Needless to say it is a progressive church, as having me to come and talk about unity would suggest. They are a large church, two services, and a great church with a super staff. I predict for them a great future as a grace-motivated Church of Christ. They are so interested in our heritage of unity that they bought two boxes of my books on that subject

Perhaps I should occasionally remind you of such books, which you may order from us at 1300 Woodlake Dr., Denton, TX 76210 with check enclosed. These are The Stone Campbell Movement: The Story of the American Restoration Movement, $37 plus $4 postage. A Lover’s Quarrel: My Pilgrimage of Freedom in Churches of Christ, $15 plus $2 postage. We can also get The Stone Campbell Encyclopedia for you for $50 plus $5 postage.

All these essays are available at leroygarrett.org