Comments on: The Necessity of Penal Substitution (Part 1)

By: david bychkov

david bychkov — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 12:50:53 +0000

thanks for nice article, David. Thanks Jesus for Penal Substitution. May God help us to keep this doctrine in the very center of our beliefs and life and churches all our days. Soli Deo Gloria!

By: Ben Toh

Ben Toh — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:29:17 +0000

Thanks Ben. I had not “seen” that God refusing Moses’ offer to blot himself out, as God who would one day blot himself out through Jesus. Nice. Indeed, Jesus is the better Moses.

I realize that our terribly sinful human default is to expect others to “die” for us and our cause in one way or another. (For instance, everyday I subconsciously default to thinking that my wife should be nice to me, instead of how I should be nice to her!) Only God did not demand that we die for him, and He instead died for us! Thank God for penal substitution and justification.

By: Ben W.

Ben W. — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:08:28 +0000

I remember reading the ransom theory in Documents of the Christian Church. That theory doesn’t quite cut it. The theory fails in its doctrine of God since it makes God a debtor and a deceiver.

You and Dr. Ben are right–this theory is all over the Bible! The Passover, the scapegoat, of course JESUS!

Do you think Moses was trying to offer himself as penal substitution in Ex. 32? They had made a golden calf. Moses then called the Levites, and those who were with God killed three thousand people. Afterward, Moses went before the LORD and asked for God’s forgiveness.

He said, “32 But now, please forgive their sinâ€”but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.”

33 The LORD replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book.”

God refused his offer. God instead would blot himself out. He who had no sin would become sin for us. He left his throne and place of glory to be among people who did not recognize him, and who worshiped and served created things that would perish. He did this so that we could be with him, and worship the True God for all eternity. Jesus is the better Moses, the better lamb, the better scapegoat. I’m so thankful for Jesus. He stood in my place, shedding his own blood for my sin.

By: David L

David L — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 05:06:29 +0000

Thanks Dr. Ben and Joshua, Soli Deo Gloria! I agree with J. I. Packer who said, “As I grow old I want to tell everyone who will listen: ‘I am so thankful for the penal substitutionary death of Christ. No hope without it!'”

By: Joshua Brinkerhoff

Joshua Brinkerhoff — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 03:25:14 +0000

Thanks David for this posting. I’m eagerly awaiting the second part!

By: Ben Toh

Ben Toh — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 17:28:17 +0000

Thanks Dave, for writing on “penal substitution,” (ps) which I had not heard, nor did I understand for the longest time (several decades since I became a Christian), because the words “penal” and “subtitution” are not in the Bible, even though “penal substitution” is clearly taught in both the OT and the NT, which you showed quite clearly.

Perhaps, a word that is more familiar to most Christians is “justification,” (j) since Paul uses the verb “justified” countless times, especially in Romans and Galatians. Though the definition of “ps” and “j” is different, the former enables or results in the latter.

Nonetheless, until recently, I had not emphasized nor taught “j” nor “ps” in my Bible studies and sermons, because teaching them seemed to me to be “impractical,” and seemingly without any “practical application.” It was a lot “easier” for me to teach imperatives, such as “love God,” “love your neighbor,” “deny yourself,” “take up your cross,” “make disciples,” “feed sheep,” etc.

But it’s noteworthy that Martin Luther says that “j” is “the doctrine by which the church stands or falls.” Surely, I will need to begin to digest and apply these central biblical teachings of “j” and “ps” more intentionally from now on. Thanks again for this post.