God the Son, Student Workbook, SW10

/ 1 0 9

G O D T H E S O N

V. View Five: Jesus’ Death as Giving to God Due Compensation ( Satisfaction Theory )

By His own passion, He rescued us from offenses and sins. ~ Clement of Alexandria (c. 195, E), 2.257. Ibid. p. 44.

A. Authors and arguments of those who hold the Satisfaction view:

1. Advocates of this view: early Church father, Anselm. Cur Deus Homo ? (Why God Human?)

a. Sought to give an answer to why God became a human being

b. Stresses that something in God’s nature demanded it (not as a payment to the Devil, i.e., Ransom view)

2. Sin is not giving to God what he is worthy of; it is dishonoring God by not providing God with his due honor and glory.

3

3. Our problem: we must give God back what we’ve stolen from him.

a. We have to restore what we have taken.

b. We have injured him on top of what we’ve taken ; we owe God compensation or punitive damages (those payments given on top of what was originally owed ).

4. The solution: pay it ourselves ( by being punished ) or God accept compensation from another for us