Christianity • Protestantism
85-582: Open Bible Churches ( OBC ), formerly known as Open Bible Standard Churches ( OBSC ), is an association of Finished Work Pentecostal churches with headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa , United States. Open Bible is similar in doctrine and practice to the Assemblies of God in that the adherents believe in the modern-day gifts of the Holy Spirit , with speaking in tongues as one of the evidences of
170-457: A Reformed background, including Pentecostal clerics William Howard Durham . The Finished Work doctrine became popular among those accepting a belief in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit who came from Reformed backgrounds; these adherents are known as Finished Work Pentecostals. While accepting a belief in a Baptism of the Holy Spirit accompanied with glossolalia, Finished Work Pentecostals reject
255-524: A synergy (or cooperation) between human activity and God's uncreated energies (or operations). The synonymous term divinization is the transforming effect of divine grace , the Spirit of God , or the atonement of Christ. Theosis and divinization are distinguished from sanctification , "being made holy," which can also apply to objects; and from apotheosis , also "divinization," lit. ' making divine ' ). Catholics believe faith which
340-491: A "new devotional pattern unprecedented in Jewish monotheism," that is, the worship of Jesus next to God, giving a central place to Jesus because his ministry, and its consequences, had a strong impact on his early followers. Revelations, including those visions, but also inspired and spontaneous utterances, and "charismatic exegesis" of the Jewish scriptures, convinced them that this devotion was commanded by God. The meaning of
425-478: A consequence, Satan lost his authority completely, and all humanity gained freedom. In another version, God entered into a deal with Satan, offering to trade Jesus' soul in exchange for the souls of all people, but after the trade, God raised Jesus from the dead and left Satan with nothing. Other versions held that Jesus' divinity was masked by his human form, so Satan tried to take Jesus' soul without realizing that his divinity would destroy Satan's power. Another idea
510-587: A martyr praying “Be merciful to your people, and let our punishment suffice for them. Make my blood their purification, and take my life in exchange for theirs” (4 Macc. 6:28-29). Clearly there were ideas that existed in the Judaism of the time that helped make sense of the death of the righteous in terms of atonement." 1 Corinthians 15:3–8 contains the kerygma of the early Christians: [3] For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with
595-475: A means of atoning for the lightest type of sin, that is sins committed in ignorance that the thing was a sin. In addition, korbanot have no expiating effect unless the person making the offering sincerely repents of their actions before making the offering, and makes restitution to any person who was harmed by the violation. Marcus Borg notes that animal sacrifice in Second Temple Judaism
680-465: A means to participate in faithfulness. In this interpretation, Romans 3:21–26 states that Jesus was faithful, even to the cost of death, and justified by God for this faithfulness. Those who participate in this faithfulness are equally justified by God, both Jews and Gentiles. While this view has found support by a range of scholars, it has also been questioned and criticized. In the Gospels, Jesus
765-584: A product of faith, as a good tree produces good fruit. For Lutherans, justification can be lost with the loss of faith. Recapitulation (Patristic) Governmental (Arminian) The word "atonement" often is used in the Old Testament to translate the Hebrew words kippur ( כיפור \ כִּפּוּר , kipúr , m.sg.) and kippurim ( כיפורים \ כִּפּוּרִים , kipurím , m.pl.), which mean "propitiation" or "expiation"; The English word atonement
850-618: A spark of the true divine nature within them, which can be liberated by gnosis (knowledge) of this divine spark. This knowledge is revealed by the Logos , "the very mind of the supreme God," who entered the world in the person of Jesus. Nevertheless, the Logos could not simply undo the power of the Demiurge, and had to hide his real identity, appearing in a physical form, thereby misleading the Demiurge, and liberating mankind. In Irenaeus' writings,
935-496: Is "man's reconciliation with God through the sacrificial death of Christ." Many Christians believe in unlimited atonement ; however, some Christians teach limited atonement to those who are predestined unto salvation, as its primary benefits are not given to all of mankind but rather to believers only. A number of metaphors (and Old Testament terms) and references have been used in New Testament writings to understand
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#17327802642211020-523: Is a major branch of Pentecostalism that holds that after conversion , the converted Christian progressively grows in grace . On the other hand, the other branch of Pentecostalism— Holiness Pentecostalism teaches the Wesleyan doctrine of entire sanctification as an instantaneous, definite second work of grace , which is a necessary prerequisite to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit . Finished Work Pentecostals are generally known to have retained
1105-518: Is achieved by an act of God, namely by his appointment of the sacrificial system, or, in the prophetic view, "by the future Divine gift of a new covenant to replace the old covenant which sinful Israel has broken." The Old Testament describes three types of vicarious atonement which result in purity or sinlessness: the Paschal Lamb ; "the sacrificial system as a whole," with the Day of Atonement as
1190-647: Is active in charity and good works ( fides caritate formata ) can justify, or remove the burden of guilt in sin, from man. Forgiveness of sin exists and is natural, but justification can be lost by mortal sin. In the Protestant doctrine, sin is merely "covered" and righteousness imputed. In Lutheranism and Calvinism, righteousness from God is viewed as being credited to the sinner's account through faith alone , without works . Protestants believe faith without works can justify man because Christ died for sinners, but anyone who truly has faith will produce good works as
1275-551: Is derived from the original meaning of "at-one-ment" (i.e., being "at one" or in harmony, with someone). According to Collins English Dictionary , atonement is used to describe the saving work that God granted (through Christ) to reconcile the world to himself, and also of the state of a person having been reconciled to God. According to The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church , atonement in Christian theology
1360-552: Is in line with Judaism of c. 200 BCE until 200 CE, which saw God's covenant with Israel as an act of grace of God. Observance of the Law is needed to maintain the covenant, but the covenant is not earned by observing the Law, but by the grace of God. Several passages from Paul, such as Romans 3:25, are traditionally interpreted as meaning that humanity is saved by faith in Christ. According to Richard B. Hays , who initiated
1445-497: Is likeness to or union with God, as taught by the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches . As a process of transformation, theosis is brought about by the effects of catharsis (purification of mind and body) and theoria ('illumination' with the 'vision' of God). According to Eastern Christian teaching, theosis is very much the purpose of human life. It is considered achievable only through
1530-453: Is not in the "legal terms" regarding the expiation of sin, but the act of "participation in Christ through dying and rising with him ." According to Sanders, "those who are baptized into Christ are baptized into his death, and thus they escape the power of sin [...] he died so that the believers may die with him and consequently live with him." James F. McGrath notes that Paul "prefers to use
1615-510: Is portrayed as calling for repentance from sin, and saying that God wants mercy rather than sacrifices (Matthew 9:13). Yet, he is also portrayed as "giving His life [as] a ransom for many" and applying the "suffering servant" passage of Isaiah 53 to himself (Luke 22:37). The Gospel of John portrays him as the sacrificial Lamb of God , and compares his death to the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb at Pesach . Christians assert that Jesus
1700-745: Is rejected by liberal Christians as un-Biblical, and an offense to the love of God. According to Richard Rohr, "[t]hese theories are based on retributive justice rather than the restorative justice that the prophets and Jesus taught." Advocates of the New Perspective on Paul also argue that many New Testament epistles of Paul the Apostle , which used to support the theory of penal substitution, should be interpreted differently. The "governmental theory of atonement" teaches that Christ suffered for humanity so that God could forgive humans without punishing them while still maintaining divine justice. It
1785-476: Is that Jesus came to teach how not to sin and Satan, in anger with this, tried to take his soul. The ransom theory was first clearly enunciated by Irenaeus ( c. 130 – c. 202 ), who was an outspoken critic of Gnosticism , but borrowed ideas from their dualistic worldview. In this worldview, mankind is under the power of the Demiurge , a lesser god who created the world. Yet, humans have
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#17327802642211870-524: Is traditionally taught in Arminian circles that draw primarily from the works of Hugo Grotius . The "moral influence theory of atonement" was developed, or most notably propagated, by Abelard (1079–1142), as an alternative to Anselm's satisfaction theory. Abelard not only "rejected the idea of Jesus' death as a ransom paid to the devil", which turned the Devil into a rival god, but also objected to
1955-547: The kerygma of 1 Corinthians 15:3–8 for Paul is a matter of debate, and open to multiple interpretations. For Paul, "dying for our sins" gained a deeper significance, providing "a basis for the salvation of sinful Gentiles apart from the Torah." Traditionally, this kerygma is interpreted as meaning that Jesus' death was an "atonement" for sin, or a ransom, or a means of propitiating God or expiating God's wrath against humanity because of their sins. With Jesus' death, humanity
2040-789: The Assemblies of God , the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel , the Open Bible Churches , Elim Fellowship , and the Pentecostal Church of God . Salvation in Christianity In Christianity , salvation (also called deliverance or redemption ) is the saving of human beings from sin and its consequences —which include death and separation from God —by Christ's death and resurrection , and
2125-832: The Azusa Street Revival : the Bible Standard Conference founded in Eugene, Oregon in 1919 and the Open Bible Evangelistic Association founded in Des Moines, Iowa , in 1932; as both were similar in doctrine and structure, the two groups amalgamated in 1935. The Bible Standard Conference was formed in 1919 after Fred Hornshuh and several other ministers withdrew from the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) led by Florence L. Crawford . Hornshuh disagreed with
2210-458: The West , developing it into a notion of "hereditary sin," arguing that God holds all the descendants of Adam and Eve accountable for Adam's sin of rebellion, and as such all people deserve God's wrath and condemnation—apart from any actual sins they personally commit. Total depravity (also called "radical corruption" or "pervasive depravity") is a Protestant theological doctrine derived from
2295-462: The afterlife , due to the fall of man and inherited sin . During the first millennium CE, the ransom theory of atonement was the dominant metaphor for atonement, both in eastern and western Christianity, until it was replaced in the west by Anselm 's satisfaction theory of atonement. In one version of the idea of deception, Satan attempted to take Jesus' soul after he had died, but in doing so over-extended his authority, as Jesus had never sinned. As
2380-629: The justification entailed by this salvation. The idea of Jesus' death as an atonement for human sin was recorded in the Christian Bible , and was elaborated in Paul's epistles and in the Gospels . Paul saw the faithful redeemed by participation in Jesus' death and rising. Early Christians regarded themselves as partaking in a new covenant with God , open to both Jews and Gentiles, through
2465-437: The " Pistis Christou debate," a different reading of these passages is also possible. The phrase pistis Christou can be translated as 'faith in Christ', that is, salvation by believing in Christ, the traditional interpretation; or as 'faithfulness of Christ', that is, belief "through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ." In this view, according to Cobb, Jesus' life and death was not seen by Paul as an atonement, but as
2550-491: The AFM's isolationist stance from other full gospel groups, centralized and authoritarian leadership style, and its strict position on divorce and remarriage. The Open Bible Evangelistic Association began in 1932 when thirty-two ministers led by John R. and Louise H. Richey left the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel . The separation grew out of the reluctance of these ministers to give ownership of local church property to
2635-593: The Catholic from the Lutheran and Reformed traditions of Protestantism during the Reformation . Broadly speaking, Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Christians distinguish between initial justification, which in their view ordinarily occurs at baptism ; and final salvation, accomplished after a lifetime of striving to do God's will ( theosis or divinization ). Theosis is a transformative process whose aim
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2720-514: The Demiurge is replaced by the devil. Origen (184–253) introduced the idea that the devil held legitimate rights over humans, who were bought free by the blood of Christ. He also introduced the notion that the Devil was deceived in thinking that he could master the human soul. Gustaf Aulén reinterpreted the ransom theory in his study Christus Victor (1931), calling it the Christus Victor doctrine, arguing that Christ's death
2805-549: The Enlightenment philosopher Immanuel Kant . In the 19th and 20th century, it has been popular among liberal Protestant thinkers in the Anglican, Methodist, Lutheran, and Presbyterian churches, including the Anglican theologian Hastings Rashdall . A number of English theological works in the last hundred years have advocated and popularized the moral influence theory of atonement. A strong division has remained since
2890-575: The Foursquare Church denominational leadership. They were also concerned over the church's divorced leader Aimee Semple McPherson 's remarriage. The two Pentecostal groups were similar in their resistance to authoritarian leadership and denominational ownership of church property, and they also thought that local churches should maintain some autonomy. Since 1996, the organization's public name has been simply Open Bible Churches. Finished Work Pentecostalism Finished Work Pentecostalism
2975-725: The Greek myth of the noble dead, to which the Maccabean notion of martyrdom and dying for ones people is related; and the Jewish myth of the persecuted sage or righteous man, in particular the "story of the child of wisdom ." For Paul, the notion of 'dying for' refers to this martyrdom and persecution. According to Burton Mack , 'Dying for our sins' refers to the problem of Gentile Torah-observers, who, despite their faithfulness, cannot fully observe commandments, including circumcision, and are therefore 'sinners', excluded from God's covenant. Jesus' death and resurrection solved this problem of
3060-669: The Heritage Bible College) retain a belief in the doctrine of entire sanctification—the second work of grace. Despite the resistance of Wesleyan Pentecostals, however, finished work adherents were successful in persuading many Pentecostals of the validity of their view. As a result, most of the Pentecostal denominations founded after 1911 adhered to the finished work doctrine. This can be seen in Finished Work Pentecostal denominations such as
3145-507: The Jerusalem ekklēsia , from which Paul received this creed, the phrase "died for our sins" probably was an apologetic rationale for the death of Jesus as being part of God's plan and purpose, as evidenced in the scriptures. The phrase "died for our sins" was derived from Isaiah , especially Isaiah 53:1–11, and 4 Maccabees, especially 4 Maccabees 6:28–29. "Raised on the third day" is derived from Hosea 6:1–2: Come, let us return to
3230-564: The Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him." Soon after his death, Jesus' followers believed he was raised from death by God and exalted to divine status as Lord ( Kyrios ) "at God's 'right hand'," which "associates him in astonishing ways with God." According to Hurtado, powerful religious experiences were an indispensable factor in
3315-409: The New Testament. The ransom theory of atonement says that Christ liberated humanity from slavery to sin and Satan , and thus death, by giving his own life as a ransom sacrifice to Satan, swapping the life of the perfect (Jesus), for the lives of the imperfect (other humans). It entails the idea that God deceived the devil, and that Satan, or death, had "legitimate rights" over sinful souls in
3400-631: The Open Bible in Des Moines, Iowa, and Toledo School of Ministry in Toledo, Ohio. Open Bible publishes the Message of the Open Bible . There are more than 150,000 Open Bible members worldwide. In 2006, U.S. membership was 40,000 in 330 churches. In 2010, US membership had dropped to 22,659 members in 261 churches. The OBSC's origins are found in two smaller Pentecostal groups which can be traced to
3485-589: The Reformation between liberal Protestants (who typically adopt a moral influence view) and conservative Protestants (who typically adopt a penal substitutionary view). Both sides believe that their position is taught by the Bible. A related theory, the "moral example theory", was developed by Faustus Socinus (1539–1604) in his work De Jesu Christo servatore (1578). He rejected the idea of "vicarious satisfaction". According to Socinus, Jesus' death offers us
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3570-473: The Reformation maintained a belief in the moral influence view of the atonement. Socinianism was an early form of Unitarianism , and the Unitarian Church today maintains a moral influence view of the atonement, as do many liberal Protestant theologians of the modern age. During the 18th century, versions of the moral influence view found overwhelming support among German theologians, most notably
3655-517: The Reformed tradition differed from their Wesleyan counterparts in that they rejected the holiness concept of a "second blessing" instead focusing on an "overcoming" life. Keswickian theology is most notable in the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination. Though distinct from Keswickian (Higher Life) theology, the Finished Work Pentecostal doctrine was also propagated through ministers of
3740-487: The West (differentiating from Eastern Orthodoxy) Christian hamartiology describes sin as an act of offence against God by despising his persons and Christian biblical law , and by injuring others. It is an evil human act, which violates the rational nature of man, as well as God's nature and his eternal law . According to the classical definition of Augustine of Hippo , sin is "a word, deed, or desire in opposition to
3825-626: The advancement of the gospel . In contrast, the state of partial sanctification was said to turn the believer's attention to the interior spiritual struggle for holiness which in turn limited his or her usefulness to the church and society. Though the holiness movement arose primarily within Methodism, it made an impact on the Quaker tradition, as well as in certain Anabaptist, Baptist and Restorationist denominations. Another movement stressing
3910-575: The aphorism "It's a finished work at Calvary", referring to both salvation and sanctification. Finished Work Pentecostals and Holiness Pentecostal are the two main branches of classical, trinitarian Pentecostalism. The dispute surrounding it was called the Finished Work Controversy which split the Pentecostal movement into Wesleyan and non-Wesleyan doctrinal orientations, known respectively as Holiness Pentecostals and Finished Work Pentecostals . When Holiness Pentecostalism,
3995-445: The atonement itself, but also the question of how one partakes of this salvation, by faith, baptism, or obedience; and the question of whether this salvation is individual or universal . It further involves questions regarding the afterlife, e.g. " heaven , hell , purgatory , soul sleep , and annihilation ." The fault lines between the various denominations include conflicting definitions of sin, justification, and atonement. In
4080-532: The biblical scholar C. Marvin Pate, "...there are three aspects to Christ's atonement according to the early Church: vicarious atonement [ substitutionary atonement ], the eschatological defeat of Satan [Christ the Victor], and the imitation of Christ [participation in Jesus' death and resurrection]." Pate further notes that these three aspects were intertwined in the earliest Christian writings but that this intertwining
4165-649: The concept of original sin. It is the teaching that, as a consequence of the fall of man, every person born into the world is enslaved to the service of sin as a result of their inherent fallen nature and, apart from the irresistible or prevenient grace of God , is utterly unable to choose to follow God, refrain from evil, or accept the gift of salvation as it is offered. It is advocated to various degrees by many Protestant confessions of faith and catechisms, including those of some Lutheran synods, and Calvinism , teaching irresistible grace. Arminians , such as Methodists , also believe and teach total depravity, but with
4250-410: The controversy that divided the Pentecostal movement into a three-stage (Holiness Pentecostalism), which was the original Pentecostal view, and Durham's two-stage Pentecostalism (Finished Work Pentecostalism). Three-stage Pentecostalism (Holiness Pentecostalism) held the view that there are three distinct experiences of grace—conversion, sanctification, and baptism in the Holy Spirit; the third stage
4335-731: The controversy was that the young Pentecostal movement was split between Wesleyan-holiness and non-Wesleyan Reformed evangelicals. The finished work gained the greatest support from the independent and unorganized urban churches and missions. The Pentecostal denominations centered in the American South were the most resistant to the new doctrine. Today, these Holiness Pentecostal denominations ( Apostolic Faith Church , Calvary Holiness Association , Church of God (Cleveland) , Church of God in Christ , Congregational Holiness Church , Free Gospel Church , Pentecostal Holiness Church , and The (Original) Church of God ) and their seminaries (such as
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#17327802642214420-639: The demonstration of God's love", a demonstration which can change the hearts and minds of the sinners, turning back to God. During the Protestant Reformation in Western Christianity , the majority of the Reformers strongly rejected the moral influence view of the atonement in favor of penal substitution , a highly forensic modification of the honor-oriented Anselmian satisfaction model . Fausto Sozzini 's Socinian arm of
4505-429: The distinct difference of teaching prevenient grace. In Christian theology, justification is God's act of removing the guilt and penalty of sin while at the same time making a sinner righteous through Christ's atoning sacrifice. The means of justification is an area of significant difference among Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. Justification is often seen as being the theological fault line that divided
4590-455: The divine punishment of their past wrongdoings. However, this salvation is not presented as automatic. Rather, a person must have faith in order to receive this free gift of salvation. In the penal substitution view, salvation is not dependent upon human effort or deeds. The penal substitution paradigm of salvation is widely held among Protestants, who often consider it central to Christianity. However, it has also been widely critiqued, and
4675-492: The doctrine of progressive sanctification from their earlier Reformed roots, while Holiness Pentecostals retained their doctrine of entire sanctification from their earlier Wesleyan roots. William Howard Durham is considered to be the founder of Finished Work Pentecostalism. The doctrine arose as one of the "new issues" in the early Pentecostal revivals in the United States . The term finished work arises from
4760-560: The earliest form of Pentecostalism, emerged as a distinct movement within American Protestantism , it was through ministers with a Wesleyan-Holiness (Methodistic) background such as Charles Parham and William J. Seymour . John Wesley , the founder of Methodism, advocated Christian perfection that held that entire sanctification was indeed a definite work that was to follow conversion (the New Birth). Wesley drew on
4845-473: The emergence of this Christ-devotion. Those experiences "seem to have included visions of (and/or ascents to) God's heaven, in which the glorified Christ was seen in an exalted position." Those experiences were interpreted in the framework of God's redemptive purposes, as reflected in the scriptures, in a "dynamic interaction between devout, prayerful searching for, and pondering over, scriptural texts and continuing powerful religious experiences." This initiated
4930-513: The eternal law of God". Christian tradition has explained sin as a fundamental aspect of human existence, brought about by original sin —also called ancestral sin , the fall of man stemming from Adam's rebellion in Eden by eating the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Paul espouses it in Romans 5:12–19, and Augustine of Hippo popularized his interpretation of it in
5015-479: The exclusion of the Gentiles from God's covenant, as indicated by Romans 3:21–26. According to E.P. Sanders , who initiated the New Perspective on Paul , Paul saw the faithful redeemed by participation in Jesus' death and rising. But "Jesus' death substituted for that of others and thereby freed believers from sin and guilt," a metaphor derived from "ancient sacrificial theology," the essence of Paul's writing
5100-676: The gifts being manifested in the believer. Generally, each congregation owns its own property and calls its own pastor . The organization is affiliated with the National Association of Evangelicals and the Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America . Open Bible Churches is affiliated with New Hope Christian College, an accredited Bible college in Eugene, Oregon , INSTE Bible College in Ankeny, Iowa, Harvest Bible College, located at First Church of
5185-442: The holiness movement, in accordance with Methodist theology, taught that sanctification had both instantaneous and progressive dimensions. They taught the availability of entire sanctification, which was a post-conversion experience. In this "second definite work of grace", the inclination to sin was removed and replaced by perfect love. The state of entire sanctification allowed the believer to turn his or her attention outward toward
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#17327802642215270-540: The idea of theosis to suggest that sanctification would cause a change in motivation that if nurtured would lead to a gradual perfecting of the believer. Thus while it was physically possible for a sanctified believer to sin , he or she would be empowered to choose to avoid sin. Wesley's teachings and Methodism gave birth to the holiness movement , which sought to propagate the Methodistic doctrine of entire sanctification (Christian perfection). Most advocates within
5355-469: The idea that Jesus' death was a "debt paid to God's honor". He also objected to the emphasis on God's judgment, and the idea that God changed his mind after the sinner accepted Jesus' sacrificial death, which was not easily reconcilable with the idea of "the perfect, impassible God [who] does not change". Abelard focused on changing man's perception of God – not to be seen as offended, harsh, and judgemental, but as loving. According to Abelard, "Jesus died as
5440-672: The importance of sanctification arose called the Higher Life movement , which centered around the Keswick Convention ; the theology of the Higher Life movement is thus known as Keswickian theology. Keswickian theology differs from Wesleyan-Arminian (Methodist) theology. In time, significant Irvingite and Calvinist leaders became thoroughly embedded in the Higher Life movement. These included Charles Finney , William Boardman and Dwight L. Moody . These evangelicals of
5525-530: The individual's relation to God." According to Krister Stendahl , the main concern of Paul's writings on Jesus' role, and salvation by faith, is not the individual conscience of human sinners, and their doubts about being chosen by God or not, but the problem of the inclusion of Gentile (Greek) Torah observers into God's covenant. Paul draws on several interpretative frames to solve this problem, but most importantly, his own experience and understanding. The kerygma from 1 Cor.15:3-5 refers to two mythologies:
5610-477: The language of participation. One died for all, so that all died (2 Corinthians 5:14). This is not only different from substitution , it is the opposite of it." By this participation in Christ's death and rising, "one receives forgiveness for past offences, is liberated from the powers of sin, and receives the Spirit." Paul insists that salvation is received by the grace of God; according to Sanders, this insistence
5695-603: The main fault lines dividing the various Christian denominations , including conflicting definitions of sin and depravity (the sinful nature of mankind), justification (God's means of removing the consequences of sin), and atonement (the forgiving or pardoning of sin through the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus). Salvation in Christianity, or deliverance or redemption, is the "saving [of] human beings from death and separation from God" by Christ 's death and resurrection. Christian salvation not only concerns
5780-481: The most essential element; and the idea of the suffering servant (Isaiah 42:1–9, 49:1–6, 50:4–11, 52:13–53:12), "the action of a Divinely sent Servant of the Lord who was 'wounded for our transgressions' and 'bear the sin of many'." The Old Testament Apocrypha adds a fourth idea, namely the righteous martyr (2 Maccabees, 4 Maccabees, Wisdom 2–5). These traditions of atonement offer only temporary forgiveness, and korbanot (offerings) could only be used as
5865-477: The nature of sin at conversion. I deny that a man who is converted or born again is outwardly washed and cleansed but that his heart is left unclean with enmity against God in it... This would not be Salvation. Salvation ... means a change of nature... It means that all the old man or old nature, which was sinful and depraved and which was the very thing in us that was condemned, is crucified with Christ. Converts began to share their beliefs in meetings and councils in
5950-430: The person and death of Jesus. Starting in the 2nd century CE, various understandings of atonement have been put forth to explain the death and resurrection of Jesus, as well as the metaphors applied by the New Testament to understand his death. Over the centuries, Christians have held different ideas regarding how Jesus saves people, with different views still existing within various Christian denominations. According to
6035-614: The point of dividing families. The dispute grew more heated in February 1911 when Durham went to Los Angeles where he was prohibited from preaching at the Upper Room and Azusa Street Missions. He was able to hold services at the Kohler Street Mission where he attracted 1000 people on Sundays and around 400 on weekdays. Durham died that same year, but the controversy surrounding finished work persisted. The effect of
6120-552: The sacrificial death and subsequent exaltation of Jesus Christ. Early Christian beliefs of the person and sacrificial role of Jesus in human salvation were further elaborated by the Church Fathers , medieval writers and modern scholars in various atonement theories, such as the ransom theory , Christus Victor theory , recapitulation theory , satisfaction theory , penal substitution theory and moral influence theory . Variant views on salvation ( soteriology ) are among
6205-614: The satisfaction view, it was immediately criticized by Peter Abelard . In the 16th century, the Protestant Reformers reinterpreted Anselm's satisfaction theory of salvation within a legal paradigm. In the legal system, offences required punishment, and no satisfaction could be given to avert this need. They proposed a theory known as penal substitution , in which Christ takes the penalty of people's sin as their substitute, thus saving people from God's wrath against sin. Penal substitution thus presents Jesus saving people from
6290-439: The scriptures, [4] and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, [5] and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. [6] Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. [7] Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. [8] Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. In
6375-415: The sins of mankind. In this view, people needed salvation from the divine punishment that these offences would bring, since nothing they could do could repay the honor debt. Anselm held that Christ had infinitely honored God through his life and death and that Christ could repay what humanity owed God, thus satisfying the offence to God's honor and doing away with the need for punishment. When Anselm proposed
6460-476: The teaching of entire sanctification (the second work of grace in Methodism). In 1910, William Howard Durham preached a sermon entitled "The Finished Work of Calvary" at a midwestern Pentecostal convention. His finished work teaching "sought to 'nullify' the understanding of sanctification as wholly realized in the believer by a crisis experience subsequent to and distinct from conversion." This teaching began
6545-571: The western United States where the Azusa Movement and its emphasis on sanctification as a definite experience was seen as orthodoxy , and any deviation was viewed with suspicion. This took the form of family members and friends who frequented various revival and camp meetings in the eastern US returning home to the Northwest and attempting to share their understanding of the “new doctrine.” The popularist version suggested that sanctification
6630-403: The wrong that Adam did and, because of his union with humanity, leads humanity on to eternal life , including moral perfection . Theosis ("divinisation") is a "corollary" of the recapitulation. In the 11th century, Anselm of Canterbury rejected the ransom view and proposed the satisfaction theory of atonement . He allegedly depicted God as a feudal lord whose honor had been offended by
6715-514: Was added to the two traditional Wesleyan Methodist works of grace: conversion (New Birth) and entire sanctification (Christian perfection). In contrast, two-stage Pentecostalism (Finished Work Pentecostalism), which was the non-Wesleyan view held by Durham, held that sanctification was a lifelong process that began at conversion, thus this view only professed two stages—conversion and Spirit baptism. Durham wrote in his magazine, The Pentecostal Testimony : I ... deny that God does not deal with
6800-593: Was freed from this wrath. In the classical Protestant understanding humans partake in this salvation by faith in Jesus Christ; this faith is a grace given by God, and people are justified by God through Jesus Christ and faith in him. A predecessor researcher for the New Perspective on Paul (in 1963) raised several concerns regarding these interpretations. The traditional interpretation sees Paul's understanding of salvation as involving "an exposition of
6885-552: Was lost since the Patristic times. Because of the influence of Gustaf Aulén 's 1931 Christus Victor study, the various theories or paradigms of atonement which developed after the New Testament writings are often grouped under the "classic paradigm," the "objective paradigm," and the "subjective paradigm". In the Hebrew writings, God is absolutely righteous, and only pure and sinless persons can approach him. Reconciliation
6970-451: Was not a "payment for sin", but had a basic meaning as "making something sacred by giving it as a gift to God," and included a shared meal with God. Sacrifices had numerous purposes, namely thanksgiving, petition, purification, and reconciliation. None of them was a "payment or substitution or satisfaction", and even "sacrifices of reconciliation were about restoring the relationship." James F. McGrath refers to 4 Maccabees 6, "which presents
7055-501: Was not a payment to the Devil, but defeated the powers of evil, particularly Satan , which had held mankind in their dominion. According to Pugh, "Ever since [Aulén's] time, we call these patristic ideas the Christus Victor way of seeing the cross." The recapitulation view, first comprehensively expressed by Irenaeus , went "hand-in-hand" with the ransom theory. It says that Christ succeeds where Adam failed , undoing
7140-485: Was not a requirement for Spirit Baptism. This was viewed as a dangerous and fallacious polemic by the majority who assumed that anyone who had received the Pentecostal Blessing had in fact been sanctified and as an outright heresy by those who had slipped into the entire sanctification camp. In either case, proponents of the finished work were seen as contentious and were in many cases officially shunned to
7225-559: Was predicted by Isaiah, as attested in Luke 4:16–22, where Jesus is portrayed as saying that the prophecies in Isaiah were about him. The New Testament explicitly quotes from Isaiah 53 in Matthew 8:16–18 to indicate that Jesus is the fulfillment of these prophecies. The classic paradigm entails the traditional understandings of the early Church Fathers , who developed the themes found in
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