07_work_0117_preNiceneFathers

Before discussing the main arguments about the atonement, the transcription mentions four quotes from before the Nicaea council that acknowledge the concept. The quotes are from the Epistle of Barnabas, Jesse Martyr, and Origen. They describe the atonement using simple biblical language and reference scripture passages. One quote from the Epistle to Diogenes stands out because it breaks the mold and is famous for its description of the atonement. It parallels 2 Corinthians 5.21. The transcription concludes by saying more will be discussed about this verse and the atonement in general before moving on to the post-Nicene Fathers. Okay, I want to read to you all four more quotes that happened before Nicaea, just to show you them acknowledging it. The first three of these are the Epistle of Barnabas, Jesse Martyr, and Origen, the Epistle of Barnabas. For to this end, the Lord endured to deliver up his flesh to corruption, that we might be sanctified through the remission of sins, which is effected by his blood of sprinkling. Okay, very simple biblical language, before it goes, I'll just explain. Jesse Martyr, the father of all, wishes Christ, for the whole human family, to take upon him the curses of all. His father caused him to suffer these things in behalf of the human family. And Origen, one suffered death for the whole world, and the whole world was cleansed by this sacrifice, whereas without such a sacrifice it must perforce have perished. Christ only could receive on the cross the burden of the sins of all. To carry this burden, nothing short of his divine might was required. Okay, so that was those three, Origen, Jesse Martyr, and the Epistle to Barnabas, just kind of acknowledging the atonement before they go on to make their real arguments, which are focused on different topics. But every time that they do, they're usually directly referencing a scripture passage. In two of these, it was Isaiah 53. And every time, they're just using very simple biblical language to describe the atonement. Now, there is one text, and I'm going to read it, it kind of breaks the mold. It's the Epistle to Diogenes, written in the 100s or 200s. And this is a fairly famous text on the atonement, and you'll see why when I read it. When our wickedness had reached its height, and it had been clearly shown that its reward, punishment and death, was impending over us, he himself took on him the burden of our iniquities. He gave his own son as a ransom for us, the holy one for transgressors, the blameless one for the wicked, the righteous one for the unrighteous. O sweet exchange! O unsearchable operation! O benefit surpassing all exception! That the wickedness of many should be hid in a single righteous one, and that the righteousness of one should justify many transgressors. In this one, the text wasn't so much as Isaiah 53. What text does this remind you of? Which one does it close to parallel? Right, 2 Corinthians 5.21. God made Jesus to be son who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Which before I move on, I want to say a little bit about this. We're going to move on to Irenaeus and the post-Nineteen Fathers, but before you're going to quite understand where their mindset is, I want to say a little bit more about this verse and the atonement more generally.