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Penal Substitution View of Atonement: Did God the Father Just Need to Vent?
In this video blog, Greg outlines the penal substitution view of atonement which says that the Father poured out his wrath on Jesus instead of us so that we could be forgiven. This view is very common and you might even be nodding your head in agreement with that description. However, this view creates some pretty serious problems when it’s examined more closely. Today, Greg will explore some of those problems, and then he’ll present the Christus Victor view in a video blog on Thursday. Stay tuned!
Category: Essays
Tags: Atonement, Essay, Forgiveness, God, God's Wrath, Jesus, Penal Substitution View of Atonement, Picture of God, Sin
Topics: Atonement and The Cross
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