Idol Killer Interview 6 Jesus According to Penal-Substitutionary Atonement

Warren McGrew and Paul Vendredi examine the 13th, 14th, and 15th claims of penal-substitutionary atonement (PSA). Claim 13 involves God’s pouring out His wrath on the crucified Christ and the concept of double imputation. The atonement school uses Isaiah 53;4-6 as a key proof text. In response, Paul cites a hermeneutic rule that dictates that clear Bible passages serve as the controlling interpretation when dealing with similar but less clear passages on the same topic. Citing Proverbs 17;15, 25;26, and 24;24, Paul demonstrates that it is an abomination to justify the wicked while punishing the just. Moreover, the New Testament interprets Isaiah 53;4-6 in Matthew 8;14-17, where Jesus is portrayed as fulfilling the prophecy by healing the sick and casting out demons rather than atoning for sins while being crucified. Paul also points to 1 Peter 2;24-25, which quotes Isaiah 53. The context in which the passage is embedded portrays Christ as an example to follow by suffering patiently, having done no sin. (This is a moral-exemplar model, not PSA.)

The discussion moves on to claim 14, the claim that Christ became a literal curse and the embodiment of sin on the cross. This interpretation is untenable given its contradiction with Hebrews 7;26, which states that Jesus is holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. Paul also challenges the use of Galatians 3;13 and 2 Corinthians 5;21 as proof texts for this interpretation, arguing that they lead to absurdities and blasphemy. Furthermore, Paul contends that this theory is philosophically untenable, as it is based on hypostatizing abstractions, such as the word "curse." Warren and Paul then related their shared experience that even supporters of PSA experience disbelief when confronted with their mentors calling Christ accursed.

The 15th claim says that God turns his back on the crucified Christ. As instantiation of this, Warren plays audio of R.C. Sproul calling the crucified Christ the sum total of all human sins, the most obscene being in the universe. God, according to Sproul, then turned away from Christ as if turning away from sin itself.

Paul and Warren turn to the last words spoken by Jesus on the cross. While there is controversy over the order of Jesus' words, there is agreement that his last words were "Into thy hands I commend my spirit." Several prominent atonement schoolers, including John MacArthur, also agree that Jesus' last words were these. But how could Jesus commend his spirit into the hands of the Father if the Father had previously forsaken him? The answer lies in Jesus’ quoting Psalm 22, specifically the first line "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" The speaker explains that this quote was not a cry of dereliction but a pointer to the entire psalm, which ends with a cry of hope. Paul illustrates this by referring to Psalm 23, "The Lord is my shepherd," and explains that in the ancient context, quoting the first few words of a Psalm would trigger the entire passage in the listener's memory. In modern times, this contextual understanding is lost, leading to misinterpretations of textual references.