Source: “Paul On The Cross: Reconstructing The Apostle’s Story Of Redemption”, By David A. Brondos, Fortress Press, 2006.
Jesus Death For Us In Pauls Letters.wav
This podcast explores Paul's understanding of Jesus' death, moving beyond traditional "cultic/juristic" and "participatory/mystical" categories to emphasize a more integrated perspective rooted in early Christian narratives. It argues that for Paul, Jesus' death was multifaceted, serving not as a mechanical transaction but as the culminating act of his life and ministry, aimed at establishing a new covenant. This new covenant, made "for us" (meaning "on our behalf" or "for our sake" rather than "in our stead"), brought about the forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God for both Jews and Gentiles, and the foundation of a new, righteous community—the Church. The text highlights how Paul consistently connects Jesus' death to his entire mission and resurrection, demonstrating that his sacrifice was a self-offering to God to secure these blessings, rather than merely satisfying a punitive requirement.
Topic 1: Categorization of Jesus' Death in Paul's Letters Pauline scholars commonly separate Paul's language regarding Jesus' death into two main categories. The first is described as "cultic" or "juristic," which suggests that Christ's death was "for Christians" in the sense of bringing about their acquittal or justification from past transgressions. This implies a focus on dealing with the penalty or consequences of human sin. The second category is "participatory" or "mystical," which emphasizes that Christians "die with Christ" to the power of sin, leading to a new life. This perspective addresses humanity's subjection to sin and death. While these two purposes might seem distinct, some views suggest they are conceived as a single redemptive act, even if Paul himself, not being a systematic theologian, might not have explicitly worked them into a perfectly coherent logical whole. Nevertheless, both aspects—dealing with the consequences of sin and providing participation in Christ's victory over sin's power—are considered integral to the significance of Jesus' death.
Topic 2: Continuity of Paul's Theology with Early Church Tradition Paul's understanding of Jesus' death and its salvific meaning was not something he developed in isolation but was in substantial continuity with the broader early Christian tradition, including that reflected in the Synoptic Gospels and Acts. This is evidenced by his use of "creedal and kerygmatic formulae," which he explicitly states he "received" and "handed on" to others, even to Christian communities he didn't personally know. Key examples include his allusions to Jesus' words at the Last Supper and the declaration that "Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures" and was "raised on the third day." These passages indicate that Paul received and transmitted not just the historical events of Jesus' crucifixion but also their theological interpretation. Furthermore, Paul's letters contain ideas associated with Jesus' death found elsewhere in the early church, such as the connection between Jesus' death and his ministry for others, his rejection, his voluntary self-giving according to God's will, and the fulfillment of scriptures.
Topic 3: The New Covenant and Jesus' Death A central theme in Paul's understanding of Jesus' death is its role in establishing a new covenant. This concept, also present in the Synoptic Gospels, is explicitly referenced by Paul in relation to Jesus' words over the bread and wine at the Last Supper. Paul contrasts this "new covenant" with the "old covenant" (Mosaic law), describing the latter as a "dispensation of death" and "condemnation." The new covenant, in contrast, is a "dispensation of the spirit" and "of righteousness," characterized by believers being guided by the Spirit rather than the literal law. Key aspects associated with this new covenant, brought about by Jesus' death, include the incorporation of Gentiles into the church, a new life of righteousness, and the forgiveness of sins, fulfilling ancient prophetic promises like those in Jeremiah. Through Jesus' sacrificial death, both Jews and non-Jews now live under a new dispensation led by the Spirit and receive divine forgiveness.
Topic 4: New Temple and Body of Christ Paul also connects Jesus' death to the emergence of a new temple, and potentially associates this new temple with Jesus' body, or more commonly, with the collective body of believers. He asserts that Jesus Christ is the "foundation" of this new temple. In this spiritual sense, the community of believers itself becomes "God's temple," where God's Spirit dwells, a stark contrast to the physical Jerusalem Temple. While Paul does not explicitly state that Christ's own body is the new temple in the same way John's Gospel might imply, he consistently identifies the community of believers as both "the temple of God" and "the body of Christ." This connection suggests that Jesus' self-giving in death, by becoming the foundation, brought into existence this new spiritual body composed of believers, who are no longer bound by the old law but unified in Christ.
Topic 5: Understanding the Phrase "For Us" (hyper hēmōn) The phrase "for us" (hyper hēmōn), appearing frequently in Paul's epistles, signifies that Jesus' death was "for our sake" or "on our behalf." This interpretation explicitly rejects the idea of penal substitution, which would imply Jesus died "in our stead" to suffer a penalty that believers would otherwise have to endure. Paul does not suggest that believers no longer face death, either spiritually or physically, nor that Christ suffered the specific torments or wrath of God in their place. Instead, "for us" implies a self-offering and petition on behalf of others, akin to an intercession. Jesus dedicated his life to God's kingdom and establishing a new covenant, and he willingly faced death as a consequence of this mission. By giving his life in faithfulness, he obtained salvation and forgiveness for others, a request God accepted by raising him from the dead, ensuring the fulfillment of God's promises through him.
Topic 6: Understanding the Phrase "For Our Sins" The idea that Jesus died "for our sins" appears in key Pauline passages. This phrase is understood to mean that Jesus gave himself up so that others might receive the forgiveness of sins through him and the new covenant established by his death. While often associated with Isaiah 53, the text clarifies that this does not necessarily imply a penal substitutionary understanding where Christ literally bore a penalty for sins. Instead, Jesus "bore sins" in the sense that his suffering and death were the direct consequence of his unyielding commitment to saving God's people from the plight of their sins. His willingness to undergo persecution and death as part of this mission enabled the gospel to be proclaimed and more people to be incorporated into the church, where forgiveness of sins is attained. His death was the ultimate act of faithfulness to his mission, securing the blessings he sought for humanity.
Topic 7: Rejection of Mechanical Interpretations of Jesus' Death A significant point of emphasis is the critique of "mechanical" interpretations of Jesus' death. These views typically propose that Christ's death automatically achieves salvation by fulfilling a necessary condition, such as undergoing the penalty for sin, conquering Satan, or providing an example, without necessarily involving a direct interaction or petition to God. Such interpretations are seen as reducing Christ's death to a "bare death" that operates almost independently of God's active response. The text argues against these "automatic" processes, stressing that they tend to remove God from the picture and disregard the concept of Jesus' death as a self-offering to God with an implicit petition that God accepted through his resurrection. This contrasts with a view where Christ's suffering and death are understood as part of a faithful, obedient life dedicated to God's purpose, leading to a divine response.
Topic 8: Christ as Hilasterion (Rom 3:24-26) In Romans 3:24-26, Paul describes Christ as "hilasterion," a term that can be translated as "propitiation" (appeasing divine wrath), "expiation" (cleansing from sin), or "mercy seat" (the cover of the Ark of the Covenant, where atonement rites were performed). The source argues that regardless of the specific translation, the core idea is that Christ himself, rather than merely an event or his blood in isolation, is the "hilasterion." This refers to God "putting forward" Christ as His instrument for bringing about forgiveness and acceptance for all, both Jews and Gentiles. Crucially, this act is not understood as an automatic fulfillment of a condition but as God's gracious response to Christ's self-offering. Christ's resurrection and exaltation are integral to his role as "hilasterion," as it is through the risen Christ that reconciliation, forgiveness of sins, and justification are attained, making accessible what the Old Covenant could not fully provide.
Topic 9: Christ as Paschal Lamb (1 Cor 5:7-8) Paul refers to Christ as "our paschal lamb" in 1 Corinthians 5:7-8. This imagery is primarily linked to the need for the Christian community to maintain purity, drawing a parallel with the Jewish Passover tradition where old yeast was removed. The comparison emphasizes that just as the original Passover lamb's sacrifice led to redemption from bondage in Egypt, Christ's self-offering and shedding of blood lead to the new covenant people's redemption from bondage to sin and death. This metaphor highlights purification and the establishment of a new communal identity centered on Christ. Importantly, the paschal lamb was not strictly a sin offering, so this imagery in Paul does not support a penal substitutionary view of Christ's death but rather stresses collective redemption and spiritual cleansing for those in the new covenant community.
Topic 10: Justification and Righteousness through Christ's Death Paul's understanding of justification, particularly in Romans 5:9-10, is multifaceted, encompassing both forgiveness of sins and the enabling of a new, righteous way of life. It is not merely a forensic declaration of innocence. When Paul states that believers are "justified by means of his blood," he implies that Christ's sacrificial act of giving his life in love was aimed at forming a community of righteous people and obtaining their justification from God. This justification is not earned by human works but is a gracious gift from God, made possible by Christ's obedience unto death. His faithful suffering led to his death, and God's subsequent act of raising him from the dead confirmed the acceptance of this offering, ensuring that those in Christ would be declared righteous and receive a new life of obedience to God's will.