Believers are united in acknowledging that the death of Christ was necessary to bring reconciliation between God and humans.
Most believers have likely never given much thought to various theories about HOW Christ's death on the cross actually accomplished that reconciliation.
The CONTENTS of the various theories, though, are familiar to anyone in any church who pays attention to Scripture and sings along with the hymnal. That's because these theories are based on the Bible (for the most part!) and, thus, they find expression in the hymns we sing.
Here are three example theories of the Atonement along with illustrations from a hymn and the Bible:
#1 The Ransom Theory
As found in "I Will Sing of My Redeemer":
Sing, O sing of my Redeemer, With His blood He purchased me.
On the cross He sealed my pardon, Paid the debt and made me free.
You'll notice the author, Philip Bliss, manages to avoid specifying to WHOM the payment was made. Was it the Devil? The Father? Some thing or somebody else?
This lack of specificity is not a weakness in Bliss' lyrics, though. In fact it is admirable. That's because Bliss goes no further than what Scripture does when using similar language about the crucifixion.
Take for example 1 Peter 1:18-19 ESV -
"Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot."
#2 Christus Victor
Here's the final verse of "Worship Christ, the Risen King":
We acclaim Your life, O Jesus; Now we sing Your victory.
Sin and hell may seek to seize us, But Your conquest keeps us free.
Stand in triumph, stand in triumph; Worship Christ, the risen King!
That's clearly the "Christus Victor" theory of the atonement - on the cross and through the resurrection, Jesus defeats sin and Satan and so wins our freedom from sin.
Check out John 16:33 - “In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!”
#3 The Moral Influence Theory
The final verse of "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" is a good example of this theory which holds that Christ's life, death, and resurrection was mainly about providing us with an example to follow:
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were an offering far too small;
love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.
In Scripture we find verses like 1 Peter 2:21 - “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his footsteps."
So which of the theories is "right"?
Many theologians hold that the believer's best approach to understanding the mechanics behind the death of Christ is to hold a blend of the various theories. This is fitting because the language of Scripture employs at least these three.
In holding a combination of various theories, we acknowledge the fact that much mystery surrounds the cross.
Fortunately we do not have to completely understand Jesus' death on the cross in order to benefit from the freedom, forgiveness, and reconciliation it brings.
C.S. Lewis writes in Mere Christianity:
"A man can eat his dinner without understanding exactly how food nourishes him. A man can accept what Christ has done without knowing how it works: indeed, he certainly would not know how it works until he has accepted it."
