(Acts 17:27).
There is something pathetic in the spectacle of “good men” striving to understand the doctrine of the Atonement while hampered by false doctrines concerning God and Man. Sometimes one more candid than his fellows takes refuge in mere assent where intellect and affections alike refuse to follow. Such a case seems to be indicated in the late Marcus Dods, whose son has just published an edition of his father’s later letters. We have not read these, and do not intend to; but the subjoined extract from The Spectator’s review of the book arrested our attention and caused the reflections above indicated. The reviewer says:—
“The editor feels the responsibility of giving to the world the intimate expressions of thought and feeling which are to be found in these letters. And sometimes, as we read, we feel doubtful whether he has done well. Certainly, as his son puts it, Dr. Dods wrote to his correspondents with ‘an unusual degree of candour.’ He had, too, it would seem, very varying moods. On the whole, however, we feel that it is well to have this book. It is a photograph which has not been touched up or smoothed. Still, we are startled now and then. ‘Very often, I may say commonly, I cannot get beyond the conviction that in Christ we see the best that our nature is capable of, and must make that our own.’ This seems to fall far short of faith as it is commonly understood; but then we see the endeavour shown in the words, ‘I cannot get beyond.’ Most religious hearts are wont to be content with creeds, shared with communions or personal; this man was always trying to realise his belief. Elsewhere he frankly says that he finds little comfort in prayer. He prays because he has been bidden to pray. Of the cardinal doctrine of Christianity he says: ‘His atonement was nothing more than this quietly and lovingly accepting all that sin could do against Him.’ This is a clean sweep of all substitutional and other theories.”
The reason why Dr. Marcus Dods “cannot get beyond” such a superficial view of Christ is because he is the victim of a false philosophy concerning both God and man. Given Trinitarianism and the Immortality of the Soul, no man can ever hope to understand the Atonement. We must first understand “the flesh” before we can scripturally confess that “Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.” We must know what Man is before we can understand “the Son of Man.” And we must “know God” before we can know “Jesus Christ whom He has sent.” There is only one way to know God and Man, and that is by being “taught of God.” And that again in our day means the study of the written Word of God (the Bible), and the elimination from our minds of all that is in opposition to the divine teaching therein contained. This is a difficult matter, especially for those who have been born and bred in clerical circles. It is not impossible, for we read in the Bible itself that once a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. If we find, as we do find, that the Bible will not harmonise with “substitutionary theories,” so much the worse for the theories. Let us throw them overboard. We have done this long ago, and have found great relief to the vessel. We have got beyond the old state of quandary, and have become enabled to assimilate the apostolic unfolding of the Atonement in the New Testament, especially in the epistle to the Romans. It is most true that Christ “quietly and lovingly accepted all that sin could do against him;” but this was only half the matter. It was that God might thus “condemn sin in the flesh,” that “He might be just and the Justifier of him that believeth in Jesus,” that He might righteously raise Christ to life again, and give him authority over all mankind, to bestow eternal life upon whomsoever he should approve. God is just; He accepts no “substitute.” Christ was a representative, not a substitute. And God is gracious, He forgives sins for Christ’s sake, whereas if substitution be true, eternal life is a matter of debt and not of grace. And if Christ died as a substitute, he should not rise, and we should not die. But we do. It is one thing to “feel after the Lord,” and another thing to “find him.” “Not many mighty are called.” It is a matter of great favour that God has permitted us to learn the truth.
CC Walker, The Christadelphian 1912
