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NASB | 2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness]. |
Subject: Did Jesus die spiritually? |
Bible Note: Part 2. THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST AND THE "FAITH" MESSAGE 'We will be examining the message as expounded by two recognized leaders of the [WOF] movement: Kenneth E. Hagin and Kenneth (and Gloria) Copeland. ( . . . ) 'At this point, although it may not be fully clear what the Lord did experience in His death on the cross, it is evident that it did not include a spiritual death which resulted in His becoming a mere mortal man. To so assert, in the absence of any biblical warrant, is to move beyond sound doctrine and into unscriptural and potentially dangerous speculation. 'However, the "Faith" teachers do turn to a handful of selected verses in an effort to substantiate their view. It may be helpful to examine a few of the more important passages they cite. 'One of the verses that is heavily relied upon for substantiating the doctrine of Jesus' "spiritual death" is II Corinthians 5:21: 'He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 'As we have seen, the "Faith" message teaches that this means that Jesus "took upon Himself our sin nature," accepted in His own spirit "spiritual death," and that He, as a result, ceased to be the God-man and became a mortal man. 'In examining this passage, one of the first things to be noted is that the word "sin" is used as an abstract noun. As such, biblical commentators have noted that the expression "to be sin" must be metonymical. 'A metonym is "a figure of speech consisting of the use of the name of one thing for that of another of which it is an attribute or with which it is associated (as in 'lands belonging to the crown').[xxxi] 'Metonym is often used in Scripture, as in the example where Jesus comments that "those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword" (Matthew 26:52). It is clear that Jesus is not making a dogmatic assertion concerning how an individual who "takes up the sword" shall specifically die, but simply stating a general truth. Thus, the phrase "perish by the sword" is one example of a metonym. 'T.J. Crawford, in his excellent work The Doctrine of Holy Scripture Respecting the Atonement, offers important insight into the metonymical expression in II Corinthians 5:21. 'Still, though on these grounds our common translation is to be preferred [over rendering the phrase "to be sin" as "to be a sin-offering"], there can be no doubt that the expression is metonymical, since it is impossible that Christ, or any person, could be literally made "SIN." The abstract word "sin" must necessarily be held to be here put for some concrete. And there is no concrete that we can think of as denoted by it, except either "a sinner," or "one who bears or suffers for sin." Now, that Christ "was made a sinner for us" is inconsistent, not only with the testimony which the Scriptures elsewhere bear to His immaculate holiness, but with the express statement in the adjoining clause, that "He knew no sin." Accordingly, we are shut up to the other interpretation, that Christ was "made sin for us" in the sense of being divinely appointed to bear the burden or to suffer the penal consequences of our transgressions.[xxxii] 'We see from the above that, taking into account the language and context, the meaning of the expression "made to be sin for us" is that Christ suffered the legal consequences -- the penalty -- for our sin. Although Jesus identified with sinners, it is unjustifiable to read the passage to imply that He took on our sin nature (and, according to the "Faith" teachers, "Satan's nature" -- spiritual death). ( . . . ) 'Therefore, in discussing II Corinthians 5:21 and the interpretation offered by the "Faith" teachers --although we have hardly exhausted what could be said -- certain truths are clear. Christ "was made sin for us" by becoming the legal substitute for sinners. He suffered precisely that kind, degree, and duration of suffering that the absolute, just wisdom of God determined was a full equivalent for all that would have been required of individual sinners. The assertion that He suffered spiritual death and underwent a change in nature is unsupported by II Corinthians 5:21 and goes against the plain teachings of Scripture that we have examined. It will suffice to say, in the words of Alexander Bruce, ". . . it was needful that the sin-bearer, though divine, should endure all that it was possible for a holy Being to suffer in the way of penalty"[xxxiv] [original emphasis].' ____________________ Excerpted from: THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST AND THE "FAITH" MESSAGE by Brian Onken To read more go to: (www.equip.org/free/DP060.htm) |