NT Framework - Not Ransomed

Jeremy traces how the ransom theory shaped Christian thought for centuries, why paying Satan creates moral and theological problems, and how Scripture locates the ransom squarely before God.

More information about Beyond the Walls, including additional resources can be found at www.beyondthewalls-ministry.com 

This series included graphics to illustrate what is being taught, if you would like to watch the teachings you can do so on Rumble (https://rumble.com/user/SpokaneBibleChurch) or on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtV_KhFVZ_waBcnuywiRKIyEcDkiujRqP).

Jeremy Thomas is the pastor at Spokane Bible Church in Spokane, Washington and a professor at Chafer Theological Seminary. He has been teaching the Bible for over 20 years, always seeking to present its truths in a clear and understandable manner. 

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Welcome to Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas and
our series on the New Testamentframework.
Today, a smaller, bite-sizedpiece from the larger lesson.
We hope you enjoy it.

SPEAKER_01 (00:10):
But in the midst of this, in the Middle Ages, there
is the development of a doctrineof atonement that I will point
out under a man named Anselm.
Okay.
A-N-S-E-L-M.
Anselm.
But before Anselm developed, Iwant to show you what for 1100
years most Christians believedabout the atonement.

(00:33):
It was a ransom.
Jesus Christ was paying a ransomto Satan for Satan to release
the human race who was heldcaptive to him.
That was the prevailing view ofwhat Christ was doing on the
cross.
He was making a payment toSatan.

(00:55):
For 1,100 years, that's whatmost Christians believe.
I make these points because it'shumbling.
People think today, well, if youjust gave me a Bible, I'd figure
it all out on my own.
Really?
For 1,100 years.
Lots of people had Bibles andread Bibles and they didn't
figure out the atonement.
So their idea is that Adam andEve sold the human race over to

(01:19):
the devil.
God set a trap then with thecross.
This is interesting.
God set a trap with the cross sothat the devil would fall into
that trap, right, and acceptChrist's blood as a ransom.
You've actually already seenthis if you've read the Narnia
Chronicle.
C.S.

(01:39):
Lewis.
This is his view of theatonement.
By the way, C.S.
Lewis had a lot of veryunorthodox doctrines.
He believed in universalism,that everybody be saved, things
like that.
He believed some of the Psalmswere not inspired.
So as wonderful as he ispronounced to be, you know, in
mere Christianity, the greatestChristian book and all this

(02:01):
stuff.
He had a lot of very unorthodoxviews.
This is one of them.
He held to the ransom theory ofthe substitutionary blood or the
blood atonement of Christ.
It wasn't a substitution, it wasa trick.
Remember the white witch thoughtshe had Aslan, right?

(02:21):
By killing him on the what wasthe rock?

SPEAKER_02 (02:23):
Whatever.
Yeah, the table.

SPEAKER_01 (02:28):
And then you know, since she fell into the trap,
and then she finds out, oh God,he rose.
Uh-oh, I'm in trouble, you know.
Now, does God set traps?
I mean, is this this does castsome shadow on God's character,
as maybe he's a deceiver, maybe,in that he set a trap for Satan

(02:49):
to fall into.
Um, this view is also somewhatrevolting since the devil could
not have a just claim on thehuman race, and God somehow had
to meet the devil's demand.
God is somehow required, youknow, to appease Satan, and he
does that through Christ.
So you can see this view hassome really strange things to it
that probably don't gel too wellin your mind with what is

(03:12):
accurate or true.
But it does have a true part.
There's some truth to this.
It's true that a ransom pricewas paid.
Matthew 20, 28.
Let's look at Matthew 20, 28.
This word ransom is definitelyused, Luteron or anti-Lutron.
Um Matthew 20, 28.

(03:36):
Jesus said this.
We'll just read 26 to 28,because I like to emphasize that
a couple things here aboutChrist and what it looks like to
be Christ-like.
Matthew 20, 26.
He says it's not this way amongyou, but whoever wishes to
become great among you, youshall be your servant.

(03:57):
Um, and whoever wishes to befirst among you shall be your
slave.
In other words, how do youbecome great in the coming
kingdom?
Well, you become a slave.
How do you become greater thanall?
You become slave of all.
Well, you can't do that, butguess who did?
Guess who did become slave ofall?
Christ.
And that's verse 28.

(04:17):
Just as the Son of Man did notcome to be served, but to serve
and to give his life a ransomfor many.
There's the word ransom, right?
So a ransom, he was making aransom or paying a ransom price
on the cross.
But the question is, to whom wasthe ransom being made?
It's not stated here, but um,these early theologians said it

(04:41):
was being paid to Satan, buttruly it was actually being paid
to who?
God.
Okay, the payment was being madeto God.
So um we've also got, let's see,1 Timothy 2.
Look at 1 Timothy 2.
By the way, all the T books aretogether, right?
1 2 Thessalonians, 1 2 Timothy,and Titus.
Five books all stuck together.
All start with T.

(05:03):
That makes them easy to find.
If you find one, you can findthe others.

SPEAKER_02 (05:05):
1 Timothy 2, 5 and 6.
1 Timothy 2, 5, and 6.

SPEAKER_01 (05:25):
For there is one God and one mediator also between
God and men, the man ChristJesus, who gave himself as a
ransom for who?
All.
Now we'll get into the extent ofthe atonement here in the next
few weeks.
In other words, for whom didChrist die?
Did he die for all people, ordid he die just for a subset of
the human race?

(05:45):
Um, and we'll look more at thosepassages.
But he gave himself here as aransom for all.
So there again, ransom.
There's a sense in which aransom price was being paid on
the cross, but again, it's notbeing paid to Satan, it's being
paid to God.
And the reason is because he'sthe one who requires the blood,
Genesis 9 5.
Three times in one verse,Genesis 9 5, it says, I require

(06:06):
the blood.
It's required.
For me, it's required.
It's required.
Um, so it's not being paid toSatan, it's being paid to God,
the one to whom uh blood wasrequired.
But that's the first theory,again, held for 1100 years.

SPEAKER_00 (06:20):
Thank you for joining us on Beyond the Walls
with Jeremy Thomas.
If you would like to see thevisuals that went along with
today's sermon, you can findthose on Rumble and on YouTube
under Spokane Bible Church.
That is where Jeremy is thepastor and teacher.
We hope you found today's lessonproductive and useful in growing

(06:41):
closer to God and walking moreobediently with Him.
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And until next time, we hope youhave a blessed and wonderful
day.