Intro: Once you have examined the Scriptures contained in this article: you will understand why I and the early Church believed (in what today is called) "The Ransom Atonement Theory." But I was never taught it; my understanding came through prayer and Studying the Bible itself: So my reasoning may or may not be like theirs? (I really don't know?) Because I have never read the teachings of the Early Church Fathers or Books on Theology (because they were just men, like you and I, and so their opinions are not the same as Gospel Truth. Therefore, I have always just studied the Scriptures themselves, and asked the Lord to teach me: because 1 John 2:27 says, that is what the Holy Spirit was sent to do! "The anointing you have received from him remains in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you, rather that same anointing teaches you all things, and is TRUE and is not a LIE." (But when your spiritual diet is books on Theology: you are consuming both Truth & Error; and you are allowing men to shape your opinions; rather than the Scriptures Themselves. And this is a form of Spiritual Idolatry! (See 1 Corinthians 1:10-12, 3:1-4, Galatians 1:6-9, Jeremiah 31:34 & Matthew 23:8) Therefore, Jesus said, "The Companion, the Holy  Spirit, whom the Father will send [you] in my name, he will teach you all things; and he will bring to your remembrance everything that I have spoken to you." (John 14:26). And that is why the Holy said through Luke, in Acts 17:11, "But these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily to find out if these things were so." So I challenge you to go to the Scriptures THEMSELVES, and SEE if what I am saying, IS TRUE? But as for myself: the only time I read theological books is when I am doing research to find out what people believe; NOT to form my opinion.

And that's why I was SHOCKED a few years ago, when for the first time I started to do research on the various atonement theories: I was shocked, because I discovered that Anslem had such a profound effect on Christian Theology, that today very few Christian still believe as the Early Christians did, in the Ransom Atonement Theory! (Even though for the first 1,100 years of Church History this was by far THE MAJORITY VIEW!) So since NO ONE is teaching it: the LORD told me to 'Teach people the things I have Taught you." Because the Lord said to me, "Because, as in ancient Israel, for a long time people have been without The True God, without a teaching priest, and without The Law." (2 Chronicles 15:3)

As a young Christian, when I read Isaiah 53:10-11, I though, "When it say, 'It pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief' and  'He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied,' it must have pleased the Father in the same way that it pleased Jesus to go to the Cross, because of the satisfaction they would have from us being saved; because John 3:16 say, 'For God so LOVED the world, that HE GAVE his only begotten Son." Because back then I had never even heard of the 'Penal Atonement Theory; so I thought, "That has to be what this verse means: because no other interpretation fits with the rest of Scripture."

Because back in the 70's I had never even heard of the Septuigant, so I didn't know that this verse should actually read, “The Lord desired to cleanse him of the beating" and  ‘The Lord purposed to take away the anguish of his soul, [by] showing him light, to form understanding within him." So even though I wasn't aware that this was how the passage should read; when I would hear a pastor or evangelist teach on the radio, "God poured out his wrath on Jesus on the Cross." I would immediately turn him off, and nevr listen to him again, because I thought, "That's Blasphemy!" (And so this False Teaching has always Angered me!) But unfortunately I let that ANGER come out in the previous articles I wrote: because I see this as an affront against God: because it makes our Loving Heavenly Father appear to be someone just as bad as the devil; someone who only cares about his own honor and glory, and to hell with everyone else! Which is a contradiction to so many Scriptures, that are too numerous to mention here. (But the Lord is telling me to cool it down now: so I will.) And instead, I will just mention 3  verses:

The Bible teaches, "In every nation whoever reverences him and does righteous deeds is accepted by him." (Acts 10:35) Because "He has made out of one blood every nation of people to dwell on the face of the whole earth, having pre-determining their fixed times and the fixed boundaries of their habitation; that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find Him!" (Acts 17:26-27) But those who teach these false penal and satisfaction theories completely ignore these verses, and many others like them: and instead twist Romans 1:18-32 to make it appear to teach that "God's Wrath is revealed from Heaven against EVERYONE!" Which is not at all what Romans 1:18-32 is teaching, instead it is teaching, "God's Wrath is revealed from Heaven against THOSE WHO HAVE HARDENED THEIR HEARTS AGAINST GOD!"

"For God's intense anger is revealed from heaven against all the irreverence and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth... Because that which may be known about God is apparent in them; because God has revealed it to them. ...[Because] even though they knew God, they didn't glorify him as God... [instead]  they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for a likeness of an image of corruptible man... Because of this, God gave them over to uncleanness...  [Because] they exchanged the truth of God for a lie... For this reason, God gave them over to vile passions... BECAUSE since they didn't want to retain God in their knowledge; God gave them over to a debased mind..." (God Himself HARDENED THEIR HEARTS, like He did with Pharaoh, BECAUSE they had REJECTED THE TRUTH! (Then all the other sins listed Romans 1:18-32 came after that: SO God's judgment didn't come because of all of these other sins; but because they HAD REJECTED THE TRUTH they Knew! So THE SIN that people will be JUDGED FOR, is the SIN of REJECTING GOD and THE TRUTH (Which was also Adam's Original SIN): SEE Mark 3:28-29, John 15:22, & John 16:8-9.)

So in this passage God is NOT speaking of EVERYONE! God is not speaking about people who had faults and made mistakes (sinned): like Enoch and Noah, Abraham and Lot, or David and Solomon, Zachariah and Elizabeth, or even Gentiles like Abimelech, Rahab the Harlot, or Cornelius the Centurion; even though all of these people had sinned! Yet "GOD CALLED THEM RIGHTEOUS!"  because THEY RESPONDED to the limited knowledge of God had! Therefore God didn't even take any of their other sins into account! (See Romans 4:5-8) And that's why Paul would later say in Romans, "When ethnic people, who do not have the law, by nature do the things contained in the law, these although they do not have the law are a law unto themselves: Who show the work of the law written in their hearts—their conscience also testifying, and their thoughts within themselves either accusing or defending them; On the day when God will judge people's secret motives, by Jesus Christ: According to my Gospel." (Romans 2:14-16) Because in Romans Paul was trying to point out to these "JEWISH CHRISTIANS" in Rome (Acts 11:19), "Just because you are a Jew, that doesn't make you are better then anyone else!" (See Romans 3:9) "Because everyone has sinned, and fallen short of the Glory of God!" (Romans 3:23) "WHAT IS GOD'S GLORY?" Is it THE LAW? NO! IT IS HIS LOVE AND GOODNESS! (See Exodus 3:19, 4:6-8; Matthew 5:43-48; Luke 6:35-36 & Romans 2:4) So when people twist these Scriptures, and teach "The Law is God's Standard & God's Standard is Perfection! So even just one sin is enough reason for God to send you to Hell!" they are not speaking "The Truth!" Because the Perfection that God desires, is for us to "Be Perfected in LOVE!" because "God's LOVE is Perfect! & LOVE is God's Standard!"  (Colossians 3:14, 1 John 4:8, 1 John 4:12, 1 John 4:17 & James 2:8) But those preach these false penal and satisfaction theories have twisted the Scriptures to such an extent; that today most Christians believe these verses to say the exact opposite of what they actually teach!

“Therefore, I felt it necessary  to write to you, and appeal to you to Contend Earnestly for The Faith,
which was entrusted to God’s holy people, Once For All Time.” (Jude 1:3)

So far we have destroyed 2 of "Satan's Strongholds of Lies": his perversions in Isaiah 53:10-11 & in the Book of Romans; which leaves 2 final "Strongholds of Lies" which we will now destroy. The next "Stronghold of Lies" is his twisted interpretation of James 2:10-11, which he simply takes out of context and then adds his own interpretation to: "For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, has become guilty of it all. Because he who said, "Don't commit adultery," also said, "Don't commit murder." Now if you don't commit adultery, but you commit murder, you become a transgressor of the law." Satan claims that James is speaking about the "Ten Commandments," and James is making reference to the Ten Commandments; but that is not "The Law" that James is referring to! Which becomes "perfectly clear" if you simple read the verses just before and just after James 2:10-11. So let's simply take a look at those verses now, and see what "Law" James is referring to?

"If you Truly fulfill the Royal Law according to the Scripture, "You're to love your neighbor as yourself," you do well! But if you favor an individual, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors." (James 2:8-9) "So speak, and so act, as those who will be judged by the Law of Freedom. For judgment will be without mercy to the one who has shown no compassion. Showing compassion triumphs over judgment." (James 2:12-13) So James is referring to "God's Law of Love" which he calls both "The Royal Law" & "The Law of Freedom." Because if you truly Love and show compassion to others, you won't be Judged: as James concludes at the end of verse 13, "Showing compassion triumphs over judgment."

The New Ransom Atonement Theory

Why did Jesus have to die? Because it was the only way that God could restore us to Himself, because of our own free will we had to CHOOSE to return to God! Therefore, Jesus came to "demonstrated his own Love toward us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us," (Romans 5:8) that we might choose TO follow him, (John 1:12, Matthew 11:28, & Romans 10:9-10) AND BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THE ABUNDANT LIFE THAT HE ALWAYS INTENDED FOR US HAVE! (See John 10:10 & )

How Did Jesus’ Death Defeat the devil?

The following Scriptures clearly reveal that:“Inasmuch then as [God’s] children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, t hat through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.” (Hebrews 2:14) “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.” (1 Corinthians 15:58) So the devil used the law to kill us and bring us into captivity. But after Jesus rose from the dead, John declares, “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now has come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and he authority of his Anointed: BECAUSE THE ACCUSER of our brothers and sisters, WHO ACCUSED THEM BEFORE OUR GOD day and night, HAS BEEN HURLED DOWN.” (Revelation 12:10) Because since the devil knew, “It’s IMPOSSIBLE for God to lie!” THE DEVIL WOULD TO USE GOD'S OWN WORDS AGAINST HIM, AND AGAINST US! Because as Balaam said, "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19) So the devil entices people to sin and then uses God's word against them; and reminds God of what He said. So it's not that the devil is more powerful than God, It's simply, God has bound himself by His word! Because “God honors His Word even above all of His names.” (See Psalm 138:2 & Hebrews 6:13-18) Therefore God had to have a plan that would FULFILL everything He had said, and that would also win our hearts!

Jesus death would be a multifaseted "Satisfactory Ransom Sacrifice" because it would free us for our sins and from the devil's ability to accuse us before the Father: by satisfing the legal requirements of the Law by fulfilling every word God had spoken. (Colossians 2:14). And it satisfy God's desire to Legally, “justify the ungodly.” (1 Timothy 4:5, Romans 3:26 & 4:5). And ironically it even satisfied the devil, but only for a very short time! But all of this hung on one critical act: the devil of his own free will would have to choose to crucify the innocent Son of God; and thus fulfill the very first prophecy given by God in the Bible: “He will crush your head (authority), and you will bruise his heel,” (Genesis 3:14) by Jesus becoming our Ransom Sacrifice!

How did Jesus’ death both Satisfy & Defeat the devil?

God hide an obscure passage in the Law of Moses (one that had never been implemented in the history of Israel; until the day Jesus died on the Cross). But when the devil became aware of that passage, he thought he had finally found a way to get rid of Jesus; but it back-fired on him: because that was part of God’s Secret Plan! That Passage is found in Deuteronomy 21:22-23, "If a person commits a sin deserving of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body is not to be left overnight on the tree, but you must bury him that same day: because cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree." But Because God Said It! The devil thought that if he could get the Jews to crucify Jesus, the Father would have to curse His own Son! Because “It’s IMPOSSIBLE for God to lie!” (Hebrews 6:18) The devil was right about this; but what the devil didn't realize was: this was “The Critical Part” of God's Secret Plan! That’s why it is Now written: “He made Him who knew no sin, to become sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) Jesus “became sin” by allowing Himself to be “hung on a cross.” But because Jesus did,“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; because it's written, ‘CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE.’” (Galatians 3:13)

Here’s how it happened: “The chief priests... said, “What are we going to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him continue on like this, everyone will believe in him.” (Luke 11:47-48) Satan realized this too; so Satan entered Judas, and Judas went to the High Priests to betray Jesus. Satan and all the demons rejoiced the day they crucified Jesus, and “Satan was satisfied” because he thought that he’d finally gotten rid of Jesus.

But what the devil didn’t realize until 3 days later, was that the Father, (metaphorically speaking) like a Chess-Master, had OUTSMARTED him: by offering him the Most Valuable piece he had on the board ~ his Queen (so to speak); but by taking the bait, Jesus became the Satisfactory Sacrifice / the Hilasmos in 1 John 4:10, "In this is LOVE, not that we loved God, but that he LOVED us, and sent his Son to be the Satisfactory Sacrifice for our sins." and SO the devil was in CHECKMATE! (It was an EXTREMELY WISE but EXTREMELY COSTLY MOVE! Because this wasn't a Chess Game, this was Real Life, and it REQUIRED the death of His Son!) But now because we know that God Loved Us so much that He was willing to Sacrifice His Own Son, WE NOW LOVE GOD WITH ALL OUR HEART! Therefore, “We are speaking of the Wisdom of God’s Secret Plan, even THE HIDDEN WISDOM which God ordained before the ages FOR OUR GLORY, Which none of the rulers of this age knew: Because HAD THEY KNOWN IT, THEY NEVER WOULD HAVE CRUCIFIED THE LORD OF GLORY!” (1 Corinthians 2:7-8) Notice too, this verse says, that this was “FOR OUR GLORY!” This is TRULY SELFLESS LOVE! GOD'S KIND OF LOVE!

But God had to hide His Secret Plan to Ransom His children back from the devil, “because if the devil had known”, the prophecy in Genesis 3:14 "He will crush your head (authority), and you will bruise his heel.” would never have been fulfilled: because the devil would have NEVER crucified the LORD of Glory; because that would be his undoing! Because, it is written 3 times in the Law, "LIFE FOR LIFE." (Leviticus 24:18, Exodus 21:23, Deuteronomy 19:21) So since the DEVIL MURDERED & TORTURED the innocent Son of God on the Cross, Satan’s Sin is now greater than anyone’s sin in the entire Universe! And since he now owes a debt he cannot pay: “LIFE FOR LIFE!” Because since Satan cannot die, he now must release from captivity even the worst sinner, when they call on the Name of JESUS!