Jackson Wu breaks down how the interpretation of Jesus’ atonement impacts an individual, the church and perceptions of God’s character. Understanding the atonement can be heavily influenced by culture, worldview and holding metaphors more closely than scripture itself. Jackson shares from his recently published a book, The Cross in Context: Reconsidering Biblical Metaphors for Atonement.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

• Where to look for greater understanding about atonement
• About the influence the Western church has in some traditional cultures
• About the impact of culture and worldview on understanding atonement

ABOUT THE GUEST: 

Jackson (Ph.D., SEBTS) is the marketing manager for William Carey Publishing after serving for 15 years as a church planter and seminary professor in East Asia. His books include Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes, One Gospel for All Nations, and The Cross in Context which. He posts resources at jacksonwu.org.

At the time of recording, "Jackson Wu" was a pseudonym adopted while working overseas in sensitive areas. He now goes by his real name, Brad Vaughn.

SCRIPTURE RELATED TO EPISODE:

• John 17: 19-23; Jesus Sanctifies Himself
• Galatians 3: 13-14, Deuteronomy 21: 23; Christ Became a Curse

RELATED LINKS:

• Jackson Wu’s Website
• Jackson Wu on Twitter
• The Cross in Context: Reconsidering Biblical Metaphors for Atonement

TIMESTAMPED SHOWNOTES:

00:34 - Topic: Considering the Cross, Why Atonement Matters

01:54 - Family Fun

05:25 - Atonement vs Reconciliation

07:07 - Atonement Is Like What?

08:53 - Conflicting Interpretations and Simplified Metaphors

09:58 - Looking at the Cross First to Understand Atonement

11:59 - Three Interrelated Fundamentals of Atonement: Purification, Bearing and Payment

12:51 - Cultural Factors that Affect the Understanding of Atonement

15:40 - Culture Wars, Cultural Preferences and Atonement Theory

16:38 - Uncontextualized Tradition from the West

17:59 - Honor, Shame, Atonement and the Sacrifices

19:00 - Sacrificial Offerings and the Holiness of Gof

21:32 - Making Things Holy

22:01 - Challenging the Status Quo and Bringing Nuance

23:28 - Penal Substitution and It's Logic

24:11 - Bearing Sin, Jesus' Death and the Curse

26:42 - Beyond Assumptions about Atonement

28:04 - Out of this World Joke

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