Incorrect
Not according to the Bible. And be careful. The idea that the Savior had to be ontologically "God" was a heresy known by both Paul and John. In fact, John claims that the Trinity heresy is the essential teaching of the antichrist.
Incorrect-
Jesus’ Divinity is Essential for His Atoning Work While it is true that Jesus the man died on the cross, it is not the humanity of Jesus alone that accomplishes the salvation of mankind. His divinity is equally essential. Jesus is not merely a man who died, but the God-man—fully God and fully man. The death of a mere man would not have been sufficient to bear the weight of the world’s sins.
In Hebrews 9:14, it says, “How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”
This verse emphasizes that the eternal Spirit (the divine nature of Christ) was essential for His sacrifice.
In 1 Peter 1:18-19, it says that we were redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” The emphasis is on the sinlessness and the divine nature of Christ, which would make His sacrifice acceptable and sufficient to atone for the sins of humanity.
Jesus’ Deity Is Affirmed by the Need for a Perfect Savior If Jesus were only human, He could not have been the perfect sacrifice for sin, because He Himself would have been in need of salvation. The sinless nature required for atonement could only be found in God Himself.
John 1:1-14 affirms the divinity of the Word, who became flesh—Jesus. In verse 14, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” it’s crucial to understand that the Word (Logos), who was with God and was God, became flesh. This is the profound mystery that Jesus was both fully God and fully man.
Philippians 2:6-11 speaks of Christ’s preexistence, His equality with God, and His voluntary humility to become human. Christ’s deity is not a peripheral detail but the foundation of His sacrificial death.
Sharing Essence with the Father is Required for True Atonement The argument that “sharing essence with the Father is NOT a requirement” neglects the biblical necessity that only God could accomplish salvation. If Jesus were not divine, He could not have been the eternal and perfect mediator between God and humanity.
In 1 Timothy 2:5, it says, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
The mediator between God and man must be one who represents both parties. Jesus, being both fully God and fully man, is the only one who could effectively reconcile both parties.
Colossians 2:9 says, “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.” This means that Jesus' full divinity was present in His earthly life, and it was through His divine nature that His death had the power to bring about the redemption of humanity.
The Necessity of the Incarnation and Atonement The doctrine of the Incarnation-that the Son of God took on human flesh-is essential to Christianity. Without the full participation of Jesus as God and man, His death would not have been sufficient. Atonement required a sinless human and one whose death could bear infinite weight-something only the divine nature of Jesus could provide.
In Hebrews 10:4, it says, “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” The sacrificial system of the Old Testament was insufficient to remove sin. The only one who could fully deal with sin was someone who had the divine power to overcome sin and death-Jesus Christ.
Incorrect.
Thanks.
J.
But you don't hold to Penal Substitutionary Atonement-correct?
J.