John K. Smarth

The proper order of study in approaching the person and work of Jesus Christ begins with the understanding of his divinity and humanity: virgin birth and atonement. It is an approach that enables us to grasp Christ’s unique nature and recognize what allows him to do what he did on Calvary for the sinful and doomed human race. Before Christ took the human form, he had existed “in the form of God” (Phil. 2:6). He possessed the nature of God. Referring to Christ’s preexistence and incarnation, the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, “God was manifested in the flesh”…(1Timothy 3:16), while John, author of the fourth Gospel, sometimes referred to as “The disciple whom Jesus loved” (John ) testified in the beginning comments of his writing that “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us: we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John1:14). Writing in support of Christ’s divinity and human nature, Erickson argued that “Jesus reveals God to humanity, reconciles God and humanity to one another, and will rule over the whole of the creation, including humanity.”1 Thus, through his divine and human nature: fully God and fully human with no mixture or dilution of either nature, we get to know how Christ functioned in revealing, ruling, and reconciling the world to God.

Although it would have seemed impossible from a human perspective for Christ to have completed his mission of redemptive work of atonement without him taking a human form, I am convinced that his divinity does take precedence over his humanity. Though the connection of Christ's Christology to Soteriology would have been hindered without the virgin birth: where Christ's humanity is shrouded. However, it is always important to know that there is nothing impossible for "the sovereign Lord" (Acts 4:23-24).
Conversely, whatever means God would have chosen to use as a way of reconciling a doomed human race to Himself would have sufficed. Understandably, no one would have restored the fallen human race but the Creator. That is what makes Christ's work of atonement so significant to the world. No wonder Erickson cited Leon Morris' comment regarding the atonement  when he wrote, "The atonement is the crucial doctrine of the faith."[3] Emil Brunner placed it more squarely, "He who understands the Cross...understands the Bible, he understands Jesus Christ." The inadequacies of the Socinian theory that views the atonement as an example, Moral-Influence Theory; as a demonstration of God's love, Government Theory;  as a demonstration of divine justice, Ransom Theory; as a victory over the forces of sin and evil, and the Satisfaction Theory; as compensation to the Father,[4] may be lacking in certain biblical truth but they gave us a deeper understanding of the doctrine of atonement.
My working definition
The atonement of Christ is not only the demonstration of God's victory over the forces of evil and sin but a demonstration of His love and compensation to Himself.

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1. Millard J. Erickson. Christian Theology. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, (2013).714.

2. Ibid.