2. Soteriology of the Apostolic Fathers: In the writings of the Apostolic Fathers, we obtain the views of the Church upon the doctrine of the Atonement during the first half century after the death of the last inspired apostle (A. D. 100-150). Examining them, we find chiefly the repetition of Scripture phraseology, without further attempt at an explanatory doctrinal statement. There is no scientific construction of the doctrine of Atonement in the writings of these devout and pious disciples of Paul and John; yet the idea of vicarious satisfaction is distinctly enunciated by them."
Our author then quotes from the Apostolic Fathers in proof of the above statement.[A]
[Footnote A: See "History of Christian Doctrine," Vol. II, pp. 208-212.]
3. Early Patristic Soteriology:[A] One characteristic of the early Patristic Soteriology which strikes the attention is the important part which the doctrine of Satan plays in it. The death of Christ is often represented as ransoming man from the power and slavery of the devil. Such passages as Colossians ii:15, and Hebrews ii:14: "Having spoiled principalities and powers (Satanic dominion), he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. * * * That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil,"—were made the foundation of this view. The writer who exhibits it more plainly and fully than any other is Iranaeus (+200?) As an illustration of his sentiments, we quote a passage from the first chapter of the fifth book of his important work, "Adversus Haereses:" "The Word of God (the Logos), omnipotent and not wanting in essential justice, proceeded with strict justice even against the apostasy or kingdom of evil itself, redeeming from it that which was his own originally, not by using violence, as did the devil in the beginning, but my persuasion, as it became God, as that neither justice should be infringed upon, nor the original creation of God perish."
[Footnote A: This period extends into the last quarter of the 2nd century.]
All true scientific development of the doctrine of the Atonement it is very evident, must take its departure from the idea of divine justice. This conception is the primary one in the Biblical representation of this doctrine. The terms, "propitiation" and "sacrifice," and the phraseology, "made a curse for us," "made sin for us," "justified by blood," "saved from wrath," which so frequently occur in the revealed statement of the truth, immediately direct the attention of the theologian to that side of the divine character, and that class of divine attributes, which are summed up in the idea of justice. And as we follow the history of the doctrine down, we shall find that just in proportion as the mind of the Church obtained a distinct and philosophic conception of this great attribute, as an absolute and necessary principle in the divine nature, and in human nature, was it enabled to specify with distinctness the real meaning and purport of the Redeemer's passion, and to exhibit the rational and necessary grounds for it.
Now, turning to the writings of the Patristic period, we shall see that sufferings and death of the Redeemer are, in the main, represented as sustaining their most immediate and important relation to the justice of God. It is not to be disguised that the distinctness with which this is done varies with different writers. We shall find in this period, as in every other one, some minds for whom the pollution of sin is more impressive than its criminality, and in whose experience the doctrine of justification[A] is less formative than the doctrine of sanctification.[B]
[Footnote A: Justification, as here used, is the act of God by which the sinner is declared righteous, or justly free from obligation to penalty, and fully restored to divine favor.]
[Footnote B: Sanctification, the act of sanctifying or making holy. In Theology the act of God's grace, coupled with the efforts of man, by which the affection are purified and the soul is cleansed from sin and consecrated to God.]
4. Soteriology of Athanasius and the Greek Fathers: "Athanasius (373) is distinct and firm in maintaining the expiatory nature of the work of Christ. He recognizes its relations to the attribute of divine justice, and has less to say than his predecessors respecting its relations to the kingdom and claims of Satan. The more important bearings of the doctrine of vicarious satisfaction, it is evident, were now beginning to receive a closer attention, while less stress was laid upon its secondary aspects. We can find in the representations of Athanasius the substance of that doctrine of plenary satisfaction of eternal justice by the theanthropic sufferings of Christ which acquired its full scientific form in the mind of Anselm, and which lies under the whole Protestant church and theology."