Early Christian Beliefs About Atonement

Origen, Commentary on John Direct teaching

...mentioned expresses how He represents us before the Father, as He pleads for human nature and makes atonement for it: the Paraclete, the propitiation, and the atonement. He has the name Paraclete in the Epistle of John: “If anyone sins, we have a Paraclete with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” And in the same epistle, He is said to be the atonement for our sins. In the same way, in the Epistle to the Romans, He is called a propitiation: “Whom God set forth to be a propitiation through faith.” A type of this was found in the innermost part of the temple, the Holy of Holies, namely, the golden mercy seat placed upon the two cherubim. But how could He ever be the Paraclete, the atonement, and the propitiation without the power of God, which brings our weakness to an end, overflows into the souls of believers, and is ministered by Jesus, who indeed is before it and is Himself the power of God, who enables a man to say, “I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me” in Philippians 4:13. From this we know that Simon Magus, who gave himself the title, “The power of God, which is called great,” was handed over to perdition and destruction, he and his money with hi

Origen, Commentary on John Direct teaching

And He is said in the same epistle to be the atonement for our sins.

Lactantius, A Poem on the Passion of the Lord Direct teaching

...for the bitter troubles of men, came here as a messenger of peace freely offered, and as a complete atonement for the fault of men. Here the brightest light from heaven is restored to the earth. Here is the merciful image of salvation. Here I am rest for you, the right way, the true redemption, the banner of God, and a memorable sign of destiny. It was for you and for your life that I entered the Virgin's womb, was made man, and suffered a dreadful death. Nor did I find rest anywhere in the lands of the earth, but everywhere threats, everywhere labors. First of all, at my birth, a poor shelter in the land of Judea received me and my mother. Here, among the outstretched and slow-moving cattle, dry grass first gave me a bed in a narrow stall. I spent my earliest years in the regions of Pharia, living as an exile in the reign of Herod. After I returned to Judea, I spent the rest of my years always in fasting, in the extremity of poverty itself, and in the lowest condition of life. I was always turning the minds of men, by sound warnings, toward the pursuit of gracious uprightness, joining many clear miracles to wholesome teaching. For this reason, ungodly Jerusalem, troubled by the

Lactantius, A Poem on the Passion of the Lord Supporting witness

I am He who, pitying the bitter misfortunes of men, came hither as a messenger of offered peace, and as a full atonement for the fault of men.

Cyprian, Epistles Direct teaching

...ndments, how much more is it forbidden to violate such important commandments, so great, so closely related to the sacrament of our Lord's passion and our own redemption, or to change it by human tradition into anything other than what was divinely appointed! For if Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, is Himself the chief priest of God the Father, and has first offered Himself as a sacrifice to the Father, and has commanded this to be done in remembrance of Himself, then certainly that priest truly carries out the office of Christ who imitates what Christ did. And then he offers a true and full sacrifice in the Church to God the Father, when he proceeds to offer it according to what he sees Christ Himself to have offered.

Alexander of Alexandria, Epistles on the Arian Heresy Supporting witness

For when our Lord was suffering on the cross, the tombs were opened, the region below was uncovered, souls leapt out, the dead returned to life, and many of them were seen in Jerusalem, while the mystery of the cross was being completed. At that time our Lord trampled on death, ended the hostility, bound the strong man, and raised the trophy of the cross. His body was lifted up on it, so that the body might appear on high, and death might be pressed down under the foot of flesh. Then the powers of heaven wondered, the angels were astonished, the elements trembled, and every creature was shaken as they watched this new mystery and the fearful event taking place in the universe. Yet all the people, unaware of the mystery, rejoiced in mocking Christ, even though the earth was shaking, and the mountains, valleys, and sea were shaken, and every creature of God was struck with confusion. The lights of heaven were afraid. The sun fled away, the moon disappeared, the stars held back their shining, and the day came to an end. The angel, in astonishment, departed from the temple after the veil was torn, and darkness covered the earth on which its Lord had closed His eyes. Meanwhile hell was

Tertullian, De Fuga in Persecutione Supporting witness

... might be made a curse for us, because cursed is he who hangs on a tree. He was led like a sheep to sacrifice, and just as a lamb before its shearer, so He did not open His mouth. He gave His back to the scourges, yes, and His cheeks to the hands of the one who struck Him, and did not turn His face away from spitting. And, being numbered with the transgressors, He was delivered up to death, yes, the death of the cross. All this happened so that He might redeem us from our sins. The sun yielded to us the day of our redemption. Hell gave back the claim it had over us. Our covenant is in heaven. The everlasting gates were lifted up so that the King of Glory, the Lord of might, might enter in, after He had redeemed man from earth, yes, from hell, so that he might attain to heaven. What, then, are we to think of the man who strives against that glorious One, yes, who slights and defiles His goods, obtained at so great a ransom, namely, His most precious blood? It appears, then, that it is better to flee than to fall in value, if a man will not lay out for himself as much as he cost Christ. And the Lord indeed ransomed him from the angelic powers that rule the world, from the spirits

Origen, Commentary on John Supporting witness

...l things,” 1 Corinthians 4:13. What things, and how great, must be said of the Lamb of God, who was sacrificed for this very reason, that He might take away the sin not of a few but of the whole world, for whose sake also He suffered? “If anyone sin,” we read, 1 John 2:1-2, “We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for those of the whole world,” since He is “the Saviour of all men,” 1 Timothy 4:10, especially of those who believe, who, Colossians 2:14-15, “blotted out the written bond that was against us by His own blood, and took it out of the way,” so that not even a trace, not even of our blotted-out sins, might still be found, “and nailed it to His cross; who having put off from Himself the principalities and powers, made a show of them openly, triumphing over them by His cross.” And we are taught to rejoice when we suffer afflictions in the world, knowing that the reason for our rejoicing is this: that the world has been conquered and has clearly been subjected to its conqueror. Therefore all the nations, released from their former rulers, serve Him, because He saved the poor from hi

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book II Supporting witness

But, in truth, the passion of Christ was neither similar to the passion of the Æon, nor did it occur in the same way. For the Æon underwent a passion of dissolution and destruction, so that she who suffered was at risk of being destroyed. But the Lord, our Christ, underwent a true, not merely accidental, passion; not only was He Himself not at risk of being destroyed, but He also strengthened fallen man by His own power and brought him back to incorruption. The Æon experienced passion while she was seeking the Father but couldn't find Him; the Lord suffered to bring those who have strayed from the Father back to knowledge and fellowship. Her search into the greatness of the Father led to her passion and destruction; but the Lord, having suffered, gave us the knowledge of the Father and granted us salvation. Her passion, as they claim, resulted in a weak, infirm, unformed, and ineffective female offspring; but His passion brought forth strength and power. Through suffering, the Lord “ascended into the heavenly place, led captivity captive, gave gifts to men,” and granted believers the power “to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy,” meaning the leader

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book V Supporting witness

By His own blood he redeemed us, as also His apostle declares, “In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the remission of sins.” And as we are His members, we are also nourished by means of the creation (and He Himself grants the creation to us, for He causes His sun to rise, and sends rain when He wills).

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book V Supporting witness

But now, by means of communion with Himself, the Lord has reconciled man to God the Father, in reconciling us to Himself by the body of His own flesh, and redeeming us by His own blood, as the apostle says to the Ephesians, “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the remission of sins;” and again to the same he says, “Ye who formerly were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ;” and again, “Abolishing in His flesh the enmities, [even] the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances.” And in every Epistle the apostle plainly testifies, that through the flesh of our Lord, and through His blood, we have been saved.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book III Supporting witness

For after remarking, “But if Christ be preached, that He rose from the dead,” he continues, rendering the reason of His incarnation, “For since by man came death, by man [came] also the resurrection of the dead.” And everywhere, when [referring to] the passion of our Lord, and to His human nature, and His subjection to death, he employs the name of Christ, as in that passage: “Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died.” And again: “But now, in Christ, ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” And again: “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth upon a tree.” And again: “And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died;” indicating that the impassible Christ did not descend upon Jesus, but that He Himself, because He was Jesus Christ, suffered for us;

Hippolytus, Treatise on Christ and Antichrist Supporting witness

In the blood of what grape, then, but just His own flesh, which hung upon the tree like a cluster of grapes?— from whose side also flowed two streams, of blood and water, in which the nations are washed and purified, which (nations) He may be supposed to have as a robe about Him.

Justin Martyr, Other Fragments from the Lost Writings of Justin Background

By that which took place in the running water, in which the wood and the hyssop and the scarlet were dipped, is set forth the bloody passion of Christ on the cross for the salvation of those who are sprinkled with the Spirit, and the water, and the blood.

Origen, Commentary on Matthew Supporting witness

and as to one who needed propitiation — for he did not yet know that God had set Him forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, Romans 3:25 he said, God be propitious to you, O Lord.

Origen, Against Celsus Supporting witness

and He is the propitiation with the Father for our sins;

Tertullian, On Modesty Supporting witness

and, He is the propitiation for our sins.

Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Supporting witness

And He is the propitiation for our sins, as John says;

Irenaeus, Fragments from the Lost Writings of Irenæus Supporting witness

“For with Him,” says the Scripture, “is propitiation.”

Romans 3:25 Background

whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

1 John 2:2 Background

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness

...had such power in itself that it could save men, but because it was an image of things to come. For Christ was the white lamb without spot; that is, He was innocent, just, and holy. He was killed by those same Jews, and He is the salvation of all who have written on their foreheads the sign of blood, that is, the sign of the cross on which He shed His blood. For the forehead is the top of the doorway in man, and the wood sprinkled with blood is a symbol of the cross. Finally, the killing of the lamb by the very people who do it is called the Passover feast, from the word paschein, because it is a figure of the passion, which God, knowing the future beforehand, gave through Moses to be celebrated by His people. But at that time the figure was effective in the present for turning away danger, so that it may be seen how great the power of the truth itself will be for protecting God's people in the greatest crisis of the whole world. But in what way, or in what place, all who have marked on the highest part of their body this sign of the true and divine blood will be safe, I will show in the last book.

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Supporting witness

... prophesied by the patriarch Jacob, 'He shall wash His garments with wine, and His vesture with the blood of the grape,' meant that He would cleanse those who believe in Him with His own blood. The Holy Spirit referred to those who receive remission of sins through Him as His garments; He is always present in power among them, and will be visibly present at His second coming. The Scripture mentions the blood of the grape deliberately because Christ's blood comes not from human lineage, but from the power of God. Just as God, not man, produces the blood of the vine, Scripture predicted that the blood of Christ would come not from human lineage, but from the power of God. This prophecy, gentlemen, which I repeated, proves that Christ is not merely human in origin, born in the ordinary way of humanity."

Origen, Commentary on John Supporting witness

...th the festivals, and most of all with the Passover. The Jews' Passover consists of a sheep that is sacrificed, each person taking a sheep according to his father's house. The Passover is also accompanied by the slaughter of thousands of rams and goats, in proportion to the number of the people's houses. But our Passover has been sacrificed for us, namely Christ. Another feature of the Jewish feast is unleavened bread. All leaven is removed from their houses. But we keep the feast, 1 Corinthians 5:8, not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Whether there is any Passover and any feast of leaven beyond the two we have mentioned is something we must examine more carefully, since these serve as a pattern and a shadow of the heavenly things we spoke of. And not only such things as food and drink and new moons and Sabbaths, but the festivals also, are a shadow of the things to come. First, when the Apostle says, "Our Passover is sacrificed, Christ," one may raise doubts such as these. If the sheep among the Jews is a type of Christ's sacrifice, then one sheep should have been offered and not many, sinc

Tertullian, Against Marcion Supporting witness

For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.

1 Corinthians 5:7 Background

Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

1 Peter 1:19 Background

but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

Hebrews 9:12 Background

Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness

...and profitless tradition of heretical teaching! They urge our brothers to the repentance that makes atonement, and then take away the healing that comes from that atonement. They say to our brothers, "Mourn and shed tears, and groan day and night, and work greatly and often for the washing away and cleansing of your sin." But after all these things, they say, you shall die outside the bounds of the Church. You shall do whatever things are necessary for peace, but you shall receive none of the peace that you seek. Who would not perish at once? Who would not fall away out of complete despair? Who would not turn his mind away from every purpose of mourning? Do you think a farmer could keep working if you said, "Till the field with all the skill of farming. Persevere diligently in cultivating it. But you shall reap no harvest. You shall press no grapes for wine. You shall receive no fruit from your olive yard. You shall gather no apples from the trees"? Or if you urged someone to own and use ships, and said, "Buy, my brother, timber from the best woods. Fasten your keel with the strongest and finest oak. Work on the rudder, the ropes, and the sails, so that the ship may be built and

Cyprian, Treatises Supporting witness

...ills more cruelly than persecution itself. In such a case, only repentance remains, and it can make atonement. But those who take away repentance for a crime shut the way to atonement. So it happens that, while the recklessness of some either promises or trusts in a false safety, the hope of true safety is taken away.

Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness

...ge part of the people had withdrawn with Trophimus, when Trophimus now returned to the Church, made atonement, confessed his former error with the repentance of prayer, and with complete humility and satisfaction called back the brotherhood whom he had lately led away, his prayers were heard. And not only Trophimus, but also a very great number of brothers who had been with Trophimus, were admitted into the Church of the Lord. They would not all have returned to the Church unless they had come in Trophimus' company. Therefore, after the matter was considered there with several colleagues, Trophimus was received, because the return of the brothers and salvation restored to many made atonement for him. Yet Trophimus was admitted in such a way that he might receive communion only as a layman, not, as the letters of malicious people had told you, in such a way as to take the place of a priest.

Cyprian, Treatises Supporting witness

...se, either martyrs have besought or priests have done. Or if anyone moves Him still more by his own atonement, if he appeases His anger, if he appeases the wrath of an indignant God by righteous entreaty, He gives arms again, by which the vanquished may be armed. He restores and confirms the strength by which the refreshed faith may be invigorated. The soldier will seek his contest anew. He will repeat the fight. He will provoke the enemy. And indeed by his very affliction he is made braver for the battle. He who has thus made atonement to God, who by repentance for his deed and by shame for his sin has conceived more both of virtue and of faith from the very grief of his fall, heard and aided by the Lord, shall make the Church which he had lately saddened glad, and shall now deserve from the Lord not only pardon, but a crown.

Peter of Alexandria, Canonical Epistle Supporting witness

... dead. Therefore, remembering the many labors and distresses that they have endured for the name of Christ, since they themselves also have repented, and have mourned over what was done by them through their being betrayed by the languor and mortification of the body; and since, besides this, they testify that in their life they have, as it were, been aliens from their city; let us pray together with them and plead for their reconciliation, together with other things that are fitting, through Him who is our Advocate with the Father and makes propitiation for our sins. "And if any man sin," he says, "we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and He is the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 2:1

Peter of Alexandria, Canonical Epistle Supporting witness

and since, besides this, they testify that in their life they have as it were been aliens from their city, let us pray together with them and entreat for their reconciliation, together with other things that are befitting, through Hint who is our Advocate with the Father, and makes propitiation for our sins.

Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness

And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Supporter: and He is the propitiation for our sins.