Penal substitution and satisfaction
- S20.1 Substitution widely present (high)
- S20.2 Divine sentence/law satisfied; not honour-satisfaction or explicit wrath on the Son (medium)
From the study it came from: Broadly agree on the range of pictures; diverge mainly in how sharply the penal element is stated.
Two separate measures, shown side by side; neither is combined with the other (confidence-weighted, out of 4; counts show how many of this doctrine's 2 questions each rests on). This doctrine is second-order (tier weight 2). How scoring works · Scripture and tradition · Glossary · Every score with its citation
Closeness to Scripture
Closeness to the fathers
Charts: closeness to the fathers by question, and timeline
- c. 155 Justin Martyr S20.1
- c. 335 Athanasius S20.1, S20.2
- c. 350 Cyril of Jerusalem S20.1, S20.2
- 1098 Anselm, Cur Deus Homo Catholic
- 1098 Anselm, Cur Deus Homo Orthodox
- 1547 Trent VI Catholic
- 1646 Westminster Confession Presbyterian
S20 · Penal substitution and satisfaction
Christ bore the penalty or satisfied divine justice in our place.
Tier: Second-order (scoring weight 2). How the tiers were set: theological triage. Site structure: structure.
Questions
Verdicts and trace
S20.1 · Substitution
| Question | Verdict | Confidence | Reasoning | Key sources | Scripture (benchmark) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S20.1 | Substitution widely present | High | S20.1.1 · S20.1.3 weighing | justin-martyr-atn-s1 · athanasius-atn-s1 · cyril-of-jerusalem-atn-s1 | S20.1.4: high |
S20.2 · Satisfaction of divine law
| Question | Verdict | Confidence | Reasoning | Key sources | Scripture (benchmark) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S20.2 | Divine sentence/law satisfied; not honour-satisfaction or explicit wrath on the Son | Medium | S20.2.1 · S20.2.3 weighing | athanasius-atn-s1 · cyril-of-jerusalem-atn-s1 | S20.2.4: medium |
Post-750 development
Which of this doctrine’s questions each tradition stays closest to, or departs from. Each row links to the tradition’s notes.
| Tradition | Closest to the fathers on | Departs or sharpens on |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic | S20.1; S20.2 | Anselmic framework (1098) |
| Orthodox | — | Underplays S20.1 and S20.2 |
| Oriental Orthodox | partly S20.1; partly S20.2 | — |
| Lutheran | S20.1 | Sharper penal accent |
| Anglican | S20.1; S20.2 | — |
| Presbyterian | S20.1; S20.2 | Penal precision; limited atonement |
| Reformed Baptist | S20.1; S20.2 | — |
| General Baptist | S20.1; S20.2 | — |
| Anabaptist | partly S20.1; partly S20.2 | — |
Origin
Plan, overall verdict and verification status of the former atonement category (shared with the other doctrines that came from it)
Atonement
Method and conventions: docs/conventions.md. Reasoning: atonement reasoning.
1. Plan
Questions: A1 ransom and Christus Victor; A2 recapitulation; A3 substitution; A4 satisfaction and penal character. Sources: 1 Clem 49; Diognetus 9; Justin, Dial. 95; Irenaeus AH III.18, V.1, V.21; Athanasius, Inc. 7–8; Cyril of Jerusalem, Cat. 13; Gregory of Nyssa, Catechism 24; Gregory Nazianzen Or. 45.22; Augustine, Trin. XIII. Planned but not yet read: Eusebius, Demonstratio X.1; Cyril of Alexandria; Gregory the Great. Caution: Aulén’s three-type scheme (1931) is modern. Do not force the fathers into a single type.
2. Verdicts and trace
Weighed under the source-proximity principle: Scripture first, then the father tiers T1–T4. Verdict changes are listed in docs/proximity-changes.md.
3. Post-750 development
4. Overall verdict
No tradition matches the patristic plurality. The fathers hold victory, recapitulation and substitution together. Orthodox keeps A1 and A2. Catholic, Lutheran and Presbyterian keep A3 and A4 with later systematizing. The Presbyterian limit on whom the atonement covers departs most. Confidence: medium–high.
5. Verification status
- Verified: all patristic entries except Augustine (summary only); Anselm; Trent VI ch. 7; AC III; WCF VIII.5.
- To verify: Augustine, Trin. XIII text; Eusebius; Cyril of Alexandria; Gregory the Great; Latin of Irenaeus; Greek of 1 Clem 49 and Athanasius; modern Orthodox representatives; LSB English.