Theological debate between McCall and DeYoung (and others) on the Wrath of God on Christ on the Cross

A debate of sorts has been prompted by Thomas McCall’s article in Christianity Today last week on the work of Christ on the Cross.  He is dealing with the theological problem of God, turning His face away from Christ on the cross, and the eternal unchanging nature of the Trinity. You can read McCall’s article here.  What follows is Kevin DeYoung’s response.  What is not explained in either of these articles is that there is a mystery in the suffering of Christ on the Cross that God simply does not fully explain in scripture.  What He does demand is that we accept Christ’s atoning work by faith as completely sufficient in satisfying the just demands of a the holy God.  (KSchaal).

 

Late last week, just in time for Good Friday, Christianity Today published an article entitled “Is the Wrath of God Really Satisfying?” It was written by Thomas McCall (professor of biblical and systematic theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School), presumably as a distillation of the arguments he makes in Forsaken: The Trinity and the Cross, and Why it Matters (IVP, 2012). As a Christian (and pastor and professor) who believes in penal substitutionary atonement—that Christ died in our place to assuage the wrath of God—I found McCall’s article helpful in places, but also confusing and misleading. After reading it several times, I’m still not sure if McCall is trying to undermine penal substitution, rescue it from abuse, or avoid it altogether.At the very least, given the timing and the title, the article felt like a poke in the eye to the millions of Christians who believe that Good Friday is good precisely because Christ was stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God for our sake.

More . . .