Hypothetical or Absolute Necessity?

Redemption Accomplished and Applied

Notes, Chapter One (con't.)

 

 After Murray establishes that it was God's infinite love and wisdom, according to His good pleasure, that established the atonement as the means of redeeming a people for Himself, He asks the question that theologians, academicians, laity and countless 4th grade Sunday School kids have asked:  Why?  Why did He chose to sacrifice His Only Son?  Why did Jesus have to die a cruel death on the cross?  Why the cross?

 

He asks these questions in a particularly pointed manner:

 

Why did not God realize the purpose of His love for mankind by the word of His power and the fiat of His will?  If we say that he could not, do we not impugn His power?  If we say that He could but He would not, do we not impugn His wisdom?  Such questions are not scholastic subtleties or vain curiositities.  To evade them is to miss something that is central in the interpretation of the redeeming work of Christ and to miss the vision of some of its essential glory.  Why did God become man?  Why, having become man, did He die?  Why, having died, did He die the accursed death of the cross?  This is the question of the necessity of the atonement.

 

Murray then presents the two common ways in which these questions have been been answered:  hypothetical necessity and consequent absolute necessity.   We'll look at hypothetical necessity first:

 

Hypothetical Necessity 

 

In it's simplest expression, Hypothetical Necessity brings forth the basic idea that God, to Whom and through Whom all things are possible, could have used any means whatsoever to forgive sin and redeem His elect. Even though "nothing inheres in the nature of God or in the nature of remission of sin that makes blood-shedding indispensible," it is the way that God chose and decreed.  This, according to Murry's explanation of this particular view, was the way that God purposed in Himself because "this is the way in which the greatest number of advantages concur and the way in which grace is more marvellously exhibited." Simply put, although He could have done it any way He wanted, this is the way He chose and decreed, and therefore, that is the way it was accomplished.

 

Scriptures cited to support this view include: 

 

But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Matthew 19:26

 

He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. 36 And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”  Mark 14:36 

 

(This view was held by Augustine and Thomas Aquinas.) 

 

Next up: The Consequent Absolute Necessity.  This one takes more time to develop properly, so I will tackle that in the next post. 

 

Comments

[Pam]

Kim, I have posted a link to your Study on my website. I would encourage others to do the same. Thanks again for sharing your insight into this great little book. I am enjoying 'studying' along with you and those who come alongside.

[rosemary]

These study notes have inspired me, and I just ordered 2 copies of the book for my husband and me. Thanks for these very timely posts. I hope many are reading them.