From Heaven He Came and Sought Her: Definite
Atonement in Historical, Biblical, Theological and Pastoral Perspective
Reviewed by
Thomas E. Troxell, Pastor, Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA), Sun City West,
AZ 85375
David Gibson
& Jonathan Gibson, editors
Crossway,
2013 $50.00
667 pages
plus bibliography and three indicies.
ISBN:
978-1-4335-1276-6
This is a
tome, in every sense of the word, but its size ought not to be a discouragement
for pastors and serious readers of theology.
However, this work is probably not for every church library. The title
is taken from Samuel Stone’s hymn The
Church’s One Foundation, the last two lines of the first verse:
From heaven he came and sought
her to be his holy bride;
With his own blood he bought
her, and for her life he died.
This book
seeks to answer in a comprehensive way the question “For whom did Christ die?”
from the Reformed/Calvinistic perspective. The work seeks to be a corrective
for all the wrong ideas and attitudes the come from the “L” (limited atonement)
in the acronym “TULIP.” As a Calvinist I would agree that “limited” conjures up
ideas of a stingy God and that the term “definite atonement” is much more to
the point. There are twenty-three essays by twenty-one authors representing a
cross section of present-day Reformed scholarship.
The book
seeks to deal with “four interrelated aspects of the doctrine: its
controversies and nuances in church history, its presence or absence in the
bible, its theological implications, and its pastoral consequences.” (p.37)
"The doctrine of definite atonement states that, in the
death of Jesus Christ, the triune God intended to achieve the redemption of
every person given to the Son by the Father in eternity past, and to apply the
accomplishments of his sacrifice to each of them by the Spirit. The death of
Christ was intended to win the salvation of god’s people alone." (p. 33)
This is a
work to be savored, like a fine wine with all its complexities. I would say
that J. Alec Motyer's chapter (10) "Stricken for the Transgression of My
People: The Atoning Work of Isaiah's Suffering Servant" [Isaiah
52:13-53:12) is worth the price of the book. [This is particularly striking as
I write this review during Lent in 2014.] The two final chapters by Pastor/Teachers
Sinclair Ferguson and John Piper deal pastorally with the subject, something
this pastor appreciates.
I believe
this quotation from Editor David Gibson captures the aim of the book: “Definite
atonement is beautiful because it tells the story of the Warrior-Son who comes
to earth to slay his enemy and rescue his Father’s people. He is the Good
Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep, a loving Bridegroom who gives
himself for his bride, and a victorious King who lavishes the spoils of his
conquest on the citizens of his realm.” (p. 17)
Should one
need a more nuanced review I would send you to the reviews by Aaron Denlinger
and Tom McCall at Reformation21: http://www.reformation21.org/articles/two-tales-of-a-doctrine-reviewing-definite-atonement.php.
I agree with
Tom McCall when he states “both adherents to DA [definite atonement] and
opponents of the doctrine stand to benefit from this book.” As a reformed
pastor I found this work to be a great addition to my library. It is a
thorough-going treatment of Definite Atonement not seen since the Puritan John
Owen’s “The Death of Death in the Death of Christ.”
