10-18 Christus Victor

What if the story of the Cross was never about satisfying a wrathful God, but about defeating the very forces that hold humanity in bondage? In this episode, Tim and Steve unpack the ancient view of the atonement known as Christus Victor—the belief that through Jesus’ death and resurrection, sin, death, and Satan were overthrown once and for all. They explore how this early church understanding offers a cosmic perspective of salvation, rooted not in guilt and punishment but in liberation and restoration. Along the way, they revisit the teachings of Irenaeus and Pelagius, challenging centuries-old assumptions and rediscovering the triumphant love revealed at Calvary.

Highlights:

• How Pelagius, often misunderstood as a heretic, actually reflected the sacred anthropology of early Celtic and Eastern Christianity.
• The contrast between Augustine’s doctrine of original sin and Pelagius’s view of the divine image in humanity.
• Why the early church understood the Cross as a cosmic victory over sin, death, and the devil—not divine punishment.
• Jesus' death as a triumphant descent into death and Hades to rescue humanity, not a ransom paid to God or Satan.
• The role of the Trinity in the crucifixion: God was in Christ, reconciling the world through self-giving love.
• How the Christus Victor perspective calls us into a life of freedom, restoration, and participation in Christ’s victory.

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