The Hinge of the Controversy: Divine Justice and the Satisfaction of Christ | John Owen

Deep Dive into A Dissertation on Divine Justice by John Owen - The opinion of Socinus considered — What he thought of our present question,22 namely, that it is the hinge on which the whole controversy concerning the satisfaction of Christ turns — His vain boasting, as if, having disproved this vindicatory justice, he had snatched the prize from his adversaries — Other clear proofs of the satisfaction of Christ — That it is our duty to acquiesce in the revealed will of God — The truth not to be forsaken — Mercy and justice not opposite — Vain distinctions of Socinus concerning divine justice — The consideration of these distinctions — His first argument against vindicatory justice — The solution of it — The anger and severity of God, what — Universal and particular justice, in what they agree — The false reasoning and vain boasting of the adversaryJohn Owen critiques the theological arguments of Socinus, who vehemently opposes the concept of divine punitory, or vindicatory, justice. Socinus clearly understands that if he can successfully disprove the existence of this inherent justice in God, the entire Christian doctrine of the satisfaction of Christ will be rendered unnecessary. In fact, Socinus proudly boasts that by removing this specific justice, the concept of Jesus Christ making satisfaction for sins is exposed as a mere human fiction that must totally vanish.Owen passionately defends the orthodox doctrine, emphasizing that Christ indeed bore our sins and fully satisfied divine justice to purchase eternal salvation, which serves as a vital pillar of the Christian faith. A central error in the theology of Socinus is his false foundational assumption that God's justice is entirely opposed to His mercy. Owen counters this by stating that justice and mercy are both essential, absolute perfections of the Deity; they are not effectively or essentially opposite, but are merely distinguished by the objects upon which they are exercised.Furthermore, Socinus attempts to argue that God possesses a twofold justice: one applied to obstinate, unrepentant sinners and another to those who are not completely desperate. Owen rejects this distinction, asserting that punitory justice is singular, though its exercise varies depending on the individual. The reason some are spared while others perish is not due to a twofold justice, but because Christ has already satisfied the demands of justice for believers.Finally, Socinus claims that Scripture uses terms like anger or severity rather than justice for punishment, concluding that punitory justice is merely an arbitrary effect of God's will. Owen dismisses this, noting that anger simply describes the visible effects of God's inherent justice.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReformedExplainerSpotify Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1t5dz4vEgvHqUknYQfwpRI?si=e-tDRFR2Qf6By1sAcMdkdwhttps://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730