WARREN MCGREW (IDOL KILLER): PENAL SUBSTITUTIONARY ATONEMENT (2)

Penal Substitution's First 3 Claims - Augustinian Anthropology (youtube.com)

This is the second of a series of seven videos in which Warren McGrew and Paul Vendredi refute the doctrine of Penal Substitutionary Atonement (PSA). They attribute PSA primarily to Augustine of Hippo (AD354-430), followed by Anselm of Canterbury (AD 1033-1109), and the 16th-century Reformers.    

The first three PSA claims devised by Augustine of Hippo: Original Sin, Total Depravity, and Infant Depravity.

1. Original sin: Augustine taught a virulent version of original sin. He claimed that every individual is personally guilty of Adam's sin in the garden due to his position as the federal head of the human race. A modern version of original sin is the false doctrine of Identificational Repentance in which people identify with, and are held responsible for, the historic sins of a group they identify with e.g. family, church or nation. 

Bible verses that refute Augustine's version of original sin:

The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. (Ezekiel 18:20).

But everyone shall die for his own iniquity. Each man who eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge. (Jeremiah 31:30).

Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin. (Deuteronomy 24:16).

The main bible verse that allegedly supports Augustine's version of original sin is Romans 5:12:

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:12-21).

This passage introduces a parallel between Jesus and Adam. Adam represents all people in the garden, and Jesus represents all people on the cross. There is no evidence in this passage to suggest that all people are personally guilty of Adam's sin. Paul specifically mentions "those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam" and "many trespasses". He asserts that many were made sinners as a result of Adam's sin i.e. everyone incurred the sentence of death in Adam. Augustine did not know the original languages, and tragically, his interpretation of Romans 5:12 in his book "On Merit" is based on the Latin Vulgate which mistranslates the Greek text ἐφ ᾧ (because). The resulting error that permeated the church is Jerome's rendering "in whom all sinned" which falsely suggests that all people sinned in Adam.1 

I am unable to accept Vendredi's view that Paul "became confused" when he wrote Romans 5:12-21. (2 Timothy 3:16). Paul's epistles contain some things that are "hard to understand" and prone to distortion. (2 Peter 3:16). When faced with these difficulties, it is all the more critical that we really do understand Paul's meaning. (2 Timothy 2:15).

2. Total Depravity. The unbiblical idea of total depravity is rooted in the Augustinian concept of original sin. It is the teaching that people are born totally corrupt and cannot receive God's grace by responding to the gospel message in repentance and faith. 

Psalm 51:5 is allegedly a proof text for the false doctrine of total depravity: 

Behold I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. (Psalm 51:5).

There is no concept of original sin in the Old Testament. David wrote this psalm following his sin with Bathsheba when Nathan the prophet confronted him and he was overcome with guilt. (2 Samuel 12-13). Augustine's idea that we are conceived in lust and born in sin is unscriptural. Those who cite this verse as a proof text that David was personally guilty of Adam's sin exceed what is written. (1 Corinthians 4:6).  If anything, this verse points to the sin of David's mother, not to David himself. There is a possible extra-biblical explanation of this verse. The Talmud refers to some issues within Jesse's family resulting in an accusation of illegitimacy concerning David. This story cannot be verified, but it explains the reason for David's apparent problematic relationship with his family. Jesse overlooked and disregarded David as a possible candidate for "the Lord's anointed", and he was denigrated by his eldest brother Eliab when he spoke against Goliath. (1 Samuel 16:11 cf. 1 Samuel 17:28-29).2  

Romans 2 refutes the idea of total depravity since "the law of God", sometimes referred to as "natural law" is imprinted on our hearts. 

For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. (Romans 2:1,12-16). 

The only instance where people are described as totally depraved en masse is Genesis 8:21. This unique situation appears to be due to circumstances related to the Nephilim. (Genesis 8:21 cf. Genesis 6:2). There is the possibility of having one's conscience seared by devoting oneself to the demonic. (1 Timothy 4:1-2). Furthermore, God can give individuals over to a reprobate mind as an act of judgement. (Romans 1:28 cf 2 Timothy 3:8). The above scriptures confirm that under certain circumstances, God can cause individuals to become totally depraved/reprobate. Jesus Christ warned of spiritual deception and "the multiplication of wickedness" at the end of the age. (Matthew 24:2,37).

3. Infant Depravity

Vendredi sums up the false doctrine of infant depravity as follows: "Even infants, innocent of actual sin, are guilty of original sin and are therefore born totally depraved."  

Warren McGrew: "This time we hear from some of the leading Calvinist voices and their view of children. John MacArthur holds a gnostic view of sin wherein sin is a substance to be transferred and exchanged; thus he believes the greatest act of depravity is when a husband and wife become pregnant. RC Sproul takes issue with John Calvin's claim that children are as depraved as rats. In Sproul's opinion, this is far too insulting to the rat. Voddie Baucham calls an infants a "viper in a diaper". While Paul Washer claims infants are born evil, possessed of murderous intent and hating God."3  

Scriptures that refute infant depravity

Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts. On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God. (Psalm 22:9-10). 

For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth. Upon you I have leaned from before my birth; you are he who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you. (Psalm 71:5-6).

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. (Psalm 127:3-5).

For You created my innermost parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, because I am awesomely and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. (Psalm 139:13&14). 

But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me. (2 Samuel 12:23).

Augustine incorrectly taught that baptism was necessary for salvation regardless of age. He presupposed that infants, although not guilty of personal sin, still needed to be cleansed from original sin inherited from Adam. Augustine claimed that the sacrament of infant baptism removed the stain of original sin through "the laver of regeneration."4 Augustine introduced the concept of fides aliena (faith of others) i.e. the parents words of faith and penitence were attributed to infants during baptism.

Augustine seems to have adopted the practice of infant baptism based on Origen's defective view. Infant baptism appears to have come into favor among church leaders around AD235, although there may have been earlier instances of the practice.5 

Origen: “Every soul that is born into flesh is soiled by the filth of wickedness and sin. . . . In the Church, baptism is given for the remission of sins, and, according to the usage of the Church, baptism is given even to infants. If there were nothing in infants which required the remission of sins and nothing in them pertinent to forgiveness, the grace of baptism would seem superfluous” (Homilies on Leviticus 8:3 [A.D. 248])."

The Church received from the apostles the tradition of giving baptism even to infants. The apostles, to whom were committed the secrets of the divine sacraments, knew there are in everyone innate strains of [original] sin, which must be washed away through water and the Spirit” (Commentaries on Romans 5:9 [A.D. 248]

When Adam sinned, the human race lost an inheritance and forfeited access to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:24). As a result all humanity became subject to death (mortality) and suffered a relational separation from God. Immortality has been restored to us through the gospel of Jesus Christ, but many reject the light due to their love of darkness: And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. (John 3:19 cf. John 1:5; Genesis 4:7). 

Ellicott: "All have sinned and come short.—Strictly, all sinned; the Apostle looking back upon an act done in past time under the old legal dispensation, without immediate reference to the present: he then goes on to say that the result of that act (as distinct from the act itself) continues on into the present. The result is that mankind, in a body, as he now sees them, and before they come within the range of the new Christian system, fall short of, miss, or fail to obtain, the glory of God."6

I have no argument with McGrew and Vendredi's critique of Augustine's teachings. However, the concept of PSA, distinct from Augustine's distorted version, is present both in the scriptures and the writings of the Church Fathers. Augustine formulated a false concept of PSA based on his own presuppositions, scriptural ignorance, and errors introduced by Jerome and Origen.

To be continued..

1. Latin Vulgate New Testament Bible - Epistle of Paul to the Romans 5
2. Nitzevet, Mother of David - The bold voice of silence - Chabad.org
3. Evil & Depraved - The Reformed View of Children (youtube.com)
4. Even the Children of the Regenerate Born in Sin. The Effect of Baptism. (biblehub.com)
5. Infant Baptism — Church Fathers
6. Romans 3 Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers (biblehub.com)