substitutionary atonement

Substitutionary atonement is a doctrine in Christian theology which states that Jesus died on the cross as a substitute for sinners. It stresses the vicarious nature of the crucifixion being "for us" and representational Christ representing humanity through the Incarnation.

Atonement is a doctrine found within both Christianity and Judaism. It describes how sin can be forgiven by God. In Judaism, Atonement is said to be the process of forgiving or pardoning a transgression. This was originally accomplished through rituals performed by a High Priest on the holiest day of the Jewish year: Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). In Christian theology the atonement refers to the forgiving or pardoning of sin through the crucifixion of Jesus Christ which made possible the reconciliation between God and creation, thus substitutionary atonement.

Within Christianity there are numerous technical theories for how such atonement might work, including:

• the ransom theory,
• the Abelardian theory, and
• the Anselmian satisfaction theory.

A distinction must be made between substitutionary atonement (Christ suffers for us), and penal substitution (Christ punished instead of us) which is a subset of substitutionary atonement. Both affirm the substitutionary and vicarious nature of the atonement, but penal substitution offers a specific explanation as to what the suffering is for: punishment.

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Korban

Korban (קרבן) (plural: Korbanot קרבנות) is a Jewish practice of sacrificing an animal or of making an offering at the Temple. It is known as a Korban in Hebrew because its Hebrew root K [a] R [o] V (קרב) means to "[come] Close (or Draw Near) [to God]", which the English words "sacrifice" or "offering" do not fully convey. There were many different types of korbanot. Once performed as part of the religious ritual in the Temple in Jerusalem in Ancient Israel, the practice was stopped in 70 CE, after the destruction of the Second Temple

A Korban was usually an animal sacrifice, such as a lamb or a bull that was ritually slaughtered, and (usually) cooked and eaten by the offerer, with parts given to the Kohanim (priests) and parts burned on an altar. Korbanot could also consist of turtle-doves or pigeons, grain, incense, fruit, and a variety of other offerings.

The Hebrew Bible narrates that the God of Israel commanded the Children of Israel to offer korbanot up on various altars, and describes the ritual's practice in the ancient Tabernacle, on high places, and in the Temple in Jerusalem during the history of ancient Israel and Judah until the Second Temple was destroyed in 70 CE. Korbanot and the nature of their practice continue to have relevance to Jewish theology, ritual, and law, particularly in Orthodox Judaism.

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