to judicial process. Or the thing imputed may not be originally his, but may be made his by the imputation, because of the legal connection subsisting between the person to whom the thing originally belonged and him to whom it is imputed. Thus, not to impute sin to the doer of it is of course not to charge the guilt of his own _ sin upon him as a ground of punishment. To impute righteousness without works can only mean to credit a sbeliever with the rewardableness of a righteousness which did not originate with himself (Rom. iv. 4—8). God in Christ not imputing their trespasses unto his people, is, of course, God for Christ’s sake not charging their trespasses to them as a ground of punishment (2 Cor. v. 19). Christ must be “ made sin for us” in pre- cisely the same sense that we are ‘“‘made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor. v. 21). But, as will be shown
below, we are justified or pronounced righteous in
Christ forensically, as a matter of legal relation, not made inherently righteous by the infusion of grace. The macula or pollution of sin might possibly be trans- mitted by generation. Otherwise it must ever remain the inalienable personal quality of the individual sinner. It is an absurdity, for which no class of Reformed theologians have ever been responsible, to represent per- sonal character, either good or bad, as transferable from one person to another by imputation. All that can be imputed from person to person is the guilt or legat obligation to punishment of any sin, and that only in those cases in which the person to whom it is imputed has become in some way or other justly responsible for the action of the person the guilt of whose sin is im- puted. Pi |
This usage of the word “‘impute” is not a creation of ‘artificial theology,” as is asserted by Dr. Young and by all those who maintain either the ‘‘ Moral” or the
Lak
CHAPTER XI.
CHAPTER XI.
160 THE NATURE OF THE ATONEMENT.
“Governmental” theory of the Atonement. This is evident, because,— |
(1.) This sense is embraced in the classical usage of the word AoyiGoua. Its primary sense is to count, reckon. Then, when construed with a person in the dative and a thing in the accusative, it signifies to set down that thing to the account of that person, and is thus equivalent to the Latin term wnputare.* Ainsworth defines invputare—<“ to ascribe, to charge; to: lay the blame or fault on any one.” | Suidas’ Lexicon— “oyiCw, reputo; et Aoyicouat, computabo; et Aoyov- pat, numerabo, computabo ; et Aoyo, existimo, ut illud ; et imputatum est ipsi in justitiam.”
(2.) The same is true of the usage of the Hebrew ayn in the Old Testament. The daughters of Laban complained (Gen. xxxi. 15) that their father “‘ cownted”
them strangers-—that is, regarded and treated them as
strangers. “If any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace-offerings be eaten at all on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall ct be imputed unto him that offereth it: it shall be an abomination, and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity” (Lev. vil. 18). The sacrifice was offered as a matter of fact, but was not set to the credit of the offerer as acceptable or effective. The heave-offering of the Levites was to be “ reckoned as though it were the corn of the threshing-floor, and as the fulness of the wine-press” (Num. xviii. 27, 30). That Phinehas slew the offending Israelite at Shittim ‘“ was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore” (Ps. cvi. 31).
(3.) The same is true with regard to the New Testa- ment usage of the word Aoy:Goun. Christ, referring to Isa. lili. 12, said: “For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he
* Liddell and Scott.
OUR SINS LAID ON CHRIST. 161
was reckoned among the transgressors” (Luke xxii. 37), cuarrer
“Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness
AL.
—
of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be cownted for —
circumcision?” (Rom. 1. 26). ‘‘ Abraham believed God, and it was accounted unto him for righteousness” (Gal. iii. 6). “To him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt... . . To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. ... . David describeth the _ blessedness of the man to whom God wmputeth right- eousness without works—to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” “Faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness’ (Rom. iv. 8-9). “‘ God was in Christ, re- conciling the world unto himself, not imputing their tres- passes unto them” (2 Cor. v.19). ‘ At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray Ged that it may not be laid to their charge” (2 Tim. iv. 16). “He was numbered with the transgressors ” (Mark xv. 28). “ But also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be cownted for nought—ets ovdév AoyisOjvar” (Acts xix. 27).