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Pierced for Our Transgressions

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The doctrine of penal substitution doesn't, on the face of it, sound too glorious. It is a doctrine involving curse, punishment, blood and death. It is little wonder that people object to it so strenuously. Indeed, this teaching has been at the very center of a rift within the church--a rift that seems to be growing ever-wider and ever more visible. Once the realm of scholars cloistered away in the ivory towers of academia, the battle against this doctrine has recently reached the popular level and it has come under attack by influential and popular evangelical leaders. Needless to say, controversy has followed, and for good reason.

Pierced for our Transgressions: Rediscovering the Glory of Penal Substitution is the product of Steve Jeffery, Mike Ovey and Andrew Sach, all of whom are connected to Oak Hill Theological College in London, England. It carries a Foreword by John Piper. The book, published by Inter-Varsity Press, is currently available only in the U.K. (though rumors abound that it is available at a few stores in this part of the world). Crossway has secured the North American rights and will be releasing it on this side of the Atlantic in the fall.

The book is written for the serious and thoughtful general reader. Those who aspire to read nothing more complicated than Yancey or Lucado may find this a challenging, though surely enlightening, read. Those who tend towards works of serious theology will find it eminently readable. Those hoping for an exhaustive scholarly treatment of the subject will be disappointed.

The authors do not keep the reader waiting to learn what this doctrine entails. The first sentence of the first chapter is this: "The doctrine of penal substitution states that God gave himself in the person of his Son to suffer instead of us the death, punishment and curse due to fallen humanity as the penalty for sin." They say, rightly, that this understanding of the cross stands at the very center of the gospel message as given us in the Bible. What may seem so coarse, so vulgar, so bloody is, must be seen to be beautiful by those whose lives have been transformed by the victory won at so great a cost. It is, as per the book's subtitle, a glorious doctrine and one the church would do well to rediscover. While relatively few have renounced the doctrine, too few have even been explicitly aware of its existence.

The book's content falls in two parts. In the first the authors make the case for penal substitution, looking to the Bible, to associated theology, to its pastoral importance and to its long historical pedigree in the Christian faith. In the second part they turn to the critics, answering the charges that have been lodged against the doctrine. While there is much value to be mined in the latter half, it is the former that is of most profound importance. It is here that the doctrine is laid out, it is here that it is defended. We see that this doctrine is found in both Testaments and that it is foundational to our understanding of Jesus' mission, both in the way it was foreshadowed in the Old Testament through sacrifice and prophecy and in the way it was fulfilled and applied in the New. Though the authors are unable to provide an exhaustive treatment, something which could easily run to several volumes, they do provide a valuable overview of this doctrine's biblical basis. They turn next to this doctrine's place in the wider context of Christian theology, showing how it is inexorably connected to other Christian doctrine. After touching on the pastoral implications of maintaining the place of this doctrine, anticipating the charge that this theology is but a modern addition to Christianity, they defend it historically, showing how it has a historical pedigree that spans the two thousand years of church history. Finally, with the theology firmly in place, they move deliberately and confidently through objection after objection, charge after charge, responding to the critics of this doctrine. They are nothing if not thorough.

Endorsed by a veritable who's who of conservative evangelicals, this book is sure to clearly delineate the divide between those who hold to the historic Protestant position on this doctrine and those who do not. It has already done this in the U.K. and we expect it to do the same on the other side of the Atlantic when it is released later this year. I pray that it is widely read, widely studied and widely influential. Jeffery, Ovey and Sach have done the church a service with this volume. I'm grateful for it and commend it to you.

The book Pierced for Our Transgressions: Rediscovering the Glory of Penal Substitution is a timely and welcome resource to anyone engaged in the theological discussion concerning Christ's atonement. Everyone from pastors to church members, theological students to interested investigator's can find Steve Jeffery's, Michael Ovey's and Andrew Sach's treatment well worth the time to read - and own.

These authors set out to confront the relatively recent and influential criticism of the penal substitutionary aspect of Jesus Christ's atoning work; the classic view that Christ died on the cross as a substitute for sinners, with God imputing (or, ascribing) the guilt of our sins to Christ, and he, in our place, bore the punishment that we deserved. This doctrine has recently come under some criticism in a more influential and widespread way, and these authors set out to interact with the basic criticisms by establishing the reality of penal substitution from Scripture, then from Church history, and finally they engage with the typical arguments against affirming this doctrine head on.

Their first "line of attack" against the criticism of penal substitutionary atonement is to go straight to the Bible and ask the basic question, "Is it in there?" The succinctly and frankly write, "If God himself affirms penal substitution, if it is part of the explanation that he himself has given for why he sent his Son into the world, then we dare not maintain otherwise," (p. 33). They then proceed to look at various passages of Scripture: Exodus 12 and the Passover event; Leviticus 16 and the meaning of atonement within the sacrificial system; the concept as seen in the prophets, particularly Isaiah. What is amazing is even before they reach the New Testament passages, the authors have very adequately connected the concept of penal substitution to the bible and have drawn the connecting lines to Jesus Christ. They continue on, and go to the Gospels' witness, particularly that of Mark and John, and also to the letters of Paul and Peter. Their conclusion is that the Bible - not just one or two obscure references, but a significant thread throughout the Bible - points to the fact that God has expressed that salvation is through substitution, and this is seen ultimately in the person and work of Jesus Christ, who gave His life "as a ransom for many," (Mark 10:45).

This biblical framework is quickly followed by the building up of a theological framework, which the authors ascribe the doctrine of penal substitution a significant role, calling it the "centre of the [theological] jigsaw to complete a magnificent picture," (p. 148). Without this concept of salvation through penal substitution, there are many facets of the Bible that become improbable if not impossible to understand; such as the Holiness and graciousness of God, for one example.

They then proceed to answer the criticism that the doctrine of penal substitution is a misguided doctrine that has been steering the historic church astray at least since the time of the Reformation. To answer this charge, Jeffrey, Sachs and Ovey present 23 distinct historical theologians and organization that have upheld the doctrine of penal substitution. Their historic pedigree ranges from Justin Martyr (100-165 AD), Athanasius (300-373 AD), Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274 AD), John Calvin (1509-1564) and J.I. Packer (born 1926). Needless to say, they quite convincingly lay aside the misconception that the doctrine of penal substitution is a novel and misguided concept.

After they have built the case for penal substitution from the Bible, theology, pastoral/practical implications and also historical theology, the authors then begin to engage the specific points of debate. The address how the doctrine of penal substitution addresses and answers the criticisms regarding the Bible, the culture, violence, justice, our knowledge and right understanding of God, as well as our right understanding of the Christian life. I find this section of the book to be of immense value as a resource to draw from while in pastoral ministry. It is full of helpful and illuminating connections and points of response to some very common questions regarding faith and belief in Jesus Christ.

Some of you may be saying, "So what? Everything about this topic and book is only good for theology; what could it possibly mean for me in everyday life?" I actually had that same thought before reading this book. After reading it, I have found that this book is incredibly practical and applicable to my life, as well as anyone else's. One simple, but very penetrating sentence, that encapsulates the essence of this book, and what the doctrine of penal substitution upholds in its essence is this reality:

"The Lord Jesus Christ did not come into the world to meet with his friends. He came to die for his enemies." p. 152.

Pierced for Our Transgressions has helped me to see once again, the glory, wonder and sheer gracious love that is seen in Christ's death on the cross on my behalf. This cuts away at my pride, superiority and desire for that which would replace my longing for God and His honor. By seeing myself as at one time God's enemy, I can rejoice and bask in the finished and atoning work of Jesus Christ, who lived and died in my place, and welcomes me into the family of God.

This book is once again, well worth having on the bookshelf. Clear, compelling and comprehensive; I can't think of a better resource to draw upon when considering the glory of penal substitution and its impact on our lives and ministries.

The doctrine of penal substitution doesn't, on the face of it, sound too glorious. It is a doctrine involving curse, punishment, blood and death. It is little wonder that people object to it so strenuously. Indeed, this teaching has been at the very center of a rift within the church--a rift that seems to be growing ever-wider and ever more visible. Once the realm of scholars cloistered away in the ivory towers of academia, the battle against this doctrine has recently reached the popular level and it has come under attack by influential and popular evangelical leaders. Needless to say, controversy has followed, and for good reason.

Pierced for our Transgressions: Rediscovering the Glory of Penal Substitution is the product of Steve Jeffery, Mike Ovey and Andrew Sach, all of whom are connected to Oak Hill Theological College in London, England. It carries a Foreword by John Piper.

The book is written for the serious and thoughtful general reader. Those who aspire to read nothing more complicated than Yancey or Lucado may find this a challenging, though surely enlightening, read. Those who tend towards works of serious theology will find it eminently readable. Those hoping for an exhaustive scholarly treatment of the subject will be disappointed.

The authors do not keep the reader waiting to learn what this doctrine entails. The first sentence of the first chapter is this: "The doctrine of penal substitution states that God gave himself in the person of his Son to suffer instead of us the death, punishment and curse due to fallen humanity as the penalty for sin." They say, rightly, that this understanding of the cross stands at the very center of the gospel message as given us in the Bible. What may seem so coarse, so vulgar, so bloody is, must be seen to be beautiful by those whose lives have been transformed by the victory won at so great a cost. It is, as per the book's subtitle, a glorious doctrine and one the church would do well to rediscover. While relatively few have renounced the doctrine, too few have even been explicitly aware of its existence.

The book's content falls in two parts. In the first the authors make the case for penal substitution, looking to the Bible, to associated theology, to its pastoral importance and to its long historical pedigree in the Christian faith. In the second part they turn to the critics, answering the charges that have been lodged against the doctrine. While there is much value to be mined in the latter half, it is the former that is of most profound importance. It is here that the doctrine is laid out, it is here that it is defended. We see that this doctrine is found in both Testaments and that it is foundational to our understanding of Jesus' mission, both in the way it was foreshadowed in the Old Testament through sacrifice and prophecy and in the way it was fulfilled and applied in the New. Though the authors are unable to provide an exhaustive treatment, something which could easily run to several volumes, they do provide a valuable overview of this doctrine's biblical basis. They turn next to this doctrine's place in the wider context of Christian theology, showing how it is inexorably connected to other Christian doctrine. After touching on the pastoral implications of maintaining the place of this doctrine, anticipating the charge that this theology is but a modern addition to Christianity, they defend it historically, showing how it has a historical pedigree that spans the two thousand years of church history. Finally, with the theology firmly in place, they move deliberately and confidently through objection after objection, charge after charge, responding to the critics of this doctrine. They are nothing if not thorough.

Endorsed by a veritable who's who of conservative evangelicals, this book is sure to clearly delineate the divide between those who hold to the historic Protestant position on this doctrine and those who do not. It has already done this in the U.K. and has begun to do the same now that it's available on this side of the Atlantic. I pray that it is widely read, widely studied and widely influential. Jeffery, Ovey and Sach have done the church a service with this volume. I'm grateful for it and commend it to you.

This book gives a thoughtful and well researched defense of Penal Substitution theory of the atonement. But after reading the book, I have to challenge whether Penal Substitution qualifies as a theory of the atonement in the first place. My understanding is that a doctrine of the atonement must answer the question, "How does the cross of Christ make humans right with God?"

Well, what is the problem between man and God? Surely the answer is sin.

So the question of the atonement becomes, "How does the cross of Christ take away the sin problem?" But PST locate the central problem between man and God as God's wrath. Listen to this quotation by John Piper, "For if God did not punish his Son in my place, I am not saved from my greatest peril, the wrath of God." Penal Substitution then sets out to show how Jesus takes care of God's wrath for me.

But I am left thinking, "Great, the effect of my sin was taken away! But what about the cause of the conflict? What about my sin? When does Jesus get rid of that?" My understanding is that Jesus lived without sin, died, and rose again, so that by the Holy Spirit I can live and die and rise again in Him. So when I die, my sin is destroyed along with my flesh. This is why I still have to die even though Jesus died for me.

So that is how sin is taken care of, it seems to me. But PST adds a further obstacle, based on a theory of Retribution Justice, which is: for every sin there must be an equal and opposite punishment delivered. So every time we sin, God keeps track of a punishment we deserve for that sin. But if God wants to forgive us for sin then he wont deliver the punishment, but he will store it somewhere (in a cup, a cup of wrath). This cup of wrath must be drunk by someone if God is to be just. The taker of the cup does not have to be the guilty party, but someone who advocates for the guilty party. So Jesus steps up on our behalf and on the cross, drinks the cup of God's wrath. PST phrases it as: Jesus paid the debt, or penalty, for my sin.

This brings up a whole host of concerns for me. One is, "debt" and "penalty" come from opposite sides of a relationship. Debt is something I owe. Penalty is something God owes me. The Bible makes it clear that punishment is something God owes me: the wages of sin is death. And I will face this punishment when I die. Jesus does not take it away. Now, the debt I owe is to love the Lord my God with all my heart soul mind and strength. Jesus has paid this for me, and applies it to me in the Holy Spirit. My second main concern is the idea that God must punish for the sake of punishing to maintain justice. If Jesus has forgiven me and made me righteous in Him and my sin was destroyed with my flesh, then what is the purpose for delivering punishment? It seems that a better interpretation of the cup Jesus drank is that it is the sin of all mankind against God, stored up to be poured out on Jesus on the cross, to which Jesus responded, "Father, forgive them."

But if the PST advocates are right and Jesus died to take away the consequences of my sin, then I would really desire a book that tells me how Jesus takes away my sin.

When something lives up to its hype it is special. It doesn't happen often, but when it does I get excited. This was the case when I was reading Pierced for our Transgressions. I just kept saying, "this is great stuff!"

For starters the task at hand is one that ignites passion in my own soul, as the subtitle says, "Rediscovering the Glory of Penal Substitution." This is a book that overtly sets out to refresh believers with the ever sparkling diamond of person and work of Christ.

The first thing you notice after the striking cover page of thorns is the army of endorsements. There are just pages and pages of contemporary pastors, theologians and songwriters who are excited about this book. John Piper writes the forward and fires you up to be impressed and amazed at the glory of the atonement.

The authors, all of whom are British and associated with Oak Hill Theological College in London, are able and ardent defenders of the doctrine of penal substitution. They write with in a clear, comprehensive and compelling style. For those who may not be familiar with the authors they reminded me of a combination of D.A. Carson and Wayne Grudem, through their scholarly but at the same time succinct and devotional style.

As far as the structure, the book is divided up in 2 major sections, Part 1: Making the Case, and Part 2: Answering the Critics.

I really enjoyed the biblical examination of penal substitution. The authors stroll through the Scriptures and examine the glorious landscape of the atonement.

The authors define penal substitution in the following way, "The doctrine of penal substitution states that God gave himself in the person of his Son to suffer instead of us the death, punishment and curse due to fallen humanity as the penalty for sin."

Throughout the intensely theological biblical examination of penal substitution the authors unpack several author important corollary themes that help us understand the necessity of penal substitution. They point to the fall of humanity as a "decreation" and show how all sin is ultimately idolatrous, calling it "false faith." This false faith is "delusional, undermining our ability to think rightly particularly about God....it is a willed commitment....beyond a merely rational impairment, so that we actually desire what is evil."

A high point in the book for me was the section on the relationship within the Trinity with respect to the atonement. We see the "Generosity within the Trinity" through the Father giving the Son that he may give the ransomed to the Son (cf. John 6).

Since the authors are presenting the doctrine as a biblical doctrine in the face of no small amount of contemporary attacks it is helpful for them to show that this doctrine of penal substitution is nothing new. They cite church history as an auxiliary in proving their case, but they are careful not to elevate history to a unbiblical level of authority: "We are interested in whether penal substitution is biblical, not whether it is traditional, and the accumulated testimony of the all the theologians in the world means nothing against the authority of the Bible....Although we do not look to previous generations as a source of authority, they are a valuable source of wisdom."

The authors then trace "The Historical Pedigree of Penal Substitution" from Justin Martyr to Athanasius to John Calvin to Charles Spurgeon to John Stott to John Murray to other contemporary teachers such as John Piper and Wayne Grudem. This an informative and encouraging section.

In the second section the authors set out to interact with the opposing arguments against penal substitution. In each case they quote directly from the dissenting sources and seem to engage carefully and fairly with the respective arguments. I found this section to be a clinic on how to think and interact with arguments biblically. It was outstanding.

Each of the answers average only a few pages. Some of the arguments included are:

`Penal Substitution is not important enough to be a source of division'

`Penal Substitution rests on unbiblical ideas of sacrifice'

`The violence involved in Penal Substitution amounts to cosmic child abuse'

`The retributive violence involved in penal substitution contradicts Jesus' message of peace and love'

`It is unjust to punish an innocent person, even if he is willing to be punished'

`Penal Substitution does not work, for the penalty Christ suffered was not equivalent to that due to us'

`Penal Substitution relies on an unbiblical view of an angry God that is incompatible with this love'

`Penal Substitution legitimates violence and encourages the passive acceptance of unjust suffering'

Over and over again I marked up my book with "This is good." Or "YES!" I will return to these pages regularly.

Finally, I commend the authors for their efforts in making this book pastoral. The overall tone of the book is pastoral, however, they go out of their way to address sections to pastors. Within the context of unpacking the biblical teaching of penal substitution they insert a valuable chapter entitled, "Exploring the implications: the pastoral importance of penal substation" and then in conclusion to the work they provide an appendix entitled "A personal note to preachers." Again, I really appreciate the effort of the writers to connect the dots of the importance of penal substitution and then lovingly bounce the ball to the pastor to shepherd like the doctrine matters and like it is under attack.

I tend to not be one to oversell something for the obvious reason that people will inevitably be disappointed. However, in the case of Pierced for our Transgressions I do not have this fear. If you are a pastor you need to read this book. If you are not a pastor but are a believer who wants to understand the cross better, you should read this book. It may well be the one of the best books I have ever read. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

This book is well worth the money. The doctrine of the atonement is central to Christianity and this book defends the HISTORIC view of penal substitution. The reason why I highlight "historic" is because many would try to tell you that this view is an essentially modern development, having not taken shape until at least Anselm. The authors show this idea to be false. Penal substitution is much older and much more widely taught than some theologians would have you believe.

Now, this book isn't just about history, but in light of today's controversies over atonement, I think this is a major hurdle the authors overcome in setting forth an argument for penal substitutionary. Even if you initially disagree, I think you will walk away believing that the argument in favor of PSA is much stronger than you realized.

"Pierced for Our Transgressions" is a very thorough exploration and defense of the traditional Christian doctrine of penal substitution (that is, that on the cross Jesus willingly absorbed the punishment for the sins of the faithful in their place).

Part 1 of the book contains a nearly exhaustive compilation and exegeses of Biblical support for the doctrine. It was to this part that I felt most indebted; I saw this doctrine to be irrefutable as the book explored the many times that Jesus' death is explicitly described as penal & substitutionary, not to mention the way the doctrine fits in like a puzzle piece to overall Biblical themes. Also of great help to me was the historical retrospective of many great fathers of the faith, which demonstrated that penal substitution has been the predominant atonement theory since the early church.

Part 2 is a very detailed response to every significant argument against penal substitution that the authors have encountered (and there are a lot more arguments against it than I ever could have imagined).

This book is very in-depth, yet quite accessible. The average layman would be able to follow the theological discussion (although I don't know many who would care to!). I feel the issues raised in this book are very important for every believer, however "Pierced for Our Transgressions" is fairly long and quite thorough, and so many Christians might feel like tackling shorter books on the subject, first.

Although I thought a few sections seemed hastily edited and I felt that the authors' usage of Trinitarian theory to defend penal substitution relied too little on biblical sources, this book is nonetheless an unparalleled discussion of the subject, and sure to be the quintessential reference for all future discussions of atonement theory.

I pulled Pierced for Our Transgressions out again today, two years after I first read it, to refresh my acquaintance with this interesting book.
PFOT is an overview of the biblical and theological evidence supporting the doctrine of 'penal substitutionary atonement' (PSA), as the authors define it - 'that God gave himself in the person of his Son to suffer instead of us the death, punishment, and curse due to fallen humanity as the penalty for sin.' Penal substitution is a controversial and often unpopular formulation of the doctrine of the atonement, which has been criticised as putting forth a view of God as violent and vengeful, willing to inflict violence on his own Son to appease his anger. The authors are prominent evangelical Anglicans, and they wrote this book to combat these criticisms, particularly as they come from others within the evangelical establishment. PFOT consists of two main sections. The first sets forth a positive case for PSA. This is the stronger section, as the authors provide a reasonably workmanlike exegesis of the relevant biblical texts and narrative. The historical evidence for PSA from prominent theologians down the centuries is helpful, but has a superficial feel, since it is impossible to locate how PSA interacts with each theologian's system in the time given. I was surprised at the total absence of Anselm from this discussion, since his 'satisfaction' theory is a classic example of another juridical theory of the atonement. It also struck me as somewhat strange to place St. Augustine on the same level as the 'Evangelical Alliance Basis of Faith' as historical attestation to the doctrine.

In the second section there is an attempt to answer a range of criticisms of PSA. This section is weaker than the first, as one gets the impression that all debate on the issue can be wrapped up in a couple of paragraphs and that detractors from PSA are quite hopelessly wrongheaded. C.S. Lewis was more wise in saying that the Church knows that Jesus' death has reconciled us to God, but reserves certainty as to the mechanics of how this has happened. I did not feel that the authors engaged with the theological depths of the problem. But this may be a feature of the intended audience of the book, which seems to be the intelligent layperson without any previous knowledge of the issues.

The enduring interest of PFOT is as a cultural document. This book is highly polemical, and was meant to be a salvo in an ongoing theological controversy in British evangelicalism between the conservative and progressive wings of the movement. The introduction locates the authors as the authentic heirs of the evangelicalism of heroes such as Charles Spurgeon, protectors of the true evangelical heritage. In this context the enormous number of endorsements at the front of the book (running to ten pages!) from prominent evangelical leaders makes a great deal of sense. The subsequent controversy between N.T. Wright and the authors is worth investigating to understand the context that produced this book.

Overall, this is a solid popular-level exposition of penal substitutionary atonement. It does not advance the discussion substantively, but then it was not meant to. PFOT also provides a window into the preoccupations of Anglo-evangelicalism in the first decade of the twentieth century.

If you want a better understanding of the problems in this book, which N. T. Wright labels for this book as "deeply unbiblical," I highly recommend Wright's critical and thorough review titled,

"The Cross and the Caricatures."

If you do a google search of that title and N.T. Wright, you should be able to find it (as Amazon doesn't allow the link here in this review).

He does have a few positive things to say as well regarding this book, but mostly N.T. Wright says it fails because of what he argues as serious problems.

The article as a whole is excellent and not simply a review of the book. If you just want a review of the book and the issues he is discussing regarding it skip ahead to point number 3 in Wright's article.

A beautiful resurrection of British belief and Blighty faithfulness.

Proposed in this book, is the complete and unabridged, biblical and Reformed view of the penal substitutionary death of Christ Jesus. The work of Christ interweaves with the doctrine of atonement foundationally, which is the ground for our justification through Christ by faith alone.

This encouraging modern effort receives a ringing endorsement from a score of Protestant/Reformed theologians, scholars and pastors. It is a timely and adequate rebuttal to the challenge from the New Perspective-fold, who have sought to strain the doctrine of Justification in Paul's theology. PFOT challenges the wrong perspective that has taken hold of the church and the theological confusion that it ministers, stating afresh the importance of the cardinal truth of Christ's work and Person.

Not afraid to state the origin of the problem:
'The Bible depicts sin in uncompromising terms. Sin is stubborn (Romans 7) rebellion against God's rightful authority, flagrant transgression of His holy law, wanton perversion of His good creation. Sin despises the sacrifice of God the Son and grieves the Holy Spirit. Sin is adultery with a sinful world and unfaithfulness to our loving heavenly Father; the self-exalting, self-destruction of a proud humanity that turns away from the Source of life, breath and everything else - and in its foolishness claims to be wise.' p 158

Elaborating on the holiness of God:
'In order to appreciate the teaching in Leviticus, we need to realize that Exodus raises a profound question, 'How can a holy God dwell in the midst of a sinful people?' Yet the sinfulness of God's people renders His closeness problematic, even dangerous. Limits are to be put around Mt Sinai so that the people do not draw too close to the Lord (Ex 19). If they do, they will perish (v21).' p 42

'Nadab and Abihu attempted to approach God in an inappropriate way and their deaths underline that the problem of a sinful people sustaining a relationship with a holy God is serious indeed (Lev. 10:3). What (one) fails to appreciate is that God's wrath would be seen far more often if it were not for the successful operation of the sacrifices set forth by God to deal with it.' p 47

The writers of PFOT explicate the severity of sin continuously and biblically:
'The last point is very important. For some have argued that God does not actively punish sin, but instead allows sinners to reap the natural consequences of their actions. The idea here is that God does not intentionally impose these consequences: they are the natural outcome of events. But this is a mistake, because it downplays an aspect of God's work in creation, namely, His continuing, intentional sustaining of all things. All natural consequences, whether physical or moral, take place because God continues to will the existence of the universe and the causal relationships that occur within it. Since the moral consequences of sin are willed in this way, they have the character of divine punishment.' p 107

The Imago Dei is candidly shown in fallen man and women:
'However, human authority in the world is not absolute. It is still God's world, and our authority is limited, delegated and subordinate to Him. It is God who gave authority to Adam and Eve, and He who told them how to exercise it (Genesis 1:26; 28-30). They were not given authority over God, or authority independent of Him.' p 108

Adding their voice to the chorus of defendants in church history:
'Many of the theologians of previous generations were figures of prodigious learning, who contended for their faith in the face of extreme persecution. We want to be sure as possible that we have understood the Bible correctly, so it makes sense to see how the great figures of the past interpreted it. It would be immensely reassuring to find that our understanding of the Bible has indeed been the consensus of Christian orthodoxy for almost two millennia.' p 162

DA Carson commends the importance of PFOT's work accurately when he speaks out: 'because it responds effectively to a new generation of people who are not listening very carefully to what either Scripture or history says.'