Substitution
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Definition:
Substitution, in theological terms, refers to the act of one person taking the place of another, particularly in the context of bearing punishment or fulfilling a role. In Christian theology, it is most prominently associated with the doctrine of the atonement, where Jesus Christ is seen as the substitute for sinners, bearing the penalty for sin on their behalf.

Biblical Basis:
The concept of substitution is deeply rooted in the Scriptures, with numerous passages illustrating this principle. One of the clearest expressions of substitutionary atonement is found in Isaiah 53:5-6 : "But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all."

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul articulates this doctrine in 2 Corinthians 5:21 : "God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." Here, Paul emphasizes the exchange that takes place through Christ's substitutionary role—our sin is imputed to Christ, and His righteousness is imputed to us.

Old Testament Foreshadowing:
The idea of substitution is foreshadowed in the Old Testament sacrificial system. The sacrifices offered by the Israelites were symbolic of the need for a substitute to atone for sin. Leviticus 16 describes the Day of Atonement, where the high priest would lay hands on a scapegoat, symbolically transferring the sins of the people onto the animal, which was then sent into the wilderness (Leviticus 16:21-22).

Christ as the Ultimate Substitute:
The New Testament presents Jesus Christ as the ultimate fulfillment of the substitutionary sacrifices of the Old Testament. Hebrews 9:28 states, "so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him." This verse underscores the finality and sufficiency of Christ's sacrificial death.

Theological Implications:
Substitutionary atonement is central to the understanding of salvation in Christian theology. It underscores the gravity of sin, the holiness and justice of God, and the depth of His love and mercy. By taking the place of sinners, Christ satisfies the demands of justice while extending grace to humanity. Romans 3:25-26 explains, "God presented Him as the atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand. He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus."

Practical Application:
The doctrine of substitution calls believers to a life of gratitude and obedience. Recognizing the immense sacrifice made on their behalf, Christians are encouraged to live in a manner worthy of the gospel. As Paul exhorts in Galatians 2:20 , "I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."

Conclusion:
While the entry does not include a conclusion, the doctrine of substitution remains a cornerstone of Christian faith, offering profound insights into the nature of God's redemptive work through Jesus Christ.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (n.) The act of substituting or putting one person or thing in the place of another; as, the substitution of an agent, attorney, or representative to act for one in his absence; the substitution of bank notes for gold and silver as a circulating medium.

2. (n.) The state of being substituted for another.

3. (n.) The office or authority of one acting for another; delegated authority.

4. (n.) The designation of a person in a will to take a devise or legacy, either on failure of a former devisee or legatee by incapacity or unwillingness to accept, or after him.

5. (n.) The doctrine that Christ suffered vicariously, being substituted for the sinner, and that his sufferings were expiatory.

6. (n.) The act or process of substituting an atom or radical for another atom or radical; metathesis; also, the state of being so substituted. See Metathesis.

Greek
473. anti -- over against, opposite, hence instead of, in comp. ...
... denotes contrast, requital, substitution, correspondence. Part of Speech: Preposition
Transliteration: anti Phonetic Spelling: (an-tee') Short Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/473.htm - 7k
Library

Substitution
... Substitution. A Sermon (No.141-142). Delivered on Sabbath Morning, July 19th, 1857,
by the. ... But in this case the substitution was made by the highest authority. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/substitution.htm

(Continued). Causes of Corruption Chiefly Intentional.
... VI. SUBSTITUTION. Sec. 4. [ALL the Corruption in the Sacred Text may be classed
under four heads, viz. Omission, Transposition, Substitution, and Addition. ...
/.../chapter xi continued causes of.htm

Pride Catechized
... very meaning of it. They cannot endure that glorious doctrine of substitution
which is such a joy to us. Christ standing in the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 46 1900/pride catechized.htm

Integrity and State of the Text.
... The substitution of pros for to, however, in v.34 seems no improvement, A in this,
as in several other instances (vv.10, 28, 35), agreeing with the O' reading. ...
/.../daubney/the three additions to daniel a study/integrity and state of the 3.htm

The Sin-Bearer.
... the sins of His people. How literal is the language! Words mean nothing if
substitution is not stated here. I do not know the meaning ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/till he come/the sin-bearer.htm

The Arrest.
... It seemed to John as if, in thus acting, our Lord was throwing into a concrete and
tangible form His true substitution in the room of His people. ...
/.../dods/the expositors bible the gospel of st john vol ii/xvii the arrest.htm

Believe Just Now
... But there is such a thing as earnestness in the wrong direction; earnestness in
unbelief, and a substitution of earnestness for simple faith in Jesus. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/bonar/gods way of peace/chapter ix believe just now.htm

The Blood of Sprinkling
... The blood, as the emblem of substitution, and the fire, as the symbol of God's wrath
upon the substitute, were seen in all the parts of Israel's service; but ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bonar/gods way of peace/chapter v the blood of.htm

The Passover: an Expiation and a Feast, a Memorial and a Prophecy
... Whether readers accept the doctrines of substitution and expiation or not, it ought
to be impossible for an honest reader of these verses to deny that these ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the passover an expiation and.htm

Our Watchword
... What is that plan? It is summed up in a single word"substitution. "He bore,
that we might never bear,. His Father's righteous ire.". ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/our watchword.htm

Thesaurus
Substitution (1 Occurrence)
... 1. (n.) The act of substituting or putting one person or thing in the place of another;
as, the substitution of an agent, attorney, or representative to act ...
/s/substitution.htm - 7k

Ransom (46 Occurrences)
... The strong preposition used intensifies the idea of ransom and expiation,
even to the point of substitution. It is anti, "instead ...
/r/ransom.htm - 43k

Baptist (16 Occurrences)
... The substitution of pouring or sprinkling for immersion, as the Christian ordinance
of baptism, was late and gradual and finally triumphed in the West because ...
/b/baptist.htm - 56k

Interpretation (45 Occurrences)
... The substitution of pouring or sprinkling for immersion, as the Christian ordinance
of baptism, was late and gradual and finally triumphed in the West because ...
/i/interpretation.htm - 57k

Subtil (3 Occurrences)

/s/subtil.htm - 10k

Godhead (5 Occurrences)
... The substitution for "Godhead" here of its synonym "Divinity" by the Revised Version
(British and American) is doubtless due in part to a desire to give ...
/g/godhead.htm - 22k

Imputation
... which according to the New Testament is typical of the sacrifice of Christ, the
imposition of hands on the head of the victim signified the substitution of it ...
/i/imputation.htm - 39k

Kittim (8 Occurrences)
... The derivation of an ancient Chethim from Chethimus, however, would make the m to
be a radical, and this, with the substitution of Ch (= Kh) for Kittim ...
/k/kittim.htm - 15k

Nay (92 Occurrences)
... See Yes. 2. (adv.) Not this merely, but also; not only so, but; -- used to mark
the addition or substitution of a more explicit or more emphatic phrase. ...
/n/nay.htm - 34k

Gallery (2 Occurrences)
... are "pillar," "column," "walk with pillars," "colonnades," "passageway," "porches,"
"galleries" of "terraces." Cornhill suggests the substitution of kiroth ...
/g/gallery.htm - 11k

Resources
What is the doctrine of penal substitution? | GotQuestions.org

What is the doctrine of substitution? | GotQuestions.org

What is the meaning of Christus Victor? | GotQuestions.org

Substitution: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Substitution (1 Occurrence)

Leviticus 27:33
He shall not search whether it is good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he changes it at all, then both it and that for which it is changed shall be holy. It shall not be redeemed.'"
(See NIV)

Subtopics

Substitution

Substitution: General Scriptures Concerning

Substitution: The Levites for the Firstborn of the Israelites

Substitution: The Life of Ahab in Exchange for That of Ben-Hadad

Substitution: The offering for the offerer

Related Terms

Ransom (46 Occurrences)

Baptist (16 Occurrences)

Interpretation (45 Occurrences)

Subtil (3 Occurrences)

Godhead (5 Occurrences)

Imputation

Kittim (8 Occurrences)

Nay (92 Occurrences)

Gallery (2 Occurrences)

Thaddaeus (2 Occurrences)

Rumah (2 Occurrences)

Revolution (6 Occurrences)

Revised

Ebron (1 Occurrence)

Epiphanes

Derive (1 Occurrence)

Moloch (2 Occurrences)

Molech (16 Occurrences)

Behalf (140 Occurrences)

Bethsaida (7 Occurrences)

Change (109 Occurrences)

American

Alphaeus (5 Occurrences)

Substitute (3 Occurrences)

Shift (1 Occurrence)

Split (36 Occurrences)

Fox (2 Occurrences)

Priesthood (30 Occurrences)

Blood (435 Occurrences)

Chronicles (45 Occurrences)

Mind (615 Occurrences)

Antiochus

Proper (62 Occurrences)

Nile (37 Occurrences)

Genealogy (29 Occurrences)

Talmud

Version

Epistle (13 Occurrences)

Jesus (10891 Occurrences)

Colossians (1 Occurrence)

Heaven (653 Occurrences)

Jeroboam (96 Occurrences)

Government (20 Occurrences)

Mediation

Bel (3 Occurrences)

Mediator (7 Occurrences)

Dragon (20 Occurrences)

Testaments

Games (2 Occurrences)

Between (2624 Occurrences)

Joseph (248 Occurrences)

Monthly (11 Occurrences)

Text (5 Occurrences)

Manuscripts

Baptism (76 Occurrences)

Malefactor (2 Occurrences)

Names (133 Occurrences)

Son (25967 Occurrences)

Sabbath (126 Occurrences)

House (20110 Occurrences)

Man (26072 Occurrences)

Ethics

Sacrifice (300 Occurrences)

Sodomite (1 Occurrence)

Criticism (1 Occurrence)

Kingdom (409 Occurrences)

Israel (27466 Occurrences)

Bible

God (45911 Occurrences)

Religion (23 Occurrences)

Substitute
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