Emphasis Preaching Journal
The doctrine of the vicarious...
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The doctrine of the vicarious atonement is one of the oldest teachings in Christendom. As Isaiah wrote 700 years before the Christ, "By his stripes we are healed." That explains what good came from Christ's suffering, but what about the suffering we endure because of our faith? In 325 A.D. the Christian faith became the recognized religion of the Roman Empire. Although that ended the martyrdom of Christians in the Colosseum, it did not end the fights to the death between the gladiators.