4. Objection: It Is Unjust That the Innocent Should Suffer.
Christ has been punished in the place of the guilty. Answer: What God does is just. Now Scripture explicitly testifies: a. That God has attributed the guilt of mankind to the innocent Christ, Isaiah 53:6; 2 Cor. 5:21; Jn. 1:29; Ps. 69:6 etc.; b. that God has indeed made the innocent Christ suffer in the place of the guilty people, 1 Pet. 3:18: "Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust" (dikatoc bmép Gdikwv). Gal. 3:13: Christ "became a curse for us". Thus one can
stood under the opyi, of God — despite the aydan, v. 8, — katnAAdynuev — KataAdayévtEc, passive: "The wrath he lets go." Calov's account of how both caritas and ira Dei are revealed in the atoning death of Christ, Socinism. proflig., p. 503. 392 Sqq. 353-354] can be completely reassured as to the justice of the proceedings. All human criticism of injustice must remain silent in the face of the fact clearly witnessed to in Scripture. Moreover, there is no lack of examples, even in the field of natural perception, of the way in which a person, through his actions and suffering, intercedes for others and for a whole people (Kodrus, Decius Zaleukus, etc.). But such examples must not be used to prove to human reason the justice of the divine process in the punitive suffering of Christ. The only resounding proof is: "It is written." Human reason, when the vicarious punitive suffering of Christ is subjected to its judgment, will always raise objections anew. This also applies to the reason that Christ suffered voluntarily, so that the vicarious punitive suffering does not imply any injustice. It is true: Christ did not have to, but voluntarily took the place of the guilty man, Jn 10:17-18; Eph 6:2; Jn 18:4-11. But immediately human reason prepared the objection that we would declare unjust any earthly judge who, in place of a criminal sentenced to death, wanted to declare an innocent man, who voluntarily presented himself guilty, and punish him with death. It is therefore safest, for the justice of divine action, since God reconciled the world with Himself through Christ's vicarious satisfaction, to simply invoke the revealed will of God.!°°