The Scriptural doctrine of Christ’s redemption made for all men is known in ecclesiastical terminology as His vicarious satisfaction (satisfactio vicaria), or vicarious atonement (stellvertretende Oenugtuung). Synonyms of this term used in Scripture are: propitiation (ίλασμός, 1 John 2, 2); mercy-seat (ίλαοτήριον, Rom. 3, 25); reconciliation (χαταλλαγή, Rom. 6, 10; 2 Cor. 5,18); redemption (άπολύτρωσις, Eph. 1, 7; Col. 1,14) ; ransom (λντρον, Matt. 20, 28), all of which declare that the redemption of Christ was made by the payment of an adequate price for the captives.
The term vicarious satisfaction in particular is used to express the following truths: a) God, according to His perfect justice (iustitia legislatoria, normativa), demands of all men perfect obedience to His Law, and His wrath is upon all (iustitia vindicativa) who do not fulfil it, Gal. 3,10; b) Christ, by His perfect (active and passive) obedience, has satisfied the demands of divine justice in man’s stead. Gal. 4, 4. 5; 3, 13; 1 Pet. 3, 18, and has thus turned the wrath of God into grace, or favor, Rom. 5, 10; c) through Christ’s satisfaction all men were reconciled unto God, 2 Cor. 5, 18—21; that is to say, God is no longer angry with sinners and no longer imputes to them their transgressions, but has graciously forgiven them all their sins, Rom. 5, 10.18.19.
The Formula of Concord thus emphasizes this comforting doctrine: “Since it is the obedience, as above mentioned, ... of the entire person, it is a complete satisfaction and expiation for the human race, by which the eternal, immutable righteousness of God, revealed in the Law, has been satisfied and is thus our righteousness, which avails before God and is revealed in the Gospel and upon which faith relies before God, which God imputes to faith, as it is written, Rom. 5, 19; 1 John 1, 7; Hab. 2, 4; Rom. 1, 17.” (Thor. Decl., III, 57.) So also the Apology says: “The Law condemns all men; but Christ, because without sin He has borne the punishment of sin and has been made a victim for us, has removed that right of the Law to accuse and condemn those who believe in Him, because He Himself is the Propitiation for them, for whose sake we now are accounted righteous. But since they are accounted righteous, the Law cannot accuse or condemn them, even though they have not actually satisfied the Law.” (Art. III, 58.)