Did Jesus really die instead of us? When the New Testament says that **Jesus died for our sins**, does that automatically mean **penal substitution**—or is there another biblical way to understand the cross?

In this episode of **The Story and the Shape Podcast**, we explore whether Scripture presents Jesus’ death as a case of **substitution**, or whether the Bible more often works with a pattern of **corporate participation**: the idea that people can share in the consequences of a group because they belong to the group.

We look at key biblical passages and themes including:

* **Achan and corporate guilt** in Joshua 7

* **Adamic humanity** and why “in Adam all die” matters

* **Jesus entering Israel’s story** as well as humanity’s story

* **Isaiah 53** and whether it really teaches penal substitution

* **Galatians 3** and the meaning of “the curse of the law”

* **2 Corinthians 5** and what it means that Christ was “made to be sin”

* **1 Peter 2** and participation in Christ’s suffering and death

The big question of this episode is whether Jesus died **instead of us**, or whether he entered fully into the human condition and **shared in the consequences of human sin** in order to bring us through death into resurrection life.

If you’ve ever wrestled with questions around **atonement theology**, **penal substitutionary atonement (PSA)**, **the meaning of the cross**, or how to read verses like *“Christ died for our sins”* in context, this conversation is for you.

00:00 – Jesus Died “For Our Sins”?

01:06 – Achan: One Sin, Many Suffer

05:10 – The Bible’s Corporate Worldview

07:45 – Jesus Joined Adamic Humanity

12:10 – Jesus Enters Israel’s Story

16:03 – Participation in Christ’s Death

18:13 – Isaiah 53 Reconsidered

21:21 – The Curse of the Law

27:29 – He Entered Our Story in Love

36:13 – Participation, Not Substitution?

In this episode we explore three major sacrifices in Israel’s story - Passover, the Covenant ratification at Sinai, and the Day of Atonement. Far from working the same way, each one uses blood differently and plays a unique role in the bigger narrative.

We examine what the blood is actually doing in each case and why the common assumption of penal substitution doesn’t line up with the biblical story. A foundational episode for understanding how the New Testament applies sacrificial imagery to Jesus.

00:00 Three Sacrifices, One Story

02:15 Recap: Blood & Relationship

03:36 Passover – The Warding Blood

05:18 Dismantling Substitution

11:48 Blood as Life & Protection

13:35 Covenant at Sinai

15:16 Blood of the Covenant

21:18 Sealing the Relationship

27:46 Day of Atonement – Cleansing

33:19 The Scapegoat & Removal

35:35 One Story, Three Functions

38:30 Final Thoughts & Next Time

Why did animals actually die in biblical sacrifice? In Episode 6 of the podcast, we challenge the standard courtroom framework of Penal Substitutionary Atonement (PSA) and explore how ancient Israelite sacrifice was really about relational gift-giving, life, and purification.

For many modern Christians, the default view of biblical sacrifice is a legal transaction: an animal dies as a substitute to suffer the death penalty for a person's sin. But does this courtroom model actually hold up under biblical scrutiny? In this episode, we put a spanner in the works of standard PSA logic by looking at the actual mechanics of Levitical law. We discuss why "sin offerings" were required for completely non-moral things like childbirth, skin diseases, mildewed houses, and even inanimate objects like the altar itself.

If blood doesn't represent a demand for death and punishment, what does it mean? We dive into the ancient perspective that blood symbolizes a potent force of life - the ultimate ritual cleaning agent used to push back the forces of death, mortality, and ritual decay so that a holy God can dwell among his people.

This episode is also available on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/jEJbA_vF1Ec

Books Mentioned:

- "Leviticus on the Butcher's Block" by Phil Bray (YouTube: Leviticus is Fun)

- "Lamb of the Free" by Andrew Rillera

00:00 - The Distortion of Biblical Sacrifice

02:06 - Debunking the Courtroom Model (PSA)

06:36 - Israel's Actual Criminal Justice System

08:21 - The Throne Room: Relationship & Gift-Giving

09:48 - Why the Priests Offered God "Food"

13:57 - The Shared Meal: Participating with God

18:10 - The Real Reason the Animal Dies

21:12 - The Logic of Blood Atonement & Cleansing

28:33 - Sin Offerings for Altars, Houses, & Childbirth

34:32 - Where Sin Offerings Appear in the Gospels

38:18 - Does the Sacrificial System Support PSA?

In episode #5 of the podcast we take a deep dive into one of the most important atonement passages in the New Testament. What does “hilasterion” (often translated "propitiation") really mean? Is God the one being propitiated, or is He offering humanity a gift?

We explore the original meaning of the word in both Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts, the true nature of God’s justice, and why this passage may not be saying what many assume. A fresh look at justice, faithfulness, and reconciliation that challenges common assumptions about the cross.

If you’ve ever wrestled with how God can be both just and the justifier, this episode is for you.

00:00 Intro

03:10 The Word Propitiation

09:25 Direction of the Gift

12:45 Faith As Loyalty

22:30 What Hilasterion Really Means

37:20 Trojan Horse & Augustus

50:40 Amnesty & Reconciliation

56:50 Final Thoughts

Music by PaulYudin - https://pixabay.com/music/rock-sport-sport-music-490393/

Most Christians assume that God’s justice means punishment for wrongdoing. But what if the Bible presents a completely different picture? In this episode, we look at how “justice” is actually used in the Old Testament and why that might challenge the idea that God’s justice is primarily retributive. This is part of an ongoing series exploring the cross, the gospel, and the assumptions behind penal substitutionary atonement.

What if God doesn’t actually need to punish sin before He can forgive us?

In this episode of the podcast, we take a close look at one of the most common assumptions in modern Christianity: that God can’t forgive without someone being punished. We trace the idea back to Anselm’s satisfaction theory, examine John Stott’s arguments in "The Cross Of Christ", and ask whether this is really a biblical concept or a man-made framework placed on top of Scripture.

We dive into the Old Testament (Psalms, Micah, Isaiah, Jonah), the parable of the unmerciful servant, and why penal substitution might actually be trying to solve an imaginary problem.

Watch this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/yTiaw9EFeGY

Intro music by PaulYudin - https://pixabay.com/music/rock-sport-sport-music-490393/

In this episode, we unpack why discussions about penal substitution often get intensely emotional before anyone even opens the Bible. We explore how feelings of guilt, safety, and fear can shut down conversation, and why questioning this popular doctrine can feel like a major red flag to many Christians.

Music by PaulYudin - https://pixabay.com/music/rock-sport-sport-music-490393/

Is Penal Substitutionary Atonement really the gospel?

In this first episode of The Story and the Shape Podcast, I kick off a deep dive conversation with my pastor James about the story of the Bible, the meaning of the cross, and whether penal substitutionary atonement really sits at the centre of it all.

Watch on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/w-Gp1En5nY4