Does 1 Peter 3:18 teach that God punished Jesus?

We have been pursuing our Doctrinal Rethink for some time now. In the process of engaging it we have begun to question certain beliefs, church structures, and practices of the western church. Too often we have discovered unbiblical doctrines and activities. This causes us concern.

Why do churches do what they do? What is the biblical basis of church leadership structure? Why do certain traditions get entrenched? How did we arrive at our doctrines?

Today we revisit a topic we have considered before, the punishment of Jesus for our sins. The doctrine that Jesus was punished is is part of the tripartite reformist view of Jesus' sacrificial death: Penal Substitutionary Atonement. That is, according to PSA Jesus 

• was punished by the Father (P)
• died in our place, to (S)
• atone for our sins (A)

Frankly, we find the biblical defenses of these doctrines to be surprisingly weak, In fact, we would say that none of these concepts are taught in the Bible. We realize this is controversial. In fact, some consider it a dividing line between orthodoxy and heresy. Such characterizations are unfortunate, especially since we believe there is ample reason to question these doctrines. Again we refer the reader to our discussion.
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The armor of God: To stand

"Don't go after the enemy until you've gone after God." - Ray Hughes.

It is easy to become casual about Scriptures we have read over and over. So we are always delighted to study familiar Scriptures and discover new things. One such passage is Ep. 6:10-18. This is the primary "spiritual warfare" Scripture, and has been portrayed in children's church, preached from many pulpits, and even demonstrated with actual armor.

There is one part of this that never seems to get preached about, and that is what it means to stand. ...and after you have done everything, to stand. This word has remained in the back of our mind as a curiosity. What did Paul mean to get all dressed up just to stand? 

Here's the passage:

Ep. 6:10-18 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Ep. 6:11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

IS CALVINISM BIBLICAL? A BIBLICAL EXAMINATION OF CALVINISM AND ITS TEACHINGS CONCERNING SALVATION, ELECTION, AND PREDESTINATION - By Cooper P. Abrams, III

Found here. https://bible-truth.org/Election2.doc

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This is a long article, written by a person who we've examined before and found his presentation to be less than correct.

So we present this article with a grain of salt. We don't know how accurate the author is, but there is also a good deal of valuable information.

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Rock Your Role: Jill in the Pulpit (1 Timothy 2:11-12) - by Michelle Lesley

Found here. Our comments in bold.

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Ms. Lesley makes her case according to the traditional understanding of these passages, but does not consult the Greek. Nor does she examine her assumptions or add anything original. She simply parrots the traditional line of thinking, assuming it is correct. 

It's not.

In addition, she barely manages to quote Scripture. This is an unfortunate prevalent tendency among the Doctrinal Police.

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Basic Training: 8 Things You Need to Know about Prayer - by Michelle Lesley

Found here. Our comments in bold.

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Mixed in with an occasional good explanation is some really bad teaching. More troubling is that the author doesn't quote a single Scripture. Not one. The author purports to instruct us on the critical issue of prayer without providing a single Bible verse.

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More thoughts from an 80 year old

 11/1/16: I am taking care of everything in your life. Leave everything in My hands... Thank you Jesus, You created me for Your purposes.

11/24/16: Serve with gratefulness and love. 

Deconstructing the Heresy of Dominion Theology - by Rev. Anthony Wade

Found here. Our comments in bold.

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It has been some time since we have had the opportunity to comment on Rev. Wade. He's back, and little has changed. He remains unable to edify or encourage the brethren. He seems unaware of any Scriptures that contradict his viewpoint. And, he hardly manages to quote or even reference the Bible as he goes on the warpath against someone named Barry Maracle. 

We do not intend to defend Mr. Maracle or dominionism, we are simply interested in Rev. Wade's presentation.

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Chris Blackeby Appears on Charisma Mag Podcast: Dude Believes He’s Jesus - by Staff Writer

Found here.  

Our comments in bold.

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We don't know this Chris Blackeby or why he might be such a danger. We certainly have no intention of defending him or his teachings. We shall, however, examine "Staff Writer's" presentation in order to determine the source of his outrage.

We need to note that the author quotes no Scripture, explains no biblical concept, nor does he mount a refutation of the the person who is the subject of his ire. Nothing.

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