Modern Christianity teaches that Jesus died for the forgiveness of sins. This is known as the Atonement doctrine. It is the backbone doctrine in Christianity and is taught by Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox Christians, but is this doctrine a Biblical doctrine? Or is it one that is a misinterpretation of the New Testament scriptures to suit the false Manichean doctrine of original sin? This article is going to refute the notion of atonement by a close examination of the scriptures.

The first issue that will be addressed is the doctrine of original sin and how it does not have a place in the Bible, then the importance of obedience will be discussed and how it’s required for salvation (as opposed to “belief alone”). These two subjects will serve as a premise for the meat of this topic, sacrificial atonement. Sacrifice in the Old Testament will be covered by the quoting of the prophets — whom were opposed to ritual sacrifice, and then the New Testament passages will be examined by the application of alternative, but spiritual interpretations — different than of what Christians are fond of. Afterward, the Christians’ interpretation of Isaiah 53 will be examined and debunked, and the final part of this article will be the criticism of the way Christians think.

If you are a Christian reading this, you will have your faith challenged, and perhaps you may be provoked. Just remember that Paul wrote in his first letter to the Thessalonians that believers are required to test the spirits. He also wrote in Hebrews that God expects you to have your senses trained to discern good and evil. If you boast that your faith cannot be shaken and instantly reject anything that contradicts your paradigm, then your faith has already been shaken because it is weak.

Some have argued that the later development of the doctrine of original sin was influenced by external philosophical and religious ideas. For example, Augustine of Hippo—one of the most influential figures in shaping Western Christian theology—was at one time associated with Manichaeism, a system that viewed the material world as inherently corrupt and emphasized a deep division between flesh and spirit.

Although Augustine eventually rejected Manichaeism, scholars have noted that some of his later theological formulations continued to emphasize the weakness and corruption of human nature. Whether or not this influence was direct, it is clear that the fully developed doctrine of original sin emerged over time and is not explicitly laid out in the Hebrew scriptures in the form later defined. Concepts of inherited guilt and total depravity are also not characteristic of mainstream Jewish or ancient Mosaic interpretation, which has generally emphasized individual responsibility and the capacity for righteousness.

Romans 5:12 is the most commonly cited passage by Christians—especially Catholics—to support the doctrine of original sin:

“For this reason, even as through one man sin did enter into the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.”

However, this passage refers to the influence of sin—the idea of disobedience—not a literal “curse” inherited from Adam (which has no explicit basis in Scripture). It is not that we are born with sin; rather, we are raised within its influence. Men were influenced by Adam and passed those patterns down through generations. Christians often overlook verse 19, which presents a parallel: just as sin spreads through influence, so does righteousness through obedience.

“For as through the disobedience of one man many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the One many shall be made righteous.”

Another passage commonly used is Romans 3:10–11:

“As it has been written, ‘There is none righteous, no, not one! There is no one who understands, there is none who seeks Elohim.’”

This statement functions as hyperbole. Paul is quoting Psalm 14:2–3, which addressed conditions in David’s time and was contextually relevant to his audience. It does not describe every human being across all time, but rather a specific group in a particular situation—those not earnestly seeking God.

To apply Romans 3:10–11 universally contradicts Scripture. In Psalm 14 itself, verse 5 states: “There they are in great fear, for יהוה is with the generation of the righteous.” If “not one” does good in an absolute sense, how can a “generation of the righteous” exist?

In Romans 3:18, Paul quotes Psalm 36:1: “There is no fear of God before his eyes.” Yet the preceding line clarifies the subject: “Transgression speaks to the wicked within his heart.” This is not a description of all humanity, but of the ungodly.

Why, then, would Paul say just a few verses later (Romans 3:22) that the righteousness of God is upon all who have the faith of Christ?

If no one were capable of seeking God, then why does the Old Testament repeatedly encourage it?

“But from there you shall seek יהוה your Elohim, and shall find Him, when you search for Him with all your heart and with all your being.” (Deuteronomy 4:29)

“I love those who love me, and those who earnestly seek me do find me.” (Proverbs 8:17)

“And you shall seek Me, and shall find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)

Even Christ affirmed this: “Seek, and you shall find” (Matthew 7:7–8). Why would he say this if no one were capable of seeking God? Anyone who claims to follow Christ while not seeking God is a hypocrite.

If Romans 3:10 were truly universal, it would also apply to Jesus, since the text does not say “none are righteous except Jesus,” but “none are righteous, no, not one.”

Scripture explicitly identifies righteous individuals. Noah, Daniel, and Job are all called righteous (Ezekiel 14:14, 20), and Ezekiel repeatedly teaches that righteousness is not only possible but required (see chapters 18 and 33).

“This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with Elohim.” (Genesis 6:9)

Some argue Noah cannot be considered righteous because he became drunk. However, Scripture condemns habitual drunkenness, not a single incident. Genesis records this event only once, and there is no indication it was done in deliberate rebellion. To label him a sinner on that basis alone is unreasonable.

Christians also cite Romans 3:23:

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Again, this is hyperbolic language. It states “all have sinned,” not “all continue sinning,” and refers to humanity collectively—particularly those under the Law. “Coming short of the glory of God” reflects human limitation, not inherent sinfulness. We are not omnipotent, omniscient, or omnipresent like God, but imperfection is not the same as moral corruption.

Did God design humanity to rebel against Him? We were created in His likeness (Genesis 1:26). Is God inherently sinful?

What does it mean, then, to be “under the Law”?

[Romans 3:19–20] “And we know that whatever the Torah says, it says to those who are in the Torah, so that every mouth might be stopped, and all the world come under judgment before Elohim. Therefore by works of Torah no flesh shall be declared right before Him, for by the Torah is the knowledge of sin.”

Those who sin are under the Law—whether they consciously observe it or not—because the Law was given for sinners. The righteous fulfill the Law, but the sinner stands condemned by it, for sin is transgression of the Law.

The Law exists to reveal sin (Exodus 20:20; Romans 3:20; 7:7), making sinners aware of their wrongdoing so they may repent. It does not expose sin in one who is already righteous. The only way to be free from the Law—to be under grace—is to stop sinning: to walk according to the Spirit rather than the flesh (Romans 8).

[Romans 6:1–11] “What, then, shall we say? Shall we continue in sin, to let favour increase? Let it not be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were immersed into Messiah יהושע were immersed into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through immersion into death, that as Messiah was raised from the dead by the esteem of the Father, so also we should walk in newness of life. For if we have come to be grown together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also of the resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was impaled with Him, so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, to serve sin no longer. For he who has died has been made right from sin. And if we died with Messiah, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Messiah, having been raised from the dead, dies no more—death no longer rules over Him. For in that He died, He died to sin once for all; but in that He lives, He lives to Elohim. So you also reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to Elohim in Messiah יהושע our Master.”

[Romans 4:8] “Blessed is the man to whom יהוה shall by no means reckon sin.”

Isaiah 64:6 is another passage frequently quoted by Christians and often taken entirely out of context:

“And all of us have become as one unclean, and all our righteousness are as soiled rags. And all of us fade like a leaf, and our crookedness, like the wind, have taken us away.”

The book of Isaiah addresses Israel’s apostasy. This passage—and the entire chapter—refers specifically to Israel after turning to other gods and refusing to repent.

[Isaiah 64:7–10] “And there is no one who calls on Your Name, who stirs himself up to take hold of You; for You have hidden Your face from us, and have consumed us because of our crookedness. And now, O יהוה, You are our Father. We are the clay, and You our potter. And we are all the work of Your hand. Do not be wroth, O יהוה, nor remember crookedness forever. See, please look, all of us are Your people! Your set-apart cities have become a wilderness, Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a waste.”

[Psalm 58:3] “The wrong have been estranged from the womb; these who speak lies go astray from birth.”

This single verse is often taken out of context to “prove” that all babies are born sinful. Notice the passage reads, “go astray from birth.” This indicates that they were not born astray, but went astray from birth. Verse 10 reads that the righteous do not go astray. It is only the wicked who go astray, not the righteous. Logically, one cannot stray off the right path if they were not there before. The only reason why someone would go astray is if they choose to do so either on their own volition or by social influences.

In Jewish interpretation, this verse is typically understood as poetic and hyperbolic language describing the behavior of the wicked, not a literal statement about infants being born sinful. The Psalms frequently use exaggerated expressions to emphasize moral corruption among evildoers. Rather than teaching inherited sin, the verse is read as describing how early and consistently the wicked choose a path of deceit, reinforcing the idea of moral responsibility rather than innate guilt..

[Psalm 51:5] “See, I was brought forth in crookedness, and in sin my mother conceived me.”

This psalm was written by David in deep remorse after his sin with Bathsheba. It is poetic and expressive, not a literal doctrinal statement. It reflects guilt and anguish, not biological inheritance.

Taken literally, the verse would contradict the tone of repentance in the chapter, suggesting excuse rather than confession. The same psalm uses figurative language elsewhere: broken bones rejoicing (v. 8), cleansing with hyssop (v. 7), and other symbolic imagery. These are not meant to be interpreted literally.

Sin is not a substance—it is transgression. Infants cannot transgress the Law. Moral responsibility requires awareness of good and evil, which children do not yet possess.

[Deuteronomy 1:39] “And your little ones and your children, who today have no knowledge of good and evil… they are going in there.”

[Isaiah 7:16] “For before the Child knows to refuse evil and choose the good…”

These passages show that moral awareness develops over time.

Another commonly cited passage is 1 John 1:8–10:

“If we say that we have no sin, we are misleading ourselves, and the truth is not in us…”

The first thing to point out here is that John is saying that we cannot possibly have fellowship with Christ (v. 6) if we walk in darkness, which means if we are in a continual state of sin, then we are in a continual state of darkness which makes fellowship with Christ virtually impossible. The proper context here is that James is writing to the Christian initiates who believe they were previously without sin before joining the faith. To believe the traditional meaning that this applies to all Christians is to make the passage contradict itself, and also implies that John contradicted himself by what he wrote in chapter 3.

Verse 9 makes it clear that Christ cleanses of from all unrighteousness, meaning we are cleansed from all sin moving forward, and of course verse 10 reinstates verse 8 by using the past-tense. The implication is not that we are all still sinners if we have been redeemed, but that we are all sinners unless we have been redeemed. This is an obvious conclusion in light of what is written in the verse that comes next, in 2:1, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.”

He continues, and write: “I write this to you so that you do not sin. And if anyone sins…” The conditional “if” indicates that sin is not inevitable, but something to be avoided.

[Matthew 9:12–13] “Those who are strong have no need of a physician, but those who are sick… I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

1 Kings 8:46 is also often cited:

“For there is no one who does not sin…”

This is hyperbolic, reflecting Israel’s collective apostasy—not a universal, unchangeable condition. The statement appears within Solomon’s temple prayer, where he is speaking about the recurring pattern of Israel falling into sin and consequently being delivered into the hands of their enemies. It is a general observation about the nation’s tendency toward disobedience, not a doctrinal claim that every individual is perpetually sinful or incapable of righteousness.

Scripture itself records that not all were treated alike in times of judgment. For example, when Judah was taken into captivity, the poor and certain others were left in the land (2 Kings 24:14; 25:12; Jeremiah 39:10), indicating that not everyone was in the same state of guilt or rebellion. Likewise, throughout the Old Testament there are repeated references to a righteous remnant within Israel—those who remained faithful while the majority turned away.

Therefore, the phrase “no one who does not sin” should be understood as a broad, rhetorical expression about the condition of Israel as a whole during periods of apostasy, not as proof that every human being is born sinful or exists in a constant state of sin.

Ecclesiastes 7:20 states:

“For there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and does not sin.”

At first glance, this appears to support the idea that no one is truly righteous. However, just a few verses earlier (v. 15), the same author acknowledges the existence of righteous individuals: “There is a righteous one perishing in his righteousness, and there is a wrong one living long in his evil.” This creates an internal tension within the passage. On one hand, righteous people clearly exist; on the other, the statement in verse 20 speaks in absolute terms. This suggests that the verse is not meant to function as a precise doctrinal claim, but rather as a broad, observational statement shaped by the author’s perspective.

Ecclesiastes as a whole is written from a standpoint of frustration and disillusionment. The author repeatedly reflects on the apparent inconsistencies of life—where righteousness is not always rewarded and wickedness is not always punished in the present world. Because of this, many of its statements are descriptive rather than prescriptive; they express how life appears “under the sun,” not necessarily how things stand from a complete theological perspective.

This helps explain why certain passages in Ecclesiastes seem to conflict with other parts of Scripture that affirm the existence and value of righteousness. Rather than laying out clear doctrinal teaching, the book emphasizes the fleeting and often perplexing nature of human experience. Therefore, Ecclesiastes 7:20 should be understood within that context—as a general reflection on human behavior and imperfection—rather than as definitive proof that no one can be righteous.

[Ephesians 2:3] “…we all once lived in the lusts of our flesh…”

This refers to past behavior. “Nature” here reflects habitual conduct, not an inborn condition.

[Ephesians 4:22] speaks of putting off the “old man,” referring to a former way of life—not an inherent identity present at birth.

Thus, the concept of original sin is not explicitly taught in Scripture. Instead, Scripture consistently emphasizes personal responsibility:

[Deuteronomy 24:16] “Each is to die for his own sin.”

[Ezekiel 18:19–20] “The being who sins shall die… the son shall not bear the crookedness of the father…”

Each individual is accountable for their own actions, not for inherited guilt.

If original sin is not true, then why did Jesus have to die? First of all, let’s answer the question of what his purpose was for coming. Why was he sent?

[Matthew 1:21] “And she shall give birth to a Son, and you shall call His Name יהושע for He shall save His people from their sins.”

He came to save us from our sins by preaching the Word of God, and with the expectation that we apply it.

[John 5:24] “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me possesses everlasting life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”

[Luke 11:27-28] And it came to be, as He was saying this, a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which You sucked!” But He said, “Blessed rather are those hearing the Word of Elohim and watching over it!”

Faith is not the mere acknowledgement that Christ is the Son of God, but rather an action that entails doing what God asks of you—to obey Him. It is a way of living that reconciles us to God, and expecting the reward for it. Said reward is a resurrection unto everlasting life.

[Hebrews 5:8-9] “Though being a Son, He learned obedience by what He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the Causer of everlasting deliverance to all those obeying Him.”

[John 14:6] יהושע said to him, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

The Way, Truth and Life are clearly defined throughout the Old Testament:

[Psalm 119:1] “Blessed are the perfect in the way, who walk in the Torah of יהוה!”

[Psalm 119:142] “Your righteousness is righteousness forever, and Your Torah is truth.”

[Proverbs 13:14] “The Torah of the wise is a fountain of life, turning one away from the snares of death.”

[Matthew 5:17-18] “Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to complete. For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done.”

[Matthew 22:37-40] And יהושע said to him, ‘You shall love יהוה your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your being, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great command. And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ On these two commands hang all the Torah and the Prophets.

Loving God with all heart, being, and mind requires keeping His commandments:

[Matthew 19:17] And He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except One – Elohim. But if you wish to enter into life, guard the commands.”

[John 14:15] “If you love Me, you shall guard My commands.”

[John 14:23-24] יהושע answered him, “If anyone loves Me, he shall guard My Word. And My Father shall love him, and We shall come to him and make Our stay with him. He who does not love Me does not guard My Words. And the Word which you hear is not Mine but of the Father Who sent Me.”

[1 John 2:3-5] “And by this we know that we know Him, if we guard His commands. The one who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not guard His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever guards His Word, truly the love of Elohim has been perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.”

[Revelation 22:14] “Blessed are those doing His commands, so that the authority shall be theirs unto the tree of life, and to enter through the gates into the city.”

Anyone who guards the commands is righteous, and the one who is righteous is one with the Father as Christ is.

[John 17:11] “And I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Set-apart Father, guard them in Your Name which You have given Me, so that they might be one, as We are.”

[John 1:12-13] “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become children of Elohim, to those believing in His Name, who were born, not of blood nor of the desire of flesh nor of the desire of man, but of Elohim.”

[Romans 8:13-14] “For if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of Elohim, these are sons of Elohim.”

[Matthew 5:44-45] “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those cursing you, do good to those hating you, and pray for those insulting you and persecuting you, so that you become sons of your Father in the heavens. Because He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.”

We were also called to be perfect:

[Matthew 5:48] “Therefore, be perfect, as your Father in the heavens is perfect.”

[Matthew 19:21] יהושע said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven. And come, follow Me.”

As you can see, he was sent to teach the importance of obedience, which is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, which is to guard the commands, which is to fulfill the Law, which is to be righteous. The only way to the Father is through obedience to the Word. Sin is disobedience, and no sinner can come to the Father because sinners are not living in Christ. If a sinner repents and turns to obedience then they become saved and are no longer in sin.

[John 8:10-11] And יהושע, straightening up and seeing no one but the woman, said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Did no one condemn you?” And she said, “No one, Master.” And יהושע said to her, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.”

[1 John 3:4-10] “Everyone doing sin also does lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Everyone staying in Him does not sin. Everyone sinning has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one lead you astray. The one doing righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. The one doing sin is of the devil, because the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of Elohim was manifested: to destroy the works of the devil. Everyone having been born of Elohim does not sin, because His seed stays in him, and he is powerless to sin, because he has been born of Elohim. In this the children of Elohim and the children of the devil are manifest: Everyone not doing righteousness is not of Elohim, neither the one not loving his brother.”

[Deuteronomy 25:16] “For all who do these, and all who do unrighteously, are an abomination to יהוה your Elohim.”

[Psalm 5:3-5] “O יהוה, in the morning You hear my voice; I present myself to You in the morning, and I look up. For You are not an El taking delight in wrong, nor does evil dwell with You. The boasters do not stand before Your eyes; You hate all workers of wickedness.”

[Psalm 34:14-16] “Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of יהוה are on the righteous, and His ears unto their cry. The face of יהוה is against evil-doers, to cut off their remembrance from the earth.”

[1 Peter 3:10-12] For “He who wishes to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit, let him turn away from evil and do good, let him seek peace and pursue it. Because the eyes of יהוה are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers, but the face of יהוה is against those who do evil.”

[John 5:28-29] “Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth – those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have practised evil matters, to a resurrection of judgment.”

Now that we have refuted original sin and established why Jesus was sent, we can address the issue of sacrifice. In the Old Testament, Moses instituted laws of sacrifice as a response to sin. The intent was to impress upon the offender the gravity of their actions—that they themselves deserved death—so they would repent and cease sinning. However, the Israelites often treated these sacrifices as a license to continue in sin rather than a call to genuine repentance.

The prophets repeatedly condemned this abuse of the sacrificial system, declaring that God desires obedience, justice, mercy, and a broken spirit far more than ritual offerings:

[1 Samuel 15:22] Then Shemu’el said, “Does יהוה delight in burnt offerings and slaughterings, as in obeying the voice of יהוה? Look, to obey is better than an offering, to heed is better than the fat of rams.”

[Hosea 6:6] “For I delight in kindness and not slaughtering, and in the knowledge of Elohim more than burnt offerings.”

[Amos 5:21-24] “I have hated, I have despised your festivals, and I am not pleased with your assemblies. Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I do not accept them… Take away from Me the noise of your songs… And let right-ruling roll on like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

[Micah 6:6-8] “With what shall I come before יהוה…? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression…? He has declared to you, O man, what is good. And what does יהוה require of you but to do right, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your Elohim?”

[Isaiah 1:11-17] “Of what use to Me are your many slaughterings?” declares יהוה. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams… I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs or goats… Stop bringing futile offerings… Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Learn to do good!”

[Jeremiah 7:21-23] “Add your burnt offerings to your slaughterings and eat meat. For I did not speak to your fathers… about matters of burnt offerings or slaughterings. But this word I did command them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I shall be your Elohim, and you be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you.’”

[Psalm 51:16-17] “For You do not desire slaughtering, or I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The slaughterings of Elohim are a broken spirit, a heart broken and crushed, O Elohim, these You do not despise.”

Even Christ himself opposed the misuse of sacrifice and quoted the prophets:

[Matthew 9:13] “But go and learn what this means, ‘I desire compassion and not offering.’”

[Matthew 12:7] “And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire compassion and not offering,’ you would not have condemned the blameless.”

All God ever wanted from His people was repentance and obedience. He consistently forgave those who turned from their wickedness — as seen with the Ninevites in Jonah 3. It is inconsistent to claim on one hand that God delights in mercy and heartfelt obedience, while claiming on the other that He would only forgive sins through the violent death of His innocent Son. Yahweh does not change (Malachi 3:6)

We cannot have it both ways. We cannot assume that God wanted mercy and simultaneously demand His Son to be offered as a sacrifice. God does not change his mind. One of these claims has to be false, and logic demands that the latter is false. There are many passages in the New Testament that suggest that the Messiah’s death was an atonement for sins, but let us examine these passages and apply a different interpretation to them – an interpretation that will not contradict the Old Testament.  Let’s begin with John 3:16:

“For Elohim so loved the world that He gave His only brought-forth Son, so that everyone who believes in Him should not perish but possess everlasting life.”

One would immediately focus on the word “gave” and interpret it to mean “God created Jesus to be put to death for our benefit.” Instead of this, try interpreting the word “gave” as “God sent his Son to an extremely dangerous environment where it was certain he would be murdered for preaching the truth.” This interpretation agrees with the rest of the accounts of both the Old and New Testaments.

[Matthew 20:28] “Even as the Son of Adam did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

“Ransom” is the key word here. A ransom is a payment made to free hostages. If we subscribe to the atonement doctrine, then clearly the ransom that Jesus paid was to God himself. If this was the case, then this would mean that God is a malicious, blood-thirsty tyrant who holds all people prisoner until he gets what he wants, which is the murder of an innocent man.

Consider instead that the ransom Jesus pays is to the god of this world: Satan. That is to say, by his lies and malicious teachings (of which was the teachings of the Pharisees was that which Jesus directly combated during His ministry), Satan has ensnared the whole world. The only way to break his spell over people was for Christ to preach the truth, and for people to see him resurrected. The resurrection was important because it established his teachings and confirmed his promise of everlasting life to those who believe in Him.

[Matthew 26:28] “For this is My blood, that of the renewed covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

On the surface this can mean His blood is shed, thus sins are forgiven. But there is a deeper meaning to it. His blood is shed → He is resurrected → His followers are sealed with certainty in the truth of his teachings and gives them the willingness to spread them no matter what the personal cost → this combination of faith in Christ’s teachings and righteous actions in spreading the Gospel lead to forgiveness of sins and salvation for those who believe.

The second interpretation being that his blood is a metaphor for his family of disciples (Matthew 12:50) being “shed” or “poured out” as in poured out into the world preaching the Word so that anyone who hears and believes it will repent and be forgiven.

[Romans 5:6-9] “For when we were still weak, Messiah in due time died for the wicked. For one shall hardly die for a righteous one, though possibly for a good one someone would even have the courage to die.  But Elohim proves His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Messiah died for us. Much more then, having now been declared right by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”

When the wicked hear the message of the Gospels they will repent from their wickedness to be forgiven. They would hear that the Messiah was resurrected as a reward for obedience (Hebrews 5:8-9), therefore they would also turn to obedience/righteousness to merit the same reward. Notice Paul uses the word “were” which is conveying the past-tense, meaning they are no longer sinners, but have repented and are now saved from God’s wrath.

[1 Peter 2:24] “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”

Romans 8:3 says that he “condemned sin in the flesh,” which means that when he “bore our sins” it means that he destroyed our sins. Only this makes sense considering what the rest of the verse says. What need is there to “live for righteousness” if Jesus did all the work for us through his death? Verse 21 says “For to this you were called, because Messiah also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.” What excuse do Christians have?

[Hebrews 10:5] “Therefore, coming into the world, He says, “Slaughtering and meal offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me.”

“but a body You have prepared for me” is commonly interpreted as God preparing Jesus as a sacrifice, but this doesn’t make any sense considering the passage states that sacrifice isn’t what God desires. A more accurate interpretation is that this body being discussed here is the symbolic body of Christ described in 1 Corinthians 12.

[Hebrews 9:22] “And, according to the Torah, almost all is cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

As mentioned earlier, the Israelites who were under the Law had to make sacrifices for atonement, and they were bound to it because they didn’t want to stop sinning. The death of Christ, though, was the death of sin to those who believed.

[Hebrews 9:24-26] “For Messiah has not entered into a Set-apart Place made by hand – figures of the true – but into the heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of Elohim on our behalf, not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters into the Set-apart Place year by year with blood not his own. For if so, He would have had to suffer often, since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the offering of Himself.”

There are only two passages in scripture that actually say that the Messiah’s death was an atoning sacrifice:

[Romans 3:25-26] “whom Elohim set forth as an atonement, through belief in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His tolerance Elohim had passed over the sins that had taken place before to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He is righteous and declares righteous the one who has belief in יהושע.”

[1 John 2:2] “And He Himself is an atoning offering for our sins, and not for ours only but also for all the world.”

Jesus’ death was an atonement only in the sense that those who believe consider his death necessary for his resurrection which gives them certainty that they would be rewarded if they repent, and if they do, they are saved.

[1 Corinthians 15:3] “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.”

While this verse appears to say that Jesus died to pay for our sins, a closer examination in light of the prophets reveals a different emphasis. Paul is reminding the Corinthians of the core message he preached — that the Messiah died and was raised. However, this does not necessarily mean His death was a substitutionary payment for sins. Instead, Jesus’ death and resurrection serve as the ultimate demonstration of the reward for perfect obedience to God’s Word. Those who hear and believe this message are called to repent, turn from sin, and live in obedience, just as the Messiah did, so they too may receive everlasting life.

The Messiah died and was resurrected to demonstrate the reward for righteousness and obedience to the Word. Sinners who hear the Word and believe that God raised Him from the dead will turn to obedience to obtain the same reward, thus repenting from their sins to be forgiven and sin no more. This is the actual meaning to the rest of the verses that seemingly support the atonement doctrine, which are:

Ephesians 1:7, 2:13; Colossians 1:14, 20; Hebrews 9:14, 13:12, 20; Revelation 1:5, 7:14, 12:11

Christians frequently point to Isaiah 53 as their strongest proof that the Messiah was destined to die as a substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of the world. They insist this chapter is a precise prophecy about Jesus bearing the punishment for everyone’s sins. However, when examined carefully in its full context, the passage does not support the atonement doctrine.

Throughout Isaiah chapters 41–49, the “servant” is repeatedly identified as Israel:

[Isaiah 41:8] “But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen…”

[Isaiah 49:3] “You are My servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”

There is no clear signal that this identity suddenly shifts to a single individual in chapter 53. The description of the servant being “despised and rejected,” “a man of sorrows,” and “wounded for our transgressions” aligns powerfully with Israel’s historical suffering. Many also see the servant as representing the faithful remnant of Israel — the 144,000 elect described in Revelation — who remain loyal to Yahweh amid widespread apostasy.

When Christians read “He was pierced for our transgressions” and “Yahweh has laid on Him the iniquity of us all,” they immediately claim this proves penal substitution. But this interpretation ignores the actual meaning of “bearing iniquity” in the Torah. The Levitical priests were specifically tasked with “bearing” or purging the iniquity of the people (Numbers 18:1, 22-23). They did not die as substitutes for the sinners — they carried the responsibility of dealing with sin through the sacrificial system while remaining alive. In the same way, the servant in Isaiah 53 bears the sins of the people by enduring the consequences of their rebellion and helping bring about cleansing, not by being punished in their place.

A further problem for the Christian reading appears in [Isaiah 53:10]. The Hebrew says “Yahweh was pleased to crush Him,” which Christians twist to mean God took pleasure in violently punishing His innocent Son. However, the Septuagint (LXX) — the Greek Old Testament used by the apostles — translates it differently, stating that the Lord desired to cleanse or purify him from his wound. This removes any notion that God delighted in crushing an innocent victim and puts the emphasis on healing and purification.

Additionally, the same verse says that after his suffering, the servant “shall see a seed” and “prolong His days.” The word “seed” (Hebrew zera) typically refers to descendants. This fits Israel — or the faithful remnant — continuing and multiplying after suffering far better than a single man who dies childless.

The New Testament does apply portions of Isaiah 53 to Yahushua (Matthew 8:17 and 1 Peter 2:22-25). This is best understood as typological: Yahushua embodied in one person what faithful Israel and the righteous remnant were called to be — a suffering servant who confronts sin and leads people to repentance and obedience. The apostles never claim that the entire chapter is a literal prediction of penal substitution.

When read in context, Isaiah 53 does not teach that God required the bloody death of an innocent man to satisfy His wrath. It reveals a clear pattern: sin causes suffering, the servant (Israel or the faithful remnant) endures it, and through that endurance others are brought to repentance and obedience. This perfectly matches the consistent message of the prophets — that Yahweh forgives those who genuinely repent and turn from their evil ways. The emphasis is not on substitution, but on repentance, understanding, and transformation.

The atonement doctrine forces a violent, pagan-like concept onto this text that the prophets never taught. Yahweh has always forgiven the repentant without demanding the murder of His own Son.

If the atonement doctrine were true then that means everyone who has sinned are saved through Jesus whether they believe in him or not.

[Romans 5:15] “But the favourable gift is not like the trespass. For if by the one man’s trespass many died, much more the favour of Elohim, and the gift in favour of the one Man, יהושע Messiah, overflowed to many.”

“Many” is interpreted as “all men” by Christians. This means (according to Christians’ logic) that ALL men who sin are saved through the Messiah’s death whether they are Christians or not because all men have sinned because of Adam’s trespass, thus all men will receive favor from God, whether or not they believe. Ridiculous isn’t it?

[Romans 5:17, 21] “So then, as through one trespass there resulted condemnation to all men, so also through one righteous act there resulted righteous-declaring of life to all men. [. . .] so that as sin did reign in death, even so favour might reign through righteousness to everlasting life through יהושע Messiah our Master.”

Does righteousness reign through sinners? Of course not.

The true sacrificial atonement for sins is the sacrifice of a sinful heart – the sacrifice of one’s wicked ways. Repentance is the atoning sacrifice that will bring forgiveness and only obedience will bring salvation.

The true name of the Messiah is Yahushua (יהושע), meaning “Yahweh is salvation.” Yahweh sent Him to show us the way to salvation because He loved us. While some insist on using only the Hebrew name, the New Testament was written in Greek and consistently uses the Greek form Iēsous (the equivalent of our English “Jesus”). What matters most is not the pronunciation, but that we obey the One who bears that name.

Traditional Christian doctrine claims that the Messiah became the manifestation of sin on the cross. This idea is incorrect and deeply problematic, as it would effectively portray Him as the “man of sin” and “son of perdition” in 2 Thessalonians 2:3.

The Messiah remained perfectly sinless throughout His life and death. When 2 Corinthians 5:21 says “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us,” it does not mean that Jesus literally became sinful or evil. Rather, this is a metaphor indicating that through His death, sin was condemned in the flesh.

True righteousness is not automatically transferred through Christ’s death. It is received only by those who hear His Word, repent of their sins, and faithfully obey the commandments of Elohim for the rest of their lives. Those who continue to practice sin do not possess the righteousness of God, no matter how strongly they claim to “believe in Jesus.”

When the Messiah cried out on the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” in Psalm 22:1, it does not mean that God forsook Him because He had become sin. It only appeared that way to Yahushua due to the intense physical and emotional suffering He endured. The Messiah was never the manifestation of sin.

Christians love to claim that the Messiah died for their past, present, and future sins. This is a blatant contradiction of Scripture. They frequently quote Hebrews 10:12:

“But He, having offered one slaughter offering for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of Elohim.”

Yet they ignore Hebrews 9:26, which says He appeared “once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin.” The truth is that Hebrews 10:12 does not mean Christ’s sacrifice covers ongoing sin. It means that sin is put to death in those who truly repent. As Romans 6 clearly teaches, believers are to be dead to sin and alive to God in the Messiah.

Christians who insist that “Jesus died for my future sins” are deliberately twisting the Scriptures to excuse continued sinning. This is the exact same hypocritical spirit the ancient Israelites had when they offered animal sacrifices while refusing to repent. By doing so, they remain under the Law and are not under grace.

Anyone who says “Jesus died for my sins” while continuing to practice sin is spiritually crucifying the Messiah over and over again. If any modern atonement-believing Christian had lived in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, they would have been among those shouting for His blood. If you believe in vicarious atonement yet refuse to stop sinning, you are a murderer at heart — and murderers will have no place in the Kingdom of Elohim (Revelation 21:8, Revelation 22:15).

Christians believe that as long as they confess “Jesus died for my sins” and call Him the Son of God, they are saved — regardless of how they live. They show little interest in what He actually taught or in obeying the commandments.

[Luke 6:46] “But why do you call Me ‘Master, Master,’ and do not do what I say?”

Such people are hypocrites and heretics. Their father is the devil. They are spiritual necromongers — especially Catholics — who bow down to a corpse hanging on a cross. Like the Pharisees, they claim to preach the Word while refusing to practice it. They comfort themselves with the lie that “no one can truly obey because we’re all sinners.”

But the Messiah had sharp words for such hypocrisy:

[Matthew 23:13] “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the reign of the heavens before men; you do not enter, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.”

[John 8:44] “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you wish to do. He was a murderer from the beginning… there is no truth in him.”

[Matthew 23:33] “Serpents, brood of adders! How will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?”

Anyone who teaches that mere belief in “Jesus dying for your sins” is enough for salvation is a liar. Faith without works is dead (James 2:17).

[Matthew 7:21-23] “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Master, Master,’ shall enter the reign of the heavens, but he who does the will of My Father in the heavens. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Your Name…?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”

God does not accept bribes. To think you can bribe the Judge of the universe with the blood of His own Son while continuing in sin is utter blasphemy. No one else died for your sins. If you do not repent and obey, you will die for your own.

[Revelation 20:12, 15] “And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before the throne, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged from what was written in the books, according to their works. [. . .] And if anyone was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

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