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The Devil's Disbarment: Exploring Christ's Victory In The Divine Council
You needed more than Jesus’s death on the cross to be saved. You also needed a good lawyer.
The question of how Jesus saved humanity is one of the most controversial topics in the modern church. The typical answer, which states that God poured out his wrath on Jesus as a punishment for our sins, has come under scrutiny, with many calling it cosmic child abuse. However, those who reject this punitive framework have been accused of abandoning the very essence of the gospel.
The Devil’s Disbarment paves a new path forward in this debate by offering a different explanation. Drawing on often-overlooked biblical data, this work argues that humanity has been the defendant in a cosmic trial. The saving work of Christ comes from his advocacy on our behalf after his resurrection. As a result of Christ's advocacy in the heavenly courts, our accusers are disbarred, and we can once more approach the throne of God. Why did Jesus need to become a human and die in order to defeat our accusers? You will have to look inside to find out.
The question of how Jesus saved humanity is one of the most controversial topics in the modern church. The typical answer, which states that God poured out his wrath on Jesus as a punishment for our sins, has come under scrutiny, with many calling it cosmic child abuse. However, those who reject this punitive framework have been accused of abandoning the very essence of the gospel.
The Devil’s Disbarment paves a new path forward in this debate by offering a different explanation. Drawing on often-overlooked biblical data, this work argues that humanity has been the defendant in a cosmic trial. The saving work of Christ comes from his advocacy on our behalf after his resurrection. As a result of Christ's advocacy in the heavenly courts, our accusers are disbarred, and we can once more approach the throne of God. Why did Jesus need to become a human and die in order to defeat our accusers? You will have to look inside to find out.
140 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 11, 2024
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23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 5, 2025
This book is FREE on Amazon.
I was hooked by this book. Several times throughout and still now I had to set it down and just think for about 10 minutes. I can't say I've given Penal Substitutionary Atonement (PSA) a fair hearing yet, but I currently feel like the picture of the atonement presented here makes so much sense. I almost wanted to drop the rating to 4 stars because I know the author is an Open Theist, something I am very uncomfortable with, and there is one brief mention of this in the book. But I do think this is very worthwhile for anyone to read, even if they ultimately think PSA can be held onto. Finally, I wrote an evangelistic conversation in the style of Ray Comfort but with the content of the book. Please enjoy:
Ray Comfort Evangelism But It’s Divine Council:
Ray: Do you believe in God?
Stranger: Sure.
Ray: Great! What do you think will happen to you when you die?
Stranger: I think I’ll go to heaven because I’m not a bad person.
Ray: Really? Have you ever told a lie?
Stranger: Sure.
Ray: Well, what do you call someone who lies?
Stranger: If they lie a lot, they would be a liar.
Ray: Okay, and if you were ever on trial and your innocence came down to your trustworthiness as a truth teller, but the prosecuting lawyer obtained a record of every lie you ever told, would you feel good about your odds?
Stranger: If they had every lie I’ve ever told, maybe not.
Ray: So the prosecutor would call you a liar. Have you ever looked at a woman with lust?
Stranger: Sure.
Ray: Well Jesus said that if you even look at a woman with lust then you’ve committed adultery with her in your heart. Does that make you an adulterer?
Stranger: Yeah, probably, by that definition.
Ray: And so if a prosecutor could see every thought you’ve ever had, do you think he could call you an adulterer by God’s own definition?
Stranger: Yeah.
Ray: Have you ever taken God’s name in vain?
Stranger: Yeah I have.
Ray: So not only does the prosecutor have charges against you, but he also has you on record debasing the highest judge in the court. Would that make you concerned if you were facing a lifetime imprisonment?
Stranger: Yeah I would definitely be concerned.
Ray: As we all would be! You’d need a really good lawyer to get you out of that one!
Stranger: Yeah I guess so.
Ray: Well here’s the good news. God has provided you with the best lawyer there is. You see, God knew that your prosecutor, the Devil, was actually an unjust lawyer himself. The Devil wanted all the glory that God had and so from the beginning he had been trying to get you to sin against God so that you would follow him and not God. You fell for it, but God still loved you, so he sent his Son into the world to prove that the Devil was unjust and that you could live God’s way with his help. When the Devil killed God’s sinless Son, he was proved to be unjust, and Jesus showed that human beings can be obedient to God and opened the way for our sins to be forgiven and our hearts to be changed when we put our faith in him. When Jesus rose from the dead he sat down right next to the Father, so that he could tell him all about the Devil’s unjust dealings and about the goodness he sees in all of his clients. Jesus recommends that the Judge throw out the case against you, and give you a job at the court and a residence nearby! Now how would you like to have the high judge’s Son who was known to be trustworthy and good representing you before this unjust prosecutor?
Stranger: My chances definitely would be a lot better that way.
Ray: They’re better than a lot better! In fact, this court case has already been decided. The Bible tells us that for those who will let Jesus represent them in the court of heaven “there is now no condemnation”. The judge has already forgiven those who will be represented by Jesus. You know that good lawyers cost a lot though, right?
Stranger: Yeah.
Ray: Well this one has been provided for free! All you have to do is say “yes” to Jesus, put your faith in him and trust that through his sinless life, death, resurrection and intercession that you have been fully exonerated and your accuser has been thrown out of court. Is that something you would want to do today?
Stranger: I think so!
Ray: Great! Can I say a quick prayer for you?
Stranger: Sure, thanks.
Ray: Awesome! Father, we thank you for providing the perfect advocate for Stranger, myself, and every human being. We confess to you that we have sinned against you. We want to turn from our ways and be cleansed from our sin so that we can serve you as we were always intended to. Please always stay with us, lead us, and intercede for us when we make mistakes as we seek to follow you. Amen.
Stranger: Amen.
Ray: Say, if I gave you a book, would you read it?
Stranger: Yeah, definitely.
Ray: Okay, it’s called “The Devil’s Disbarment: Exploring Christ's Victory In The Divine Council”.
Stranger: Sounds great! And it’s not too thick either!
I was hooked by this book. Several times throughout and still now I had to set it down and just think for about 10 minutes. I can't say I've given Penal Substitutionary Atonement (PSA) a fair hearing yet, but I currently feel like the picture of the atonement presented here makes so much sense. I almost wanted to drop the rating to 4 stars because I know the author is an Open Theist, something I am very uncomfortable with, and there is one brief mention of this in the book. But I do think this is very worthwhile for anyone to read, even if they ultimately think PSA can be held onto. Finally, I wrote an evangelistic conversation in the style of Ray Comfort but with the content of the book. Please enjoy:
Ray Comfort Evangelism But It’s Divine Council:
Ray: Do you believe in God?
Stranger: Sure.
Ray: Great! What do you think will happen to you when you die?
Stranger: I think I’ll go to heaven because I’m not a bad person.
Ray: Really? Have you ever told a lie?
Stranger: Sure.
Ray: Well, what do you call someone who lies?
Stranger: If they lie a lot, they would be a liar.
Ray: Okay, and if you were ever on trial and your innocence came down to your trustworthiness as a truth teller, but the prosecuting lawyer obtained a record of every lie you ever told, would you feel good about your odds?
Stranger: If they had every lie I’ve ever told, maybe not.
Ray: So the prosecutor would call you a liar. Have you ever looked at a woman with lust?
Stranger: Sure.
Ray: Well Jesus said that if you even look at a woman with lust then you’ve committed adultery with her in your heart. Does that make you an adulterer?
Stranger: Yeah, probably, by that definition.
Ray: And so if a prosecutor could see every thought you’ve ever had, do you think he could call you an adulterer by God’s own definition?
Stranger: Yeah.
Ray: Have you ever taken God’s name in vain?
Stranger: Yeah I have.
Ray: So not only does the prosecutor have charges against you, but he also has you on record debasing the highest judge in the court. Would that make you concerned if you were facing a lifetime imprisonment?
Stranger: Yeah I would definitely be concerned.
Ray: As we all would be! You’d need a really good lawyer to get you out of that one!
Stranger: Yeah I guess so.
Ray: Well here’s the good news. God has provided you with the best lawyer there is. You see, God knew that your prosecutor, the Devil, was actually an unjust lawyer himself. The Devil wanted all the glory that God had and so from the beginning he had been trying to get you to sin against God so that you would follow him and not God. You fell for it, but God still loved you, so he sent his Son into the world to prove that the Devil was unjust and that you could live God’s way with his help. When the Devil killed God’s sinless Son, he was proved to be unjust, and Jesus showed that human beings can be obedient to God and opened the way for our sins to be forgiven and our hearts to be changed when we put our faith in him. When Jesus rose from the dead he sat down right next to the Father, so that he could tell him all about the Devil’s unjust dealings and about the goodness he sees in all of his clients. Jesus recommends that the Judge throw out the case against you, and give you a job at the court and a residence nearby! Now how would you like to have the high judge’s Son who was known to be trustworthy and good representing you before this unjust prosecutor?
Stranger: My chances definitely would be a lot better that way.
Ray: They’re better than a lot better! In fact, this court case has already been decided. The Bible tells us that for those who will let Jesus represent them in the court of heaven “there is now no condemnation”. The judge has already forgiven those who will be represented by Jesus. You know that good lawyers cost a lot though, right?
Stranger: Yeah.
Ray: Well this one has been provided for free! All you have to do is say “yes” to Jesus, put your faith in him and trust that through his sinless life, death, resurrection and intercession that you have been fully exonerated and your accuser has been thrown out of court. Is that something you would want to do today?
Stranger: I think so!
Ray: Great! Can I say a quick prayer for you?
Stranger: Sure, thanks.
Ray: Awesome! Father, we thank you for providing the perfect advocate for Stranger, myself, and every human being. We confess to you that we have sinned against you. We want to turn from our ways and be cleansed from our sin so that we can serve you as we were always intended to. Please always stay with us, lead us, and intercede for us when we make mistakes as we seek to follow you. Amen.
Stranger: Amen.
Ray: Say, if I gave you a book, would you read it?
Stranger: Yeah, definitely.
Ray: Okay, it’s called “The Devil’s Disbarment: Exploring Christ's Victory In The Divine Council”.
Stranger: Sounds great! And it’s not too thick either!
March 17, 2025
Excellent read. Dr. Agnew gave a compelling case for a divine council theory of atonement, giving a strictly Biblical case in favor of it. He contrasts his view with an in-depth refutation of penal substitutionary atonement and ends with a discussion on the utility of this new view for apologetics. Highly recommend if you want to know what Jesus did for us on the cross!
December 15, 2025
Everyone should read this
I like to think that I would have figured this out myself independently but James got here before I did as I've been influenced by almost everyone he mentioned in the book including Dr Michael Heiser (who mentioned Dr John Peckham's book in class once), Dr David Moffitt, etc... I had been exposed to other atonement models as a mosaic of views (in Dr Joshua McNall's work) but hadn't realized I needed a new narrative story vs separate analogies and I just hadn't seen the problems with PSA yet so I wasn't aware that the narrative needed to be replaced. Thanks to Dr Agnew for doing the good work to piece these together!
If there's one emphasis that might make this stronger is explicitly calling out the broken covenant with Adam as the covenant that Jesus is replacing. Yes, the Abrahamic covenant is fulfilled and the Sinai covenants upgraded too but the court battle in the divine council is for all humanity and indeed all creation. The battle is over who is the legitimate leader of the rulers of earth. Adam abdicated his role by breaking the covenant and now Jesus is not only restarting the project but bringing along all the people that have voluntarily self-selected to be in His kingdom by choosing allegiance to Him and taking up their crosses and following Him. The kingdom looks like Jesus carrying His cross and dying to selfish desires.
I like to think that I would have figured this out myself independently but James got here before I did as I've been influenced by almost everyone he mentioned in the book including Dr Michael Heiser (who mentioned Dr John Peckham's book in class once), Dr David Moffitt, etc... I had been exposed to other atonement models as a mosaic of views (in Dr Joshua McNall's work) but hadn't realized I needed a new narrative story vs separate analogies and I just hadn't seen the problems with PSA yet so I wasn't aware that the narrative needed to be replaced. Thanks to Dr Agnew for doing the good work to piece these together!
If there's one emphasis that might make this stronger is explicitly calling out the broken covenant with Adam as the covenant that Jesus is replacing. Yes, the Abrahamic covenant is fulfilled and the Sinai covenants upgraded too but the court battle in the divine council is for all humanity and indeed all creation. The battle is over who is the legitimate leader of the rulers of earth. Adam abdicated his role by breaking the covenant and now Jesus is not only restarting the project but bringing along all the people that have voluntarily self-selected to be in His kingdom by choosing allegiance to Him and taking up their crosses and following Him. The kingdom looks like Jesus carrying His cross and dying to selfish desires.
August 7, 2025
Excellent book! I’ve been looking for a book that gives a divine council worldview model of atonement and this one is it. I watched the great “in philosopher’s garb“ on his YouTube channel and thoroughly have enjoyed his content. To get my hands on his work was something I was looking for. It gave me language on how to bring the unseen realm from Dr. Michael Heiser into an atonement theory. This is definitely a book I will be returning to.
I never accepted the penal substitution theory of atonement. Something about it just seemed off to me the whole idea of the father punishing the son for the sins of humanity never really sat well with me. And honestly, it really never made that much sense. I’ve underlined so much of this book. It’s probably more of my underline and annotating than there is actual text. Such an awesome work! It was a short read, but very rich in material. You will be pondering this for days.
I never accepted the penal substitution theory of atonement. Something about it just seemed off to me the whole idea of the father punishing the son for the sins of humanity never really sat well with me. And honestly, it really never made that much sense. I’ve underlined so much of this book. It’s probably more of my underline and annotating than there is actual text. Such an awesome work! It was a short read, but very rich in material. You will be pondering this for days.
September 15, 2025
If you're looking for a book to explain exactly how atonement works and how one should thus view atonement, this is not the book for you. The author admits early on this is not actually his goal here. He does however point the reader toward an atonement view in which Jesus is our advocate in Heaven. For more detail, read the book! Agnew's refutation of Penal Substitutionary Atonement is very clear and concise. This is where the book shines in my opinion. I appreciate how Agnew brings the Biblical data and its interpretation to the forefront from start to finish. His explanations of the Levitical sacrifices were spot on.
March 14, 2025
Powerful book on Atonement and DCW
This book shows how the Divine Council Worldview (DCW) is important to understand what God has done in Jesus. This book fills in perfectly with Rivera's "Lamb of the Free" -and Moffitt's "Re-Thinking Atonement". This book also argues against PSA- penal substitutionary atonement. This book is easy to read and understand- scholarly but not overwhelming at all. Very well written.
This book shows how the Divine Council Worldview (DCW) is important to understand what God has done in Jesus. This book fills in perfectly with Rivera's "Lamb of the Free" -and Moffitt's "Re-Thinking Atonement". This book also argues against PSA- penal substitutionary atonement. This book is easy to read and understand- scholarly but not overwhelming at all. Very well written.
March 14, 2025
A different view of atonement
This book presents a new angle on the question of how Christ' death saves us. Its biblically grounded view is much more historically wide than PSA, which really focuses solely on the crucifixion.
This book presents a new angle on the question of how Christ' death saves us. Its biblically grounded view is much more historically wide than PSA, which really focuses solely on the crucifixion.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews