Biblical Answer

Understanding the Debt and Jesus' Payment

The question of why Jesus, as God, would pay a debt to himself is a complex one. Anselm's argument in Cur Deus Homo suggests that it was necessary for God to unite humanity with his own person, so that man could pay the debt owed to God. However, this raises the question of why God would pay a debt to himself. To address this, we must consider the nature of the debt and the relationship between God and humanity.

The Debt and God's Justice

The debt in question is the result of humanity's sin against God. As God, Jesus takes on human nature, and in doing so, becomes the one who owes the debt. However, as God, He also has the power to provide satisfaction for that debt. This is where the concept of God's justice comes in. As the justifier of those who trust in Him (Rom 3:26), God demands that the debt be paid, but also provides the means for that debt to be satisfied. In this sense, Jesus' payment of the debt is not a payment to Himself, but rather a demonstration of God's justice and His willingness to provide a way for humanity to be reconciled to Him.

The Ransom and Its Payment

In Matthew 20:28 and Mark 10:45, Jesus says that He came to offer His life as a ransom for many. The question is to whom this ransom was paid. While it is clear that Jesus did not pay a ransom to Himself, the idea that He paid a ransom to the evil one is not supported by Scripture. Instead, the ransom was paid to God, but not as a payment that was owed to God. Rather, it was a payment that was made possible by God's promise and bounty. As Augustine says, God became our debtor by promising what He pleased, and it was of His own bounty that He vouchsafed to make that payment. In this sense, Jesus' payment of the debt is a demonstration of God's love and His desire to reconcile humanity to Himself.