From my MPhil thesis with additional references added from PhD and website work for an entry on academia.edu: March 17, 2023.
2003 The Problem of Evil: Anglican and Baptist Perspectives: MPhil thesis, Bangor University
MPhil 2003
7. The Cross
In Chapter 7, entitled What was God Doing on the Cross?, McGrath took the idea that God needed to reveal himself to humanity and he stated this was done through Jesus Christ. McGrath noted that Christ was no ordinary human being and explained:
From the perspective of the Road, Jesus Christ may seem like a fellow traveller, someone who shares our journey along that difficult and winding way we call ‘the life of faith’. But from the Balcony, he is seen to be very different from all of us. Here is God - the same God who made the heaven and the earth - who has chosen to spend time on the Road. McGrath (1992: 46).
God not only revealed himself supernaturally through miracles, as well as inspiring Scripture, he also became incarnate and thus God the Son became man while keeping his divinity. Christ went to the cross and died for humanity and those who believe in him, in the sense of having a relationship with him, will receive salvation. McGrath offered several keys to the cross:
"First, if Jesus is God, then he is the best visual aid for God the world has ever known." McGrath (1992: 46). McGrath believed that this visual aid took away from the thought that God was an abstract idea and made him a real friend who was in our dimension to assist us. The incarnation of Christ certainly demonstrates to humanity the love God has for his fallen creatures and his commitment to saving them. Throughout the New Testament, Christ’s words and actions can be seen, and his life’s commitment was to serve the God of the Old Testament and to save those who would believe. God’s love and care for humanity could be seen in physical form.
"The second thing which God achieved through the cross is that he brings home to us how much he loves us." McGrath (1992: 47). I have already mentioned Christ’s love for humanity, but McGrath mentioned that actions speak louder than words and the atoning sacrifice made by Christ can clearly be seen in Scripture. Scripture notes humanity’s sin and lack of perfect goodness, so clearly Christ’s atoning work was a demonstration of love. Christ died for the unworthy in love.
"A third vital aspect of what God was doing on the cross, then, can be summed up like this. God was breaking the stranglehold of sin in our lives." McGrath (1992: 49). The death of Christ was a point in the salvation process. He took the sins of humanity upon himself. Thiessen stated concerning Christ’s work with sin:
He came to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews. 9:26b). . . Christ came to teach men, to aid them in material and physical respect, to give them an example, etc., but above all these things He came to die for man’s sins. His death is the foundation requirement of every other blessing that we enjoy." Thiessen (1956: 291-292).
"In the fourth place, he was liberating us from the fear of death." McGrath (1992: 49). McGrath explained that western culture was afraid of death to the point of not wanting to discuss it. He noted that Jesus liberated people from this fear as he defeated death through the reality of the resurrection and, at the same time, any power the devil had over people was destroyed. This will not be culminated until all believers are resurrected, but the required work has been accomplished by Christ. Believers’ resurrection is guaranteed. All people will be resurrected and believers will be in Christ’s presence.
Irenaeus stated with regard to Christ’s work defeating death:
For it behoved Him who was to destroy sin, and redeem man under the power of death, that He should Himself be made that very same thing which He was, that is, man; who had been drawn by sin into bondage, but was held by death so that sin should be destroyed by man, and man should go forth from death. Irenaeus. (ca. 130-200 AD) Book III, Chapter 18, Section 7.
(Note: There does not seem to be a historical date to indicate when Irenaeus wrote this work. It is estimated that he wrote the work near the end of the second century.)
From Irenaeus’ comments, it can be seen that McGrath’s sentiments are echoed by this ancient author. Christ on the cross was the way that God incarnate could, in a loving act, take sin on himself, defeat sin in death, and through his resurrection defeat death itself. Humankind had no deliverance from the bondage of sin and death until Christ committed this work.
AUGUSTINE. (388-395)(1979) De Liberto Arbitrio (On Free Will), in Earlier Writings on Free Will, Translated by J.H.S. Burleigh, Philadelphia, The Westminster Press.
2003 The Problem of Evil: Anglican and Baptist Perspectives: MPhil thesis, Bangor University
MPhil 2003
7. The Cross
In Chapter 7, entitled What was God Doing on the Cross?, McGrath took the idea that God needed to reveal himself to humanity and he stated this was done through Jesus Christ. McGrath noted that Christ was no ordinary human being and explained:
From the perspective of the Road, Jesus Christ may seem like a fellow traveller, someone who shares our journey along that difficult and winding way we call ‘the life of faith’. But from the Balcony, he is seen to be very different from all of us. Here is God - the same God who made the heaven and the earth - who has chosen to spend time on the Road. McGrath (1992: 46).
God not only revealed himself supernaturally through miracles, as well as inspiring Scripture, he also became incarnate and thus God the Son became man while keeping his divinity. Christ went to the cross and died for humanity and those who believe in him, in the sense of having a relationship with him, will receive salvation. McGrath offered several keys to the cross:
"First, if Jesus is God, then he is the best visual aid for God the world has ever known." McGrath (1992: 46). McGrath believed that this visual aid took away from the thought that God was an abstract idea and made him a real friend who was in our dimension to assist us. The incarnation of Christ certainly demonstrates to humanity the love God has for his fallen creatures and his commitment to saving them. Throughout the New Testament, Christ’s words and actions can be seen, and his life’s commitment was to serve the God of the Old Testament and to save those who would believe. God’s love and care for humanity could be seen in physical form.
"The second thing which God achieved through the cross is that he brings home to us how much he loves us." McGrath (1992: 47). I have already mentioned Christ’s love for humanity, but McGrath mentioned that actions speak louder than words and the atoning sacrifice made by Christ can clearly be seen in Scripture. Scripture notes humanity’s sin and lack of perfect goodness, so clearly Christ’s atoning work was a demonstration of love. Christ died for the unworthy in love.
"A third vital aspect of what God was doing on the cross, then, can be summed up like this. God was breaking the stranglehold of sin in our lives." McGrath (1992: 49). The death of Christ was a point in the salvation process. He took the sins of humanity upon himself. Thiessen stated concerning Christ’s work with sin:
He came to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews. 9:26b). . . Christ came to teach men, to aid them in material and physical respect, to give them an example, etc., but above all these things He came to die for man’s sins. His death is the foundation requirement of every other blessing that we enjoy." Thiessen (1956: 291-292).
"In the fourth place, he was liberating us from the fear of death." McGrath (1992: 49). McGrath explained that western culture was afraid of death to the point of not wanting to discuss it. He noted that Jesus liberated people from this fear as he defeated death through the reality of the resurrection and, at the same time, any power the devil had over people was destroyed. This will not be culminated until all believers are resurrected, but the required work has been accomplished by Christ. Believers’ resurrection is guaranteed. All people will be resurrected and believers will be in Christ’s presence.
Irenaeus stated with regard to Christ’s work defeating death:
For it behoved Him who was to destroy sin, and redeem man under the power of death, that He should Himself be made that very same thing which He was, that is, man; who had been drawn by sin into bondage, but was held by death so that sin should be destroyed by man, and man should go forth from death. Irenaeus. (ca. 130-200 AD) Book III, Chapter 18, Section 7.
(Note: There does not seem to be a historical date to indicate when Irenaeus wrote this work. It is estimated that he wrote the work near the end of the second century.)
From Irenaeus’ comments, it can be seen that McGrath’s sentiments are echoed by this ancient author. Christ on the cross was the way that God incarnate could, in a loving act, take sin on himself, defeat sin in death, and through his resurrection defeat death itself. Humankind had no deliverance from the bondage of sin and death until Christ committed this work.
AUGUSTINE. (388-395)(1979) De Liberto Arbitrio (On Free Will), in Earlier Writings on Free Will, Translated by J.H.S. Burleigh, Philadelphia, The Westminster Press.
AUGUSTINE. (421)(1998) Enchiridion, Translated by J.F. Shaw, Denver, New Advent Catholic Website.
BLAMIRES, H. (1957)(1981) A God Who Acts, Ann Arbor, Servant Books.
BLOCHER, H. (1994) Evil and the Cross, Translated by David G. Preston, Leicester, Inter-Varsity Press.
CALVIN, J. (1539)(1998) Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book II.
CALVIN, J. (1543)(1998) The Bondage and Liberation of the Will, Translated by G.I. Davies, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.
CALVIN, J. (1553)(1952) Job, Translated by Leroy Nixon, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.
CARSON, D.A. (1981) Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility, Atlanta, John Knox Press.
CARSON, D.A. (1990) How Long, O Lord?, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.
IRENAEUS (ca. 130-200 AD) Against Heresies Book III, Chapter 18, Section 7.
HENRY, C. (1983) God, Revelation and Authority: Volume 6: God Who Stands and Stays, Waco, Word Books.
HENRY, C. (1983) God, Revelation and Authority: Volume 6: God Who Stands and Stays, Waco, Word Books.
HUGHES, PHILIP, EDGCUMBE (1990) A Commentary On The Epistle To The Hebrews, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
LEWIS, C.S. (1961)(1983) A Grief Observed, London, Faber and Faber.
LEWIS, C.S. (1941)(1990) The Screwtape Letters, Uhrichsville, Ohio,
Barbour and Company.
LEWIS, C.S. (1940)(1996) The Problem of Pain, San Francisco, Harper-Collins.
LUTHER, M. (1518)(1989) Heidelberg Disputation, in Timothy F. Lull (ed.), Martin Luther’s Basic Theological Writings, Minneapolis, Fortress Press.
McGRATH, A. (1986) Iustitia Dei, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
McGRATH, A. (1992) Bridge-Building, Leicester, Inter-Varsity Press.
McGRATH, A. (1992) Suffering, London, Hodder and Stoughton Limited.
McGRATH, A. (1992) Bridge-Building, Leicester, Inter-Varsity Press.
McGRATH, A. (1992) Suffering, London, Hodder and Stoughton Limited.
MOUNCE, ROBERT H. (1990) The Book of Revelation, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
THIESSEN, H.C. (1956) Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology, Grand Rapids, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
My 'super artistic artwork' from Facebook Graffiti. Debt, a problem of evil. My tribute to Mastercard.
Reflective instrumental Jazz-Fusion music. Excellent transitions.
THIESSEN, H.C. (1956) Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology, Grand Rapids, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
My 'super artistic artwork' from Facebook Graffiti. Debt, a problem of evil. My tribute to Mastercard.
Reflective instrumental Jazz-Fusion music. Excellent transitions.
What a master John McLaughlin is on the axe! I pray that he will someday see the true light of Christ.
ReplyDeleteYes, as opposed to Eastern religion.
ReplyDeleteA nice man in person.
...or weed religion. P)
ReplyDeletegreat playing- that can't be denied.
Edward Van Halen
fell off stage
ReplyDelete'Part of the answer lies in two life stories that for all their dissimilarities have a strikingly similar undercurrent. John McLaughlin started life as anything but a holy man. He may have trained in classical piano and violin at the age of seven, but at sixteen he dropped out of high school and a few years later joined the Graham Bond Organization with future superstars Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. "He was getting very stoned at the time," recalls Bruce, "he actually fell off the stage in Coventry and played this death chord as he landedäkkkrrruuuuuunngg."'
John McLaughlin and his band are quite amazing talented abstract musicians, its kinda too bad that they didn't release some songs and create some music that could have been more main stream like Jethro Tull.
ReplyDelete-Music Critic-
Enjoyed the article on the cross.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how old the stone cross is at the start of your article?
-Curiously Connected-
'John McLaughlin and his band are quite amazing talented abstract musicians, its kinda too bad that they didn't release some songs and create some music that could have been more main stream like Jethro Tull.
ReplyDelete-Music Critic-'
They could have created more shorter versions of their Jazz-Fusion material and remained as progressive in many aspects.
They could have still produced some longer pieces and songs.
Their lo$$.
crazywell cross
ReplyDeleteQuote:
'Purpose: This is probably one of a number of crosses that marks the route of the Monks’ Path. This is the ancient name given to the track that links the Buckfast Abbey with those at Tavistock and Buckland.
No-one is entirely sure which course the path took to the West of Nun’s Cross. However, considering the number of ancient crosses on this track it is perfectly feasible that it passed this way, via Walkhampton, to Tavistock and Buckland.
Size: 4 feet 5 inches (1.35 metres) tall, 2 feet 1 inch (0.63 metres) across the arms.
Information: The arms of this cross are slightly tapered giving it the tendencies of a Maltese Cross. The head appears to be original, but replacements for the shaft and probably the socket stone were found at the time the cross was repaired and reset.
It is thought that the cross once stood on the banks of the nearby Crazywell Pool. The head was certainly found lying near pool at some point during the 19th Century. It would have been moved to its new home at the time of its repair.'
That is a beautiful cross.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Middle Ditch.
ReplyDeleteI try to make my blogs artistic.
For those of you interested, there is some further LDS discussion over on satire and theology in the comments of my latest post.
quotes
John McLaughlin is a very talented guitarist, but seems to be out of touch with reality when he speaks to his audience??
ReplyDelete-Curious Critic-
What a waste!
ReplyDeleteWalter T. Franklin
Interview re: BP oil spill
ReplyDeleteIron Baby
ReplyDeleteIron Man vs. Batman (et al)
ReplyDeleteWatch JAPANESE SPIDER-MAN!
ReplyDeleteHerr Alexander says FIRE IT IN THERE!
ReplyDeleteRe: What a waste!
ReplyDeleteQuote:
'Rather, these strict aesthetic standards are being fuelled by supermarkets’ own desire for uniformity and picture-perfect displays, says Jonathan Bloom, author of the forthcoming book, American Wasteland. “Appearance has trumped taste, and nutrition,” says Bloom, who, in researching the book, took a job in the produce department of a North Carolina grocery store to see what was happening behind closed doors. There, one of his primary roles was culling and chucking “questionable” produce. (“There’s no grey area in retail,” he adds with a rueful chuckle.)
Laws, perversely, seem to bolster food waste. In the Europe, apples under 50 mm in diameter or 70 grams in weight have been banned. (Those too red or not red enough, meanwhile, have been rejected by supermarkets.) To the absurdity, add European “uniformity rules.” Yes, bureaucrats in Brussels have cooked up laws to ensure that all EU citizens are eating fruit and veggies of the same shape and size. In 2008, one British wholesaler was forced to chuck 5,000 kiwis for being four grams lighter than the 62 gram cut-off—“the equivalent of being one millimeter too thin,” says Stuart.'
I would eat fruits and vegetables that are funny/off shaped as long as they are healthy to eat.
BP oil spill
ReplyDeleteQuote:
'I've been covering the Gulf oil spill for more than a month. And recently, during a national television interview I said, "BP's Gulf oil spill is a global ecological disaster." In order to understand this, consider the following: A vast amount of oil one mile beneath the surface has bled since April 20 into the Gulf of Mexico. According to BP, it's about 200,000 gallons a day; researchers at Florida State University estimated about two weeks ago it was at least 1 million gallons a day, and even more recently engineers from Purdue University predicted it's probably closer to 2.5 million gallons a day.'
I am not very knowledgeable concerning offshore oil drilling (or oil drilling).
But, if disasters like this cannot be avoided and/or dealt with properly, I have to admit the practice seems philosophically questionable.
Iron Man and Iron Man 2 are very cool movies. I would like to see an Iron Man/Batman crossover in print and in film.
ReplyDelete'John McLaughlin is a very talented guitarist, but seems to be out of touch with reality when he speaks to his audience??
ReplyDelete-Curious Critic-'
Not sure what causes this...
Crazy John, but a good guy it seems having met him in person, once.
Quote from earlier comment:
'Part of the answer lies in two life stories that for all their dissimilarities have a strikingly similar undercurrent. John McLaughlin started life as anything but a holy man. He may have trained in classical piano and violin at the age of seven, but at sixteen he dropped out of high school and a few years later joined the Graham Bond Organization with future superstars Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. "He was getting very stoned at the time," recalls Bruce, "he actually fell off the stage in Coventry and played this death chord as he landedäkkkrrruuuuuunngg."'
'Herr Alexander says FIRE IT IN THERE!'
ReplyDeleteFrom anger to singing...
Okay, I came across the following verses on one of the Christian maiden theology blogs, the other day.
ReplyDeleteA fine blog, and I agree with much of what was stated. I am not trying to pick a fight here, but simply raise some points.
Numbers 30:3-5 (New American Standard)
3 "Also if a woman makes a vow to the LORD, and binds herself by an obligation in her father's house in her youth, 4 and her father hears her vow and her obligation by which she has bound herself, and her father says nothing to her, then all her vows shall stand and every obligation by which she has bound herself shall stand. 5 "But if her father should forbid her on the day he hears of it, none of her vows or her obligations by which she has bound herself shall stand ; and the LORD will forgive her because her father had forbidden her.
If a daughter in her youth makes a vow to her father, she should keep it if her father wishes, or not, if her father wishes.
The vow does not necessarily apply when the daughter is no longer a youth.
The vow does not necessarily apply when the daughter moves out of the family home.
The Mosaic law of the Hebrew Bible does not strictly apply under the new covenant (Luke 22: 20, Hebrews 9).
Therefore I deduce, this section of Scripture/vow does not necessarily apply to potential adult marriage.
Interesting...
ReplyDeleteNew American Standard Bible (NASB)
Numbers 30:6-8
6"However, if she should marry while under her vows or the rash statement of her lips by which she has bound herself,
7and her husband hears of it and says nothing to her on the day he hears it, then her vows shall stand and her obligations by which she has bound herself shall stand.
8"But if on the day her husband hears of it, he forbids her, then he shall annul her vow which she is under and the rash statement of her lips by which she has bound herself; and the LORD will forgive her.
Check out this crazy Chinese train-dodging daredevil...
ReplyDeleteWith regards to the Number's verses on vows, there is no mention of vows and marriage, it just mentions a woman's vows which could mean all different sorts of promises which can be cancelled or not with the approval of fathers and husbands.
ReplyDelete-OT For Me-
'Check out this crazy Chinese train-dodging daredevil...'
ReplyDeleteCutting it close.
'With regards to the Number's verses on vows, there is no mention of vows and marriage, it just mentions a woman's vows which could mean all different sorts of promises which can be cancelled or not with the approval of fathers and husbands.
ReplyDelete-OT For Me-'
Agreed. I looked this up and Numbers scholar T.Carson states that the vows might concern an offering of a gift at the alter, abstaining from certain meat and drink, observing a private fast, or a special service for God. Carson (1986: 250).
CARSON, T. (1986) ‘Numbers’, in F.F. Bruce (ed.), The International Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids, Zondervan.
CNN:Birds covered in BP oil
ReplyDeletere: oily birds
ReplyDeleteThe price of progress I guess.
The lost profits will pale compared
to the megative PR these corporations will receive.
Benny Hinn as Benny Hill...
ReplyDeletere: oily birds
ReplyDelete'The price of progress I guess.
The lost profits will pale compared
to the megative PR these corporations will receive.'
Yes.
Plus the terrible impact on the environment.
'Benny Hinn as Benny Hill...'
Does one receive a healing by being slapped repeatedly on the head?