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.
