The Preaching of Christ Crucified,

Next Part The Preaching of Christ Crucified, 2

The Preaching of Christ Crucified, the Means of Salvation

by Samuel Davies, April 25, 1759

"Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God!" 1 Corinthians 1:22-24

If we would consider Christianity only as an improvement of natural religion, containing a complete system of morality, and prescribing a pure plan of worship—it would be a matter of the utmost importance, and worthy of universal acceptance. In the one view, it is necessary to inform the world in matters of sin and duty, and reform their wicked practices; and in the other, to put an end to that foolish and barbarous superstition which had over-run the earth, under the notion of religious worship. And these ends the Christian religion fully answers. Never was there such a finished system of morality, or such a spiritual and divine model of worship invented or revealed, as by the despised Galilean, and the twelve fishermen who received their instructions from him.

But this is not the principal excellency of the gospel; and did it carry its discoveries no farther, alas! it would be far from revealing a suitable religion for lost sinners. A religion for sinners must reveal a method of salvation for the lost, of pardon for the guilty, and of sanctifying grace for the weak and wicked. And, blessed be God! the gospel answers this end; and it is its peculiar excellency, that it does so. It is its peculiar excellency that it publishes a crucified Christ as an all-sufficient Saviour to a guilty, perishing world. It is its glorious peculiarity that it reveals a method of salvation, in every way honourable to God and his government, and in every way suitable to our necessities. And that is—by the substitutionary sufferings and death of Christ, the Founder of this religion.

This is the ground, the substance, and marrow of the gospel; and it is this, above all other things, that its ministers ought to preach and inculcate. It should have the same place in their 'sermons' which it has in that gospel which it is, their business to preach; that is, it should be the foundation, the substance, the centre, the drift of all. This was the practice of the most successful preacher of the gospel who ever bore that commission: I mean the apostle Paul. And in this he was not singular; his fellow apostles heartily concurred with him, "WE preach Christ crucified!"

The sufferings of Christ, which had a dreadful consummation in his crucifixion; their necessity, design, and consequences, and the way of salvation thereby opened for a guilty world—these are the principal materials of our preaching! To instruct mankind in these, is the great object of our ministry, and the unwearied labour of our lives. We might easily choose subjects more pleasingand popular; more fit to display our learning and abilities, and set us off as a witty preacher, or a fine orator; but our commission, as ministers of a crucified Jesus, binds us to the subject; and the necessity of the world peculiarly requires it!

Further, this was not the apostle's occasional practice, or a hasty wavering purpose; but he was determined upon it. "I determined," says he, "to know nothing while I was with you—except Jesus Christ and him crucified!" Corinthians 2:2. This theme, as it were, engrossed all his thoughts; he dwelt so much upon it, as if he had known nothing else—and as if nothing else had been worth knowing! Indeed, he openly avows such a neglect and contempt of all other knowledge, in comparison to this: "I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord!" Phil. 3:8.

The crucifixion of Christ, which was the most ignominious circumstance in the whole course of his abasement, was an object in which he gloried; and he is struck with horror at the thought of glorying in anything else! "God forbid," says he, "that I should glory, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ!" Galatians 6:14. In short, he looked upon the cross as the perfection of his character as a Christian and an apostle. He was a constant student, and a zealous, indefatigable preacher of the Cross of Christ!Christ Jesus, and that under the most ignominious circumstances possible, namely, as crucified, was the principal object of his study, and the substance of his preaching.

But though a crucified Jesus was of so much importance in a religion for sinners; though this doctrine was the substance of the gospel, and the principal object of the apostle's ministry; yet, as it was not the invention of human reason! Neither was it agreeable to the proud reasoning's, or corrupt taste of the world. The preaching of the cross is, to those who perish, foolishness. However, there were some who had the same sentiment of it with Paul; even as many as were in the way of salvation. Unto us who are saved—it is the power of God, verse 18. To all who are saved—that weak and contemptible thing, the cross, was the brightest display of divine power to be found in the universe!

Mankind had had time enough to try what expedients their reason could find out, for the reformation and salvation of a degenerate and perishing world. The sages and philosophers of the heathen world had had a clear stage for many hundreds of years. But, alas! did any of them, amid all their boasted learning, succeed in the experiment? Or could they so much as find out a method in which sinners might be reconciled to their God? No! In this most significant point, they were either stupidly thoughtless, or all their searches issued in perplexity, or in the most absurd and impious contrivances.

"Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world?" Let them appear and produce their schemes upon this head. But has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? verse 20. Yes, indeed! He has, by proposing a method most perfectly adapted to this end, which they not only never would have once thought of—but which, when revealed, their wisdom cannot relish. Their wisdom appears but folly, for in that some four thousand years which they had—they could not, in all that time, find out any successful expedient to amend and save it!

And now, if anything can be done at all, it is time for God to do it; and how strange, how unexpected, how mysterious was his expedient! and yet how glorious and effectual! "For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe" verse 21. This was the contrivance for effecting what all the wisdom and learning of the world could never effect—the plain unadorned preaching of Christ crucified; which, both for the matter and manner of it, was counted foolishness by the perishing world. But how did the world bear this mortification of their intellectual pride? And what reception did this bounteous divine scheme meet with when revealed?

Alas! I am sorry to tell you: Though the prejudices of their background and education were different—they were unitedly set against the gospel. The JEWS had been educated in a religion established by a series of miracles; and therefore they were extravagant in their demands of this sort of evidence. Notwithstanding all the miracles Christ was working daily before their eyes, they were perpetually asking him, "What miracle will you show us?" Those who are resolved not to be convinced, will be always complaining of the lack of proof, and demanding more, to vindicate their infidelity.

As for the GREEKS, their prejudices were of another kind; it was even a proverb among them, that "miracles were for fools;" and therefore they did not desire that sort of evidence. But they seek after human wisdom. They had been accustomed to fine orations, strong reasoning, and a parade of learning; and these were the evidences they desired to recommend a religion to them. And finding the doctrine of Christ crucified had none of these embellishments, they despised and rejected it as foolishness and nonsense!

The method of salvation by the crucifixion of a supposed malefactor, was so extremely opposite to the reasoning, pride, and prejudices of Jews and Gentiles—that they could not bear it!

The JEWS expected the Messiah would appear as a victorious temporal prince, who instead of falling a prey to his enemies, would subdue them all with an irresistible power, and advance the family of David to universal empire! And of all other deaths, that ofcrucifixion was the most odious and abominable to them, because, according to the custom of the Romans, it was the punishment only of slaves! And by their own law it was pronounced accursed; for it is written, "cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree!" Galatians 3:13. Deuteronomy 21:23. Hence, by way of contempt, the Jews called the blessed Jesus, 'the hanged man'.

Nay, this was a shock to the faith of the apostles themselves, until their Jewish prejudices were removed by better information. Finding that, instead of setting up a glorious kingdom, their Master was apprehended by his enemies, and hung upon a cross—they had nothing to say, but, "We had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel," But alas! now we see our mistake. Luke 24:21. No wonder the cross of Christ should be a stumbling-block to such as had imbibed such notions of the Messiah. When, instead of the power of signs and miracles which they were extravagantly demanding, they saw him crucified in weakness, they could not admit the thought that this was that illustrious character of an universal king! They were so dazzled with worldly glory, and so insensible of their spiritual condition and needs—that they had no notions of a spiritual Saviour, and a kingdom of grace; nor could they see how such prophecies were accomplished in one who only professed to deliver from the slavery of sin and Satan, and the wrath to come. Hence they stumbled at the cross, as an obstacle which they could not get over!

When Christ called Lazarus from the dead, he had crowds of followers, who attended his triumphant procession into Jerusalem as a mighty conqueror; and when he had fed so many thousands with a few loaves, they were about forcibly to make him king; for they knew that one who could raise his soldiers to life after they had been killed, and support an army with so little provisions, could easily conquer the world, and rescue them from the power of the Romans! But when they saw him seized by his enemies, without making resistance, or working a miracle for his own defence—they immediately abandoned him; and the hosannas of the multitude were turned into another kind of cry, "Crucify him!" And when they saw him hanging helpless and dying upon the cross, it was demonstrated to them that he was an impostor!

It was this that rendered the preaching of Christ by his apostles so unpopular among the Jews: it seemed to them like a eulogy upon an notorious malefactor; and they thought it an insult to their nation to have such a one proposed to them as their Messiah. Thus Christ crucified was to the Jews a stumbling-block.

As to the GREEKS, who were a learned philosophic people, it seemed to them the wildest folly to worship one as a God—who had been crucified as a malefactor; and to trust in one for salvation, who could not saved himself. Their Jupiter had his thunder, and according to their tradition, had crushed the formidable rebellion of the giants against heaven. Their Bacchus had avenged himself upon the despisers of his worship; and the whole rabble of their deities had done some fabled god-like exploit. And would they abandon such gods, and receive in their stead a despised Nazarene, who had been executed as the vilest criminal by his own nation? Would they give up all their boasted wisdom and learning—and become the humble disciples of the cross, and receive for their teachers a company of illiterate fishermen, and a tent-maker from the despised nation of the Jews, whom they held in the utmost contempt because of their ignorance, bigotry, and superstition? No, the pride of their minds could not bear such a mortification.

If their curiosity led them to be Paul's hearers, they expected to be entertained with a flourish of words, and fine philosophic reasoning; and when they found themselves disappointed, they pronounced him a babbler, (Acts 17:18,) and his preaching foolishness!

Corinth, to which this epistle was sent by Paul, was a noted city among the Greeks, and therefore, what he says upon this head was peculiarly pertinent and well applied. The prejudices of the Jews and Greeks in this respect outlived the apostolic age, as we learn from the writings of the primitive fathers of the Christian church, who lived among them, and were conversant with them.

Here you see that the cross was a stumbling-block, which the Jews could not get over in a hundred years; nay, they have not got over it to this day. Lactantius, about three hundred years after Christ's birth, observes, that the sufferings of Christ were accustomed to be cast upon Christians as a reproach; it was thought a strange and scandalous thing that they should worship a man—a man who had been crucified, and put to the most infamous and tormenting death!

A Gentile said, "He who represents a man punished for his crime with the severest punishment; and the savage wood of the cross, as the object of their worship, and a ceremony of their religion—ascribes a very proper altar to such abandoned and wicked creatures, that they may worship that which they deserve to hang upon." And referring to the many barbarous persecutions they then groaned under, he jeers them! "See here," says he, "are threatenings for you, punishments, tortures, and crosses, not to be adored—but endured!"

Thus you see, the doctrine of the cross was, of all other things, the most unpopular among both Jews and Gentiles, and the most disagreeable to their taste. A man could not expect to shine as a man of sense and learning, by making this the subject of his discourses. But will Paul give it up, and display his talents upon some more acceptable theme? This, as a fine scholar, he was very capable of; but he abhors the thought! "Let the Jews and Greeks desire what they please! We," says he, "will not humour them, nor gratify their taste; however they take it! We will preach Christ crucified; though to the Jews he should prove a stumbling block, and to the Greeks, utter foolishness."

And there are some who relish this humble doctrine. To those who believe, both Jews and Greeks, whether learned or unlearned, whether educated in the Jewish or Pagan religion, however different their prejudices, or their natural tastes—to all who believe, notwithstanding these differences, Christ, that is, Christ crucified, is the power of God, and the wisdom of God!

The wisdom and power of God are not the only perfections that shine in this method of salvation by the cross; but the apostle particularly mentions these, as directly answering to the respective demands of Jews and Greeks. If the Jew desire the sign of power in working miracles—the believer sees in Christ crucified a power superior to all the powers of miracles. If the Greeks seek after wisdom—here, in a crucified Christ, the wisdom of God shines in the highest perfection. Whatever miracle or wisdom the Jew or Greek desires and seeks after—the believer finds more than an equivalent in the cross. This is the greatest miracle of power, the greatest mystery of wisdom in all the world.

The prejudices of the Jews and Gentiles were not only confined to the early ages of Christianity; the same depraved taste, the same contempt of the humble doctrines of the cross may be found among us, though professed Christians! Some resemble the Jews, who were perpetually demanding signs; they seek all the reveries of enthusiasm, instead of the preaching of Christ crucified. Others, like the Greeks, through an affectation of flamboyant harangues, moral discourses, and a parade of learning and philosophy, nauseate this sort of preaching Christ crucified, and count it foolishness.

It is therefore high time for the ministers of the gospel to stand up as advocates for the cross, and with a pious obstinacy to adhere to this subject, whatever contempt and ridicule it may expose them to. For my part, I know not what I have to do, as a minister of the gospel—but to preach Christ crucified. I would make him the substance, the centre, the end of all my ministrations. And if we, or an angel from heaven, preach unto you any other gospel—you know his doom—let him be accursed! Galatians 1:9.

We are to consider the apostles as sent out into the world to reform and save the corrupt and perishing men, and the preaching of Christ crucified as the only means they used for this important end. This is the formal view the apostle had of preaching Christ in this place, namely, as a means found out by the wisdom of God to save those who believe, after that all the wisdom of the world had tried in vain to find out a method for this end. This is evident from verse 21, "Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never find him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save all who believe." That is, by the preaching a crucified Saviour, which the world counts foolishness. This is the excellency of this preaching, this is the reason why the apostle could not be prevailed upon by any motive to desert it, that it is the only means of salvation; and it is in this view I now intend to consider it. And if your everlasting salvation is of any importance to you, certainly this subject demands your most serious attention.

I have been the longer explaining the context, because it is so closely connected with the subject I have in view, and reflects light upon it. And I shall only add, that preaching Christ crucified is the same thing, as preaching salvation through the sufferings of Christ. His sufferings were of long continuance, even from his conception to his resurrection; and they were of various kinds, poverty, weariness and labour, hunger and thirst, contempt and reproach, buffeting, scourging, and a thorny crown.

But there are two words, which by a synecdoche are often used in Scripture to signify all his sufferings of every kind, from first to last; namely, his blood and his cross. And the reason is, the shedding of his blood, and the death of the cross, were the worst kind and highest degree of his sufferings. In his crucifixion all his other sufferings were united and centred; this was a complete summary and consummation of them all; and therefore, they are frequently included under this. In this latitude I shall use the word in this discourse; which I hope you will take notice of, that no part of the meaning may escape you.

Our inquiry shall be, What are the reasons that the preaching of Christ crucified is, above all others, the best, and the only effectual means for the salvation of sinners? These reasons may be reduced under two general heads, namely:

That through the crucifixion of Christ, and through that only—a way is really opened for the salvation of sinners;

and that the preaching of Christ crucified makes such a discovery of things, as has the most direct tendency to bring sinners to repentance, and produce in them that temper which is necessary to salvation.

Or in other words, in this way: salvation is provided, and sinners are made fit to enjoy it; both which are absolutely necessary.

Our world is deeply and universally sunk in sin! Men have cast contempt upon the divine government, broken the divine law, and so incurred its penalty; they have forfeited the favor of God, and rendered themselves liable to his displeasure. Had mankind continued innocent, there would have been no difficulty in their case. It would be very plain what would be fit for the divine government to do with dutiful subjects. But, alas! rebellion against God has made its entrance into our world, and all its inhabitants are up in arms against Him! This has thrown all into confusion, and rendered it a perplexing case—as what to do with them. In one view, indeed, the case is plain, namely, that proper punishments should be executed upon them. This would appear evidently just to the whole universe, and no objection could be made against it, though the criminals themselves, who are parties, and therefore not fit judges, might murmur against it as unmerciful and severe.

But the difficulty is: how such rebels may not only be delivered from the punishments they deserve—but made happy forever. If they cannot be saved in a way that displays the perfections of God, and does honour to his government; a way in which sin will meet with no encouragement, but, on the other hand, an effectual warning will be given against it; a way in which depraved creatures may be sanctified and made fit for the pure bliss of heaven; I say, if they cannot be saved in such a way as this—they cannot be saved at all; their salvation is quite impossible! For each of these particulars is of such importance, that it cannot be dispensed with.

God is the best and most glorious being in himself; and it is fit that he should do justice to his own perfections, and exhibit them in the most God-like and glorious manner to his creatures. To do otherwise, would be to wrong himself, to obscure the brightest glory, and dishonour the highest excellency. This therefore cannot be done; men and angels must be happy—but only in a way consistent with his glory; otherwise they must perish; for the display of his glory is a greater good, and a matter of more importance, than the happiness of the whole creation.

God is also the moral Governor of the world. And his government over our world is a government over a country of rebels; and that is a tender point, and requires a judicious management. An error in government, in such a case, may have the most fatal consequences, both as to the ruler and his subjects in all parts of his dominions. A private person may, if he pleases, give up his rights, may pardon offenders, and conceal his justice, and other qualities for government; but a public ruler is not at liberty in this case. He must maintain his character, make known his capacity for government, and support the dignity of the law. Otherwise, all might rush into confusion and lawless violence.

If the ruler of a small kingdom on our little globe should fail to do justice; if he should pardon criminals, and admit them into favour, and into posts of honour and profit, without giving proper expressions of his displeasure against their conduct, and a striking warning against all disobedience, how fatal would be the consequences! How soon would such a ruler fall into contempt, and his government become unhinged! How soon would his kingdom become a scene of confusion and violence! Criminals might like such an administration; but I appeal to yourselves: would you choose to live under it?

Now, how much more terrible and extensively mischievous would be the consequences, if the universal Ruler of men and angels, and of more worlds than we have heard the fame of—should exercise such a government over our rebellious world? It would be reproachful to himself; and it would be most injurious to his subjects! In short, it might throw heaven and earth, and unknown regions of the universe, into confusion. He must, therefore, display his own virtues of justice and righteousness; he must maintain the honour of his government, he must show his displeasure against disobedience, and deter his subjects from it!

I say, he must do these things in saving the sinners of Adam's race—or he cannot save them at all. Should he save them upon other terms, it would reflect dishonour upon himself and administration; and it would be injurious to the good of the whole, which is always the end of a wise ruler; for the favour thus unjustly shown to a part of the creation in our world, might occasion a more extensive mischief in other more important worlds; and so it would be promoting a private interest to the detriment of the public, which is always the character of a weak or wicked ruler!

Again, sinners cannot be saved—until their dispositions are changed, so that they can relish and delight in the fruition and employments of the heavenly state. Provision, therefore, must be made for this; otherwise, their salvation is impossible. Now, the way of salvation, through Christ crucified, most completely answers these ends in the most illustrious manner.

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