Blood, from "The Atonement" by Leon Morris

by Doug Mason 6 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Doug Mason

  In previous Threads related to “blood”, I have noted that on my web site, I make available the definitive work, “The Meaning of the word ‘Blood’ in Scripture”, by Stibbs (at: http://au.geocities.com/doug_mason1940/The_Meaning_of__Blood_.pdf ) and also selected pages from “The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross” by Leon Morris (at: http://au.geocities.com/doug_mason1940/apostolic_preaching_of_the_cross.pdf ).

  In the Preface to his later book “The Atonement: Its Meaning and Significance”, Leon Morris wrote:

  This book is written out of the conviction that the cross is at the heart of the Christian way. This is the way of salvation and it is the way of Christian living. I have tried to bring out for people who are not experts in theology or in the study of the biblical languages something of the meaning of the great terms used in the New Testament to convey the significance of the atoning work of Christ. The cross is central to Christianity. It is the new and living way into the very presence of God.
  The subject-matter is of course that of my previous book, The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross. I have often been asked to lecture on the subject-matter of that book, not infrequently to groups of lay people who could make nothing of its technicalities. The experience has led me to believe that there would be some advantage in putting on paper in simpler form some of the things I then said.
  But this book is not simply a re-hash of the older work. I have made new points in every chapter and I have included some studies not in the previous book, such as the chapters on the Passover and on the Day of Atonement. I have also introduced a chapter on sacrifice which includes matter in the earlier work, such as the section on blood, but which is written from a different perspective and includes much that the older work did not.

  The Introduction to the book “The Atonement” and the pages related to “Blood” are available as a 2.14 MB file at:
  http://www.filesend.net/download.php?f=2bda7b1cce379b9dfa68d57517f1ff9d

  Doug
  Psalm 121
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  JosephMalik

  The cross is central to Christianity. It is the new and living way into the very presence of God.

  Doug Mason,

  The new and living way into the very presence of God is not the cross. The old and living way into the very presence of God was the Law Covenant. The Law served this purpose for the Faith for thousands of years. Then in the days of John, Baptism took over this function to become the new and living way into the very presence of God. This is because of the lesser known fact that sin is what keeps us from this very presence of God. So we now have: Mr 1:4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And instead of the cross as this author proclaims we have: Eph 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, Finally just to be sure what saves us and is central to Christianity we have: 1Pe 3:21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also— not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, This is what he should have said and not publish an error that deviates for this truth and peddle the instrument of our Lord’s death for money.

  Joseph
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  Atlantis

  Doug Mason:

  Thank you Doug for the files! Appreciate your hard work!

  N.
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  glenster

  Thanks for the research.

  (Malik--he means the cross Paul boasted in (Gal.6:14), meaning what Jesus
  accomplished on it, and belief in which is central to Christianity. He didn't
  mean to deny the meaning of the other verses any more than Paul did.)
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  JosephMalik

  (Malik--he means the cross Paul boasted in (Gal.6:14), meaning what Jesus
  accomplished on it, and belief in which is central to Christianity. He didn't
  mean to deny the meaning of the other verses any more than Paul did.)

  Glenstar,

  I know you mean to smooth this over but there was a reason that I said what I did. And it would be nice if what you are saying was true but that still is not central to Christianity. It was important to Paul who said it since that was the mission given to him in mixed company with Jews and Gentiles. And it was the specific word used to show that such Gentiles did not need to comply with the Law. So in shifting this focus we miss this important distinction that Paul intended. And you know how the term is used in churches. It is an all embracing statement that gets sympathy, sounds intelligent and shifts the focus away from the sacrifice and resurrection of our Lord to the torture instrument on which it was performed. Yet its real purpose was intended to put an end to the Law. It makes not only the event less personal but the scriptures more difficult as it misses their true meaning and correct scriptural use. It is examples such as this that caused the faith to go astray and become divided.

  Gal 6:12 As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.

  Here the cross of Christ is against those making a fair shew in the flesh. Their conduct of constraining others to be circumcised is a rejection of this cross and bad for them. It was not the cross but the Law that was central to them.

  13 For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.

  And their joy was not in the cross of Christ but in the circumcised flesh of others they deceived.

  14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

  But the mission to correct this mistake that such Christian Jews were making was given to Paul by Christ who was sent to this world for this purpose. Paul was crucified to this world for this mission so it becomes the cross of Paul as well.

  15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

  We should get away from such Law as it availeth nothing and be the new creature Christ intended us to be.

  16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

  That is a real rule and can also be called central to Christianity. Other than this you saw how Baptism was the true center of the Christian faith since without it we cannot avail ourselves of the sacrifice of our Lord. [cross excluded]. This is why we see more of a negative use of cross by Paul than a positive use.

  Php 3:18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ :

  Joseph

  P.S.

  Perhaps I can say it this way. This cross, this instrument of violence ended the Law. That is what Paul is talking about.
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  Doug Mason

  Joseph,

  In reproducing the Preface to Morris's book, I provided a true and accurate record of what he wrote.

  I would have thought that baptism is a symbol of our statement of death to the old life, but that it is of no effect without the reality of the death and resurrection of Christ.

  Paul made it very clear that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the only "gospel". For example, at Romans 5:9, he made it very clear that is Christ’s death that the means of justification.

  “Since we have now been justified by his BLOOD, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” (NIV)

  Salvation is totally theocentric!

  Doug
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  JosephMalik

  In reproducing the Preface to Morris's book, I provided a true and accurate record of what he wrote.

  Doug,

  I am sure you did, but I was pointing out that he did not grasp what Paul meant by cross. Perhaps we should read less of such books and more of scripture for our information.

  Doug said:

  I would have thought that baptism is a symbol of our statement of death to the old life, but that it is of no effect without the reality of the death and resurrection of Christ.

  It is more than that. This is another reason that we should pay more attention to scripture. It replaced the Law as our means for entering the Kingdom. Without it we cannot obtain the reality and resurrection of Christ.

  Doug said: Paul made it very clear that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the only "gospel". For example, at Romans 5:9, he made it very clear that is Christ’s death that the means of justification. "Since we have now been justified by his BLOOD, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!" (NIV)

  Of course, and we can say this is central to Christianity not the instrument this Christ died on. We should put our emphasis in the right place. But do not forget who Paul was educating in Rome here. It was those Romans that were not doing this. We find this fight everywhere that Paul went. Speaking to them he said: 4:14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: You see. And if information sources such at this book or WTS material distracts us from such reality, then it is time to put them down.

  Joseph