The Cross in the New Testament

'The fact of the atonement underlies the whole.' p 13 Morris' extended reach included the key doctrines of justification, imputation, reconciliation, salvation, adoption - profitably making his contribution ineradicable to posterity. Showing remarkable interaction with the most important works of his day made the comparative study all the more valuable as a defense for the church. Morris declined to question the canonicity of the New Testament, stating ruggedly 'that I have of set purpose eschewed the discussion of such questions.' The subject matter is presented topically in the same arrangement as the NT books - beginning with the gospels, then the Pauline epistles, Hebrews, the catholic epistles and Revelation. I can only endeavour to concisely set out the synoptic gospels. 'The gospels are not biographies.' p 14 In keeping with convention, Morris believed that they revealed the truth of Christ crucified, and attempted to highlight the theological aspect of their narratives as centered on the cross, and sanctioned by the promises of the Father. Morris placed Mark and Matthew in the same chapter for reasons of similarity in structure and narration. Reflecting on the opening of Mark, Morris noted that 'The gospel of Jesus Christ signifies that it is mediated through Christ, and that His action is central to the content of the good news.' p 16 The immaculate conception is viewed as a real miracle wrought by God. As to repentance, 'But unless repentance is linked with a forgiving act of God it effects nothing, and can effect nothing. Nowhere do the gospels countenance any such view as that repentance is meritorious in itself.' p 17 The right ratio of mercy to judgment is also maintained by Morris. He brings to the fore impending judgment: 'An important feature of this part of the evangelists' message is their frequent warning of the peril in which the nation, the people of God, and more especially its religious leaders, stood.' p 24. Matthew 3:9, 'and do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father', for even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees.' Dispensationalism objectionably teaches that at a certain stage the Jews rejected Christ's offer of a kingdom, yet here, at a very early stage in the gospels we find scriptural evidence of the opposite occurrence: divine judgment spoken against the Jewish expectation rejects their designs outright, and strikes up the antithetical nature of Christ's mission. 'In some sense the mission inaugurates the kingdom.' p 36 Anticipating with remarkable foresight the modern views of Steve Chalke's 'cosmic child abuse', Morris avers 'Sometimes in the history of theology the atonement has been described in such a way as almost to imply that Jesus was saving men from the Father. This can only dismissed as a caricature. This is not the picture that is found in Scripture.' p 27, to which Morris obliges us with his correct view: 'He did not only suffer: He suffered vicariously, substitut