The Theology of the Cross

Martin Luther is famously known as THE Reformer who ignited the Reformation revolution. He is well known for his disputation on “The Power and Efficacy of Indulgences” which popularly became known as his “95 theses” that he nailed to the doors of Castle Church in Wittenburg. The point of the theses was not to confront the church but to list his objections against the church’s practice regarding indulgences. This was on October 31, 1517 which is celebrated by some as an alternative to Halloween and known as Reformation Day.

What most don’t know about Luther was his earlier disputation held a month earlier on Sept 4, 1517. His “Disputation against Scholastic Theology” where he criticized how medieval theology has been done for centuries. This disputation received little to no attention — not until after his famous 95 theses which received such controversial interest.

In his September disputation, Luther establishes what he calls the Theology of the Cross. At the heart of Luther’s argument is we should not speculate about the character of God without seeing whom he has revealed himself to be. Those who seek to understand this way apply a Theology of Glory.

Those that subscribe to the Theology of Glory are those who build their theology in the light of what they expect God to be like. It should be no surprise that they soon make God to look something like themselves. The theologians of the cross however, are those who build their theology in the light of God’s own revelation of himself in Christ hanging on the cross.

This changed the vocabulary of Christians when describing the character of God in light of the cross. Some examples:

• The word wisdom. God’s wisdom is demonstrated in the foolishness of the cross. Who would have thought up the foolish idea of God taking human flesh in order to die a horrendous death on behalf of sinners who had deliberately defied Him!
• The word pure. God makes sinners pure by himself becoming sin for them, or God himself raising up a people to newness of life by himself submitting to death!
• The word life. God lays down His life FOR the sheep before he can give life TO the sheep (John 10:10-11)
• The meaning of blessing. If God did not withhold the dying of His own Son for us all, how can God withhold the giving of blessing for us? (Rom 8:32)

Etc. holiness, and righteousness.

Every single one must be reconceived in the light of the cross. All are important theological concepts; all are susceptible to human beings casting them in their own image; and all must be recast in the light of the cross.

This is quite a powerful observation by Luther. Consider the following: God’s character cannot be fully understood without Christ. Christ cannot be fully understood without His Cross. The cross of Jesus Christ is central in our understanding God! Apart from the cross, we fail in rightly understanding the character and nature of God.