The Cross of Christ

A masterpiece - possibly the definitive work on substitutionary atonement, which makes it all the more important for the present decade, when there are many who claim to be evangelicals but deny this historic doctrine.

Stott looks at the Cross from all angles, including its symbolic significance to the church, the reasons which necessitated it, and the consequences of it (theologically, personally, socially, etc.). One of the brilliant points that this book establishes is that though there are many pictures for the atonement (courtroom, marketplace, conquest, etc.), the concept of substitution is behind them all.

D.A. Carson's endorsement was accurate: this is one of those rare must-own, must-read books.

Detailed, rational analysis of Christ's death on the cross and what it means to mankind. All analyses are based on Biblical texts. I feel it is a very thorough analysis on what the Bible says about the issue. I cannot think of relevant texts that he left unquoted =) He seems to write the book while mindful of Christians who do not accept the doctrine of the cross (namely Christ dying for the sin of mankind, in our place.) So he would delineate views that don't see the cross this way, and argue against these views based on Biblical texts. I find it somewhat interesting because I had not been aware that there are Christians who hold these alternative views. My favorite chapter is the one in which he laid out four different "imagery" of show more substitution -- propitiation, redemption, justification, and reconciliation. He explained how the imagery are different from each other, drawing from metaphors of altar sacrifice, market, court, and family. And just....went to town with his analysis. I loved it. He doesn't reference the Holy Spirit too much though, which makes it difficult for me to understand the later sections on "crucifying oneself", which I think he takes to mean sanctification. show less

Stott's, The Cross of Christ, is a very good book but not always an easy read. Stott provides a detailed examination of the meaning of the cross and God's sacrifice and explores how that should impact the believer's life.

Wonderful words, thoughts, and concepts but painfully dense. This may receive a much higher rating after a future reading when I'm on a different part of my spiritual journey.

This is a very fine book that I hope to reread every 3-5 years. It covers critical areas: the centrality of the cross as Christ described His mission; the centrality of it in the epistles; the true sinfulness and guilt of men; the just wrath of God; the need for satisfaction of wrath; substitution; propitiation, justification, redemption, reconciliation; the cross as a display of God's justice and love; victory in the cross; and others.

To be honest, this book left me with more questions than answers. It was also very heady listening. I could rarely listen to more than one chapter at a sitting, and was often left wondering which side of the argument the writer was on.

The author explains the significance of Christ's cross and answers the objections commonly brought against biblical teaching on the atonement. He also explores what it means to live under the cross.