Cross Vision - Cruciform Through Line

3. God really is as beautiful as
Jesus reveals God to be Heb 1:3
and all of scripture points to
– and reflects – the glory of God
revealed in the crucified ChristLuke 24:27
MAIN THESIS STATEMENT of THIS SERIES

4. Developing a more Christ-centered:
- Reading of scripture
- View of God
- Way of loving God/neighbors/ourselves
PRIMARY GOAL of THIS SERIES

6. ““……until we fully trust that God is as heuntil we fully trust that God is as he’’s revealeds revealed
to be on the cross and therefore stop trying toto be on the cross and therefore stop trying to
justify (the) violent divine portraits, the crossjustify (the) violent divine portraits, the cross
cannot function like Alicecannot function like Alice’’s looking-glass,s looking-glass,
reversing the violent meaning of these portraitsreversing the violent meaning of these portraits
to show how they bear witness to the cross.to show how they bear witness to the cross.””
- GREG BOYD,- GREG BOYD, Cross VisionCross Vision

7. Part 2Part 2 –– A Cruciform Through-Line:A Cruciform Through-Line:
The Cross, The Bible & Revolting BeautyThe Cross, The Bible & Revolting Beauty

8. A QUESTION AS WE BEGIN...
What would you do if you knewWhat would you do if you knew
you had the power to doyou had the power to do
anything you want?anything you want?

9. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under
his power, and that he had come from God and was
returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took
off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around
his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin
and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them
with the towel that was wrapped around him.
JOHN 13:3-5

10. No one has ever seen God,
but the one and only Son,
who is himself God and is in
closest relationship with the Father,
has made him known.
JOHN 1:18

11. I am the way (to the Father),
and the truth (about the Father),
and the life (offered by the Father).
No one comes to the Father except through me.
JOHN 14:6

12. Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father,
and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him,
“Have I been with you all this time, Philip,
and you still do not know me?
Whoever has seen me
has seen the Father.
JOHN 14:8-9a

13. “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well
pleased; listen to him!”
IT’S NOT JESUS + MOSES & ELIJAH.
WE CAN’T USE THE WORDS OF THE LAW
& PROPHETS TO SILENCE JESUS.
JESUS HAS AUTHORITY OVER THEM!
MATTHEW 17:5

14. In the past God spoke to our ancestors through
the prophets at many times and in various ways,
but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son,
whom he appointed heir of all things, and through
whom also he made the universe. The Son is the
radiance of God’s glory and the exact
representation of his being…
HEBREWS 1:1-3 (NIV)

15. For there is one God;
there is also one mediator
between God and humankind,
Christ Jesus…
1 TIMOTHY 2:5a

16. I want their hearts to be encouraged and united
in love, so that they may have all the riches of
assured understanding and have the knowledge
of God’s mystery, that is, Christ himself,
in whom are hidden all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge.
COLOSSIANS 2:2-3

17. For in him all the fullness of God
was pleased to dwell…
For in him the whole
fullness of The Deity
dwells bodily…
COLOSSIANS 1:19; 2:9

18. ““……ifif allall thethe fullnessfullness ofof DeityDeity is embodied,is embodied,
and disclosed in Christ, we are misguidedand disclosed in Christ, we are misguided
to think we need to supplement what weto think we need to supplement what we
find in Christ with what we find in the OTfind in Christ with what we find in the OT
or in any other source.or in any other source. EverythingEverything we needwe need
to know and can know about God is foundto know and can know about God is found in Christin Christ..””
- GREG BOYD,- GREG BOYD, Cross VisionCross Vision

19. For now we see only a reflection
as in a mirror; then we shall see
face to face. Now I know in part;
then I shall know fully,
even as I am fully known.
IF THIS IS TRUE OF US AS CHRIST FOLLOWERS,
HOW MUCH MORESO FOR THOSE IN THE O.T.?!
1 CORINTHIANS 13:12

20. A “FLAT” READING of SCRIPTURE
A way of reading the Bible that places Jesus’ revelation
of God on the same level as all other biblical depictions
of God. Reading scripture this way forces us to accept
that God is both the non-violent, enemy-loving God
revealed in the crucified Christ, and the violent,
enemy-destroying God portrayed throughout the OT
(and in a variety of NT passages as well…)

21. A “FLAT” READING of SCRIPTURE
Is a DECISION on how to interpret Scripture, but NOT
one REQUIRED by the text; it’s actually FORBIDDEN!
Holding to the AUTHORITY of Scripture does NOT
mean everything IN Scripture EQUALLY reveals God
to us, just as the Scriptures we’ve read makes clear:
ONLY JESUS DOES THAT PERFECTLY!

22. ““God is Christlike, and in himGod is Christlike, and in him
is no un-Christlikeness at all.”is no un-Christlikeness at all.”
- MICHAEL RAMSEY,- MICHAEL RAMSEY, God, Christ and the WorldGod, Christ and the World
““God is like Jesus. God has always been like Jesus.God is like Jesus. God has always been like Jesus.
There has never been a time when God wasThere has never been a time when God was
not like Jesus. We have not always knownnot like Jesus. We have not always known
what God is like—But now we do.”what God is like—But now we do.”
- BRIAN ZAHND- BRIAN ZAHND

23. Then beginning with Moses
and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them
the things about himself
in all the scriptures.
LUKE 24:

24. ““……if Jesus is the center to which all Scriptureif Jesus is the center to which all Scripture
pointspoints……then the cruciform character of Godthen the cruciform character of God
supremely revealed on the cross must besupremely revealed on the cross must be
regarded as the epicenter of this center.regarded as the epicenter of this center.
And if all Scripture is aboutAnd if all Scripture is about ChristChrist,,
then all Scripture is more specificallythen all Scripture is more specifically
aboutabout Christ-crucifiedChrist-crucified..””
- GREG BOYD,- GREG BOYD, Cross VisionCross Vision

25. ““(For Paul) the cross(For Paul) the cross……
is the sign of the centeris the sign of the center……
It is the middle of everywhereIt is the middle of everywhere
(and)(and)……the axis of everything.”the axis of everything.”
- N.T. WRIGHT,- N.T. WRIGHT,
Paul and The Faithfulness of GodPaul and The Faithfulness of God

26. ““……the cross is the unsurpassable revelation ofthe cross is the unsurpassable revelation of
GodGod’’s loves love……(it is) the definitive revelation of(it is) the definitive revelation of
GodGod’’s cross-like, ors cross-like, or cruciformcruciform, character, character……
In all eternity, no event could ever revealIn all eternity, no event could ever reveal
GodGod’’s self-sacrificial character more perfectly,s self-sacrificial character more perfectly,
for God could never go further the sakefor God could never go further the sake
of love than he went on Calvary.of love than he went on Calvary.””
- GREG BOYD,- GREG BOYD, Cross VisionCross Vision

27. UNLOCKING THE MYSTERY

28. UNLOCKING THE MYSTERY
1. HOW THE CROSS REVEALS GOD1. HOW THE CROSS REVEALS GOD
It shows the supremely beautiful GodIt shows the supremely beautiful God
who was willing to stoop to take on thewho was willing to stoop to take on the
revolting ugliness of sin and violencerevolting ugliness of sin and violence

29. UNLOCKING THE MYSTERY
2. READING SCRIPTURE WITH A2. READING SCRIPTURE WITH A
CROSS-INFORMED FAITHCROSS-INFORMED FAITH
God, out of love, is humbly stoopingGod, out of love, is humbly stooping
to bear the sin of God’s people, therebyto bear the sin of God’s people, thereby
taking on an ugly appearance thattaking on an ugly appearance that
reflects sin,reflects sin, on the cross AND in the texton the cross AND in the text

30. LITERARY CRUCIFIX
a passage of Scripture that serves as a literary testament
to God’s willingness to humbly stoop to allow the sin
and cultural conditioning of his people to act upon him
as he bears their sin, just as Jesus did on the cross

31. LITERARY CRUCIFIX
a passage of Scripture that serves as a literary testament
to God’s willingness to humbly stoop to allow the sin
and cultural conditioning of his people to act upon him
as he bears their sin, just as Jesus did on the cross
DIRECT REVELATION: passages that directly reflect
God’s cruciform character revealed on the cross

32. LITERARY CRUCIFIX
a passage of Scripture that serves as a literary testament
to God’s willingness to humbly stoop to allow the sin
and cultural conditioning of his people to act upon him
as he bears their sin, just as Jesus did on the cross
DIRECT REVELATION: passages that directly reflect
God’s cruciform character revealed on the cross
INDIRECT REVELATION: passages that force us to
exercise cross-informed faith to see beyond the surface

33. Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who
has slept with a man, but save for yourselves
every girl who has never slept with a man.
NUMBERS 31:17-18

34. Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who
has slept with a man, but save for yourselves
every girl who has never slept with a man.
In Greg’s proposal, these verses function
as a LITERARY CRUCIFIX and an INDIRECT
REVELATION of God’s true character
NUMBERS 31:17-18

35. UNLOCKING THE MYSTERY
3. A CROSS-CENTERED CONCEPTION3. A CROSS-CENTERED CONCEPTION
OF GOD’S “BREATHING”OF GOD’S “BREATHING”
Seeing ScriptureSeeing Scripture –– as we do the crossas we do the cross ––
as a place where God both acts towardsas a place where God both acts towards
humanity AND allows humanity to acthumanity AND allows humanity to act
towards Godtowards God

36. All scripture is inspired by God…
“Inspired by God” = “God breathed”;
the cross shows God doing this in
two directions: GOD to US, US to GOD.
If God does that ON THE CROSS,
why not IN SCRIPTURE as well?!
2 TIMOTHY 3:16

37. God acts
towards humanity
Humanity acts
towards God
Unimaginably
beautiful love
Revoltingly ugly
sin/violence

38. God acts
towards humanity
Humanity acts
towards God
words that
reflect
God’s
perfect
perspective/
cruciform love
found in Jesus
words that reflect
our sin/imperfect
cultural conditioning

39. ““……the all-important question is:the all-important question is: what did Godwhat did God
inspire the Bible to infallibly accomplish?inspire the Bible to infallibly accomplish? ……
God did not inspire the Bible to meet theGod did not inspire the Bible to meet the
(modern) standards of scientific, historical,(modern) standards of scientific, historical,
literary, or logical perfectionliterary, or logical perfection……God inspiredGod inspired
all of Scripture to point to Jesus.all of Scripture to point to Jesus.””

40. UNLOCKING THE MYSTERY
4. RELATIONAL, NON-COERCIVE GOD4. RELATIONAL, NON-COERCIVE GOD
God, having created a world w/free will,God, having created a world w/free will,
must always act by means of influencemust always act by means of influence
rather than coercionrather than coercion
LABOTOMIZELABOTOMIZE

41. ““……the loving, relational God has alwaysthe loving, relational God has always acted towardacted toward
people to reveal his selfpeople to reveal his self as much as possibleas much as possible. But he. But he
has always been willing to humbly allow his peoplehas always been willing to humbly allow his people
toto act upon himact upon him as he bears their sinas he bears their sin as much asas much as
necessary.necessary.””

42. TO UNLOCK THE MYSTERY:
1. Acknowledge that the cross
supremely reveals God’s character
2. Read Scripture with a cross-informed faith
3. Employ a cross-centered view of how “God-breathed”
4. Recognize God works relationally, not coercively

43. Part 2Part 2 –– A Cruciform Through-Line:A Cruciform Through-Line:
The Cross, The Bible & Revolting BeautyThe Cross, The Bible & Revolting Beauty

44. Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one;
you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, and with all your mind,
and with all your strength.’
And, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
There is no other commandment
greater than these.
MARK 12