Nailed to the cross, in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, were the handwritten

ordinances that were against us. Ordinances have reference to the flesh--the flesh has

been shewn to be hopeless by the crucifixion. "Why as though living in the world",

then, asks the apostle, "are ye subject to ordinances, which are to be subject to corruption

in the using". "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth". Here we have

the contrast to those who "mind earthly things", whose "god was their belly". In Col. 2:

the other extreme is mentioned, "the neglecting of the body", but it ends in the same way.

The wondrous doctrine of Philippians centres around the stupendous fact that Christ

"emptied Himself"; the glory of Colossians is that He, in Whom all the fulness was

pleased to dwell, has been raised from death and ignominy, and once again in Him dwells

all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. In each epistle His headship over principality and

power is included as a part of the great reward given to Him Who for the joy set before

Him, endured a cross and despised the shame. Though we do not yet see Him sitting

upon His universal throne crowned with many crowns (a blessed bay to look forward to!),

we do see, by the eye of faith, Jesus, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and

We have now passed under review every reference in the epistles to the cross of

Christ. Before we attempt to draw a conclusion it will be of service if we devote one

article to the consideration of the doctrine that is connected with "crucifixion". We shall

then be in a position to state with scriptural certainty the position which the cross of

Christ hold in the economy of redemption.

The results of our review of the occurrences of the Cross from the opening verses has

had one trend and one theme--suffering as a prelude to glory, shame as a forerunner of

joy. We feel, however, that it would be wise to hold back our conclusions until the

related references to crucifixion have been examined.

The first occurrence of the word is found in Matt. 20: 19, where the Lord, speaking of

His approaching death, says that He would be delivered to the Gentiles, "to mock, and to

scourge, and crucify". There are about thirty references altogether in the four Gospels

that testify to this awful death that was endured by the Son of God. Acts contains two

references, both having a somewhat similar context. In 2: 36 Peter places in vivid

contrast the fulfillment of Ps. 110:, "Sit Thou at My right hand until I make Thy foes Thy

footstool", to the humiliation that Christ suffered, "Therefore let all the house of Israel

know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord

and Christ". In chapter 4: the power of the risen Christ to heal the lame man, and the

antitype--Israel itself, is again emphasized by the reference to the crucifixion, "Whom ye

crucified, Whom God raised from the dead". The reference in Acts 2: 23-33 is the

rendering of another Greek word, nevertheless the atmosphere is the same, "Ye have