Simon Pease reviews ‘The Gospel of Christ Crucified’ by John P Harrigan (Paroikos Publishing, 2015).

In the fullness of time, John P Harrigan's The Gospel of Christ Crucified: A Theology of Suffering Before Glory may prove to be a highly significant work, so caution is urged against dismissing it out of hand on account of its weighty 560 pages, or the fact that it is best described as a ‘systematic theology’.

The book itself is surprisingly readable for a work aimed at pastors and Bible students, perhaps in part because the author is not a theologian. He also makes copious use of helpful diagrams to get his message across, and actually completes the primary narrative about 40% of the way through, leaving the remaining 300+ pages for appendices, including chapter notes and Bible references.

Harrigan argues his case forcefully in the main narrative by quoting extensively from Scripture in a way which is seamlessly woven into the fabric of the text, wisely using the appendices to allow his readers the freedom to explore the material in greater depth if they so wish.

The Big Picture of Salvation History

So, what can there possibly be to commend a book seeking to explain the Gospel, with which we are surely already so thoroughly familiar?

The simple answer is that the author approaches his task by working through themes (such as the progressive revelation of Messiah, the purpose of the crucifixion, the hope of Jesus’s future reign and the Church’s Gospel mandate) from the perspective of the Old Testament writers, Jesus and then the Apostles, taking their Jewish worldview at face-value and as God-given. His focus is therefore Hebraic, yet always focused on the big picture.

In the course of time, this might prove to be a highly significant work.

Harrigan uses the term "cruciform-apocalyptic" to describe the Gospel. Putting this simply, he emphasises that the two key events in salvation history are the Cross (cruciform) and Jesus' return (apocalyptic). In doing so, he is simply stressing the same message we see presented by the Apostles in the book of Acts, yet which today has become so unfashionable in much of the Church.

Refuting Deviations

This inevitably leads to a conflict with the ideas Gentile Christianity embraced so rapidly from the world of Greek philosophers such as Plato, which even today undermine profoundly the core of much biblical teaching.

So, whilst focusing throughout on the true Gospel, the author uses Scripture's clear teaching as the yardstick against which to measure deviations from it, which he repeatedly refers to either as ‘escapist’ or ‘dominionist’. Examples of the former include monasticism and dispensational ‘dual covenantism’, whilst Roman Catholicism and ‘Kingdom Now’ theology are cited for the latter.

The practical application for Christians is found in the subtitle; ‘A Theology of Suffering Before Glory’. Believers are called to be "in the world, but not of it", neither seeking to escape it nor rule over it. Indeed, the Bible's general thrust is that in this world the righteous will be persecuted.

Position on the Kingdom

With this in view, the book's first appendix tackles the vital issue of what is meant by the ‘Kingdom’. Harrigan argues not only that the Kingdom will be inaugurated at Jesus' return, but also that Jesus never suggested that the Kingdom would in some way be a partial present reality before then (yet regarding the gifts of the Holy Spirit the author is not a cessationist).

The author uses Scripture's clear teaching as the yardstick against which to measure deviations from it.

His reasoning is based in part on the use of Greek verb tenses and therefore questioning the accuracy of popular Bible translations, so unless the reader has expert knowledge it may be best to use this material as a springboard for further research.

However, Harrigan's basic point is easy to understand: Christians who believe they can enjoy the Kingdom in this world are unlikely to be obedient to Christ in embracing the Cross.
The author rightly asserts that the Bible's message is unified and that neither Jesus nor the Apostles re-interpreted ‘spiritually’ the Israel-centric biblical view of "to the Jew first, then to the Gentile". As such, he powerfully refutes Replacement Theology.

The Narrow Path

If the Lord uses The Gospel of Christ Crucified to call believers back to the narrow path, preparing us to face persecution and to look forward to the "glorious hope" of Messiah's return, Harrigan's efforts will not have been in vain. This is indeed more than ‘just another’ theology book – it is a call to re-form our worldview completely around the Cross, whatever the cost.

‘The Gospel of Christ Crucified: A Theology of Suffering Before Glory’ is available from Amazon for £13.95 (paperback). Also available in hardback and Kindle forms.

Find out more about the author and the book on the accompanying website, where you can find blog posts, teachings and recommended further reading.