The Death of the Saviour – A Review by Bob Thomas

This is a book* which draws the reader in as it outlines and analyses all the events and elements of the crucifixion, which he sees as the central event of all Scripture. In so doing he relates these events back to Old Testament prophecies and forward to New Testament fulfillments and outcomes in the Early Church.

The book began life as a series of sermons preached in the author’s church, Second Presbyterian in Greenville, South Carolina, USA, and to some extent begs the question of whether or not sermons should be put into print. I’m one of those who welcome sermons being put into print, largely as preached and with a minimum of tidying up. Phillips however has given his original sermon series a comprehensive makeover to the extent that unless we were told what had happened we would never have guessed at the original genre. I think that’s why, for me, this book is slow to take off. Nevertheless, as it gathers momentum it becomes evident that a vast amount of material has been gathered and refined into a really helpful book.

The cross is, of course, central to all of Scripture. Possibly the most helpful sections of the book are those outlining the various views of the atonement before settling on penal substitutionary atonement as the correct one, and the work of Christ as finished on the cross. These doctrines reside in troubled waters thanks to Romanism on the one hand and liberalism on the other, and our author steers us into the clear waters of orthodoxy first charted by Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, in his book Cur Deus Homo?

An abundance of quotes from many sources show something of the volume of work undertaken in writing this book and in themselves represent added value to an already valuable book.

The author’s prayer is: ‘May God bless these brief studies to magnify Christ’s saving achievements in our minds, and inspire us to a more fervent adoration of Christ from our hearts . . . May he who died but lives forever be glorified through God’s Word.’ It will surely be granted ‘beyond all (he) can ask or imagine.’