The book “The Work of Christ” by Robert Letham, which is also known as “Contours of Christian Theology”, is a series of concise introductory textbook focused on the main themes of Christian theology, lucidly written and clearly presented.
Within this framework he explores the issues of Christ and the word of God, the nature and theories of atonement, and the cosmic and corporate dimensions of the meditorial kingship of Christ.
Background of the author
Robert Letham is a scholar as well as the minister of the gospel. He is formerly, a senior lecturer in Christian doctrine at London Bible College, is a pastor of Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, Wilmington, Delaware.
Purpose of the Book
The passion for this book was born out of a puzzle to attend to some important issues and questions begin for answers in Christendom hence the title “Contours of Christian Theology” The work of Christ actually stands for the most significant realities we can ever face. Issues like, How can we know God? How can we have a right relationship with God? How can we be forgiven? Can we know what lies beyond the grave? How can the death of a man of 2,000 years ago help us today? How does our salvation intersect with the environmental crisis, with poverty and oppression and a host of problem in politics and business? And what does Jesus Christ have to do with it all? These are not questions on the periphery of life. They affect our destiny and that of the planet.
The Core Issue
According to Letham, the phrase ‘work of Christ’ seems a dry, ponderous expression to use of the heart of the Christian faith. Christ’s death on the cross, his glorious resurrection, his startling message of the kingdom of God is all realities with dynamic power.
The person of Christ was central. We need the person of Christ and we need his work too. According to Campbell’s theology, the basic premise was that God is love. In Jesus Christ there is a twofold movement. There is movement of God toward humanity in which His love and forgiveness are revealed together with his judgement on sin. Simultaneously, there is also a responding movement towards God whereby Christ in our humanity offers a perfect vicarious response to the love and judgement of God. Christ’s work is no avail for us apart from participation in his person. Hence in the incarnation Christ unites himself with us taking our humanity into union with himself.
Thus, if Christ was not God he could not have revealed the father. If he was not human he could not represent us, nor could he have rendered human obedience, to God, nor suffered the penalty of divine justice of sin of human race. So Christ was and is who was and is in order to save us. We can say in the light of the above that incarnation and atonement perhaps are not only indispensable the one to the other; they are also mutually definitive.
One other issue is that Christ’s death was a sacrifice as asserted in this book. Apparently, the church did recognise the centrality of the cross. The cross was not entirely eclipsed. The tree Christ’s obedience repaired the tree of Adam’s disobedience. This is a true submission. It was further asserted that the early church maintained that Christ’s death was a ransom price to the devil. He was released from the devil’s power by his resurrection, so ensuring the complete deliverance of his people. Christ resurrection and exaltation secured people salvation. This is true about the work of Christ.
However, there is need to examine two of the above statements. Christ was not at any time under devil’s power but man. Jesus only surrendered his life in other to save man. Secondly, perhaps we can say that Christ’s death was a ransom price to God and not to the devil. Man was reconciled back to God through the death of Christ. The blood of Jesus was the price that was shed for the remission of sin.
Consequently, the atonement is seen as the work of God. God himself came into this world in Jesus Christ. The father handed him over to Satan. Satan fell into the trap, thinking he has Christ in his grasp. Christ’s divinity, however concealed by humanity, enabled him to overpower Satan and to rise from the dead, thus destroying him who he had the power of death; Thus human beings are free from Satan’s power and Satan himself is now subject to death and condemnation.
The doctrine of election is another important issue in this book. Perhaps the major bone of contention is the centrality of Jesus Christ in election as asserted by Paul and some scholars Charles Hodge, Louis Berkhof. Paul stated that we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephe 1:4). According to Karl Berth and J.K.S. Reid, Christ is merely the exhibitor of a decision already made in an eternity.
However, Calvin described Christ as the mirror of election, So that if we wanted to know if we were elected we should look no further than him. Aminus reacting against the rationalistic supralapsarianism of his teacher, Theodore Beza, recast the doctrine of election along Christocentric lines. God first elects Christ as the foundation of election. Then decree to save all that repent and believe, and finally to damming all who are impenitent. Election for Aminus was on the basis of God’s foreknowledge of our faith. His views were rejected as the Synod of Dort.
Letham thus, asserted that our entire salvation is received in Christ, election included. Union with Christ is existent at the point of our election in eternity.
From the forgoing, perhaps one can simply submit that Christ and election are something inseparable. Thus Christ is central to the Biblical doctrines of both covenant and election.
The topic ‘kingdom of God’ has been the subject of lively debate. The expression ‘kingdom of heaven’ is peculiar to Mathew but he does also use ‘kingdom of God’. According to Letham, a comparison of the usage of the two terms, however, shows no subtle distinctions between them. What Mathew’s phrase may demonstrate is that the focus is not on a realm in which rule is exercised but on the reign which God himself has over the world. Secondly, the preponderance of references is to the kingdom belonging to the father or simply to God. What did Jesus mean when he said the kingdom of God is at hand? Jesus claims that the whole period of preparation had now come to fruition. The kingdom of God was not merely near. It was a present reality.
He said further that Jesus talked of the appearance of the kingdom of God in power as a definite future event. Again, many of Jesus’ parables tell of the kingdom coming as the result of a long and imperceptible process of growth. Thus, it appears that Jesus understood the kingdom of God as a powerful demonstration of the rule of God, in line with Old Testament of his coming to deliver his people. In another sense, the end of the world would finally make clear all that is implied in the reality of the kingdom.
What then is the kingdom of God? It is nothing less than the reign of God in human affairs. This reign of God extends across the whole gamut of human life. Thus, the ethics of the kingdom certainly impinge on the inner life of human beings.
The humanity of Jesus Christ is another major issue that calls for attention. Jesus did not assume the nature of angels but human nature (John 1:1-3, 14). Thus our union with Christ is grounded on his union with us. Christ union with us took place in his incarnation. Perhaps we can say that without incarnation, there could be no salvation. Only a human being could atone for the sin of humanity.
Summary and Concluding Remarks
The work of Christ by Robert Letham, though concise is clearly written and comprehensive. He employed the views of many great scholars hence presented a balance argument. However, Letham spoke about the threefold office of Jesus Christ: prophet, priest, and king. He said further that since Jesus Christ did not claim any of these offices for himself, then to speak of Christ in terms of the offices is a serious mistake. I wouldn’t know what he actually meant by the statement, but I think the statement might not be completely true because Jesus manifested or operated all the offices as a fulfilment of the Scriptures. It is true that Jesus did not claim them but he did operate in all the offices, so it is not claiming the title that matters but rather fulfilling the Scriptures or manifesting them hence the title is not as important as the title owner.
Another point made by Letham that raises concern is the issue of the payment of ransom price to the devil and the release of Jesus Christ from the devil’s power by his resurrection. Was the ransom paid to the devil or to God? Perhaps it will be more appropriate to say that the ransom was paid to God rather than devil and that man was under the power of the devil but not Jesus. When man sinned, he fell from grace to the hand of the devil. When Christ died, he reconciled man back to God, thus delivered man from the power of the devil. Devil has got nothing to take back, he was a robber, the owner desire a ransom and hence Jesus Christ paid it to God.
Finally, it is certainly true that this book would be enormous and the reader would be bankrupted paying for it, if every subject is discussed in detail. However, the book has being able to present a clear understanding of what Christ has done. Thus I want to submit that Christ came, died and resurrected with the intent of atoning for his elect, while the worth and scope of his atonement is sufficient for each and every person who ever lived. This of course remained the central focus of this great noble work of Robert Letham.
A Book Review: The Work Of Christ-Contours Of Christian Theology By Robert Letham
Reviewer: Reverend Olaniyi Lawrence
The Work Of Christ - Contours Of Christian Theology
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