Cranmer on Salvation - Introduction

I am teaching an online class on the Anglican Way of Theology. One of the texts we are reading is Thomas Cranmer's homily on salvation. Cranmer was influenced by the continental reformers, above all, Luther's understanding of justification by grace through faith. This great doctrine lay at the heart of the Reformation and is the root of contemporary evangelicalism. Among evangelicals, however, the doctrine of justification is often presented as if it were virtually the whole of the gospel. This leads to a significant weakening of the gospel of salvation. One can see the roots of this in Cranmer's homily on salvation.

This essay is composed of two parts. First, there are some reflections on Cranmer's understanding of salvation as found in his homily on salvation. I wrote this first part and assigned it to the students as part of their "lecture" on Cranmer. Secondly, as homework, I listed nine saving works of Christ as found in the gospels. All Christ's words and deeds narrated in the gospel bring salvation. That is salvation, defined by Christ and made alive by the Spirit in the church today. I then asked the students to decide which of these saving works were addressed by Cranmer in his homily on salvation and which were not. A response to that part of the homework is also given at the end of this essay. In this way we could see how the concept of salvation was constricted at the time of the Reformation. Of course, the Reformers knew there was more to salvation than justification, but in actual practice among evangelicals, this doctrine crowds out other aspects of salvation. Here is the lecture. Unless otherwise stated, the quotations given in the lecture are from Cranmer's homily on salvation and can be found in the text noted in endnote 1.

Lecture on Cranmer's Homily on Salvation

Notice that Cranmer's doctrine of justification has its origin in God's character, his justice and his mercy. In regard to his justice, God is the Lord. All his commandments are pure and holy and they must be obeyed. To violate God's holy will is to invoke his just wrath, and for that reason, Christ was sent to make "amends to his Father for our sins, to assuage his wrath and indignation conceived against us for the same" (p. 8). Since God is just, he is also judge, and some day all will appear before the judgment seat. For those that "be contentious, and to them that will not be obedient unto the truth, but will obey unrighteousness, shall come indignation, wrath, and affliction, &c" (p. 13). Cranmer will also say that, apart from Christ, "we were condemned to hell, and death everlasting" (p. 13). In other words, God's justice entails the everlasting damnation for all but Christ who alone obeyed the just commandments of God. I emphasize this aspect of Cranmer's treatment of salvation because Cranmer's understanding of God's justice goes against the grain of our permissive culture.

God is not only just, he is merciful, and his mercy is shown, above all, in sending his Son to die for us, to ransom us from death by paying the penalty that justice requires be paid for out sins. Through Christ, we are justified and set right with a holy and righteous God. This is the great doctrine of justification, the profound truth proclaimed at the time of the Reformation.

Cranmer then goes on to describe how justification entails three aspects, God's mercy and grace, Christ's sacrificial act satisfying God's justice, and our reception in faith. Further, Cranmer works out the relationship between faith and works.

These ideas are, to my mind, the central features of Cranmer's discussion of salvation, and in what follows, I will comment on these ideas.

To begin, justification is a profound biblical truth, and in the past, it was a truth that spoke to our culture. For example, fifty years ago, someone like Billy Graham could preach the gospel that we have sinned against a holy God, and since he holds us accountable for these sins, we need a savior who died in our place. Today, however, many people really do not believe that God is going to damn them to hell for some misdeeds. Such a notion goes against the supposedly tolerant and permissive character of our culture. Rather than believe they are guilty for their selfish acts, many people simply believe that they have a right to have their needs met, and therefore, actions that assert this right are well and good. We can see something like this in the Declaration of Independence which states that the Creator himself endowed us with the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Or, our culture is profoundly shaped by our economic system which is geared to the endless satisfaction of needs as promoted by relentless advertising. The last three generations have grown up in a culture saturated with images and slogans telling them they can have their needs, desire, and fantasies met with products of all kinds. Do you believe that people will take you seriously if you tell them they are sinners and are in danger of eternal death? What do you make of the fact that many prominent preachers proclaim a gospel that essentially states that God is there to heal us, comfort us, take care of us financially, and sort out all our personal relationships? The four spiritual laws, for example, given at the end of Josh McDowell's massive exposition of Christian truth, begins with the statement that "God loves us and offers a wonderful plan for your life."(2) This plan includes "abundant life," and this abundant life is thwarted by sin which then leads to the need for a savior whose purpose is to provide the abundant life. Even those who say that we have a God-shaped hole inside of us that only God can fill, are saying that God is there to meet a human need, the need for God. Salvation for Cranmer, however, is not based on God filling a need, but rather, salvation is being saved from God himself who threatens us with everlasting damnation. Have I read Cranmer rightly at this point? We do, of course, need to be saved from whatever threatens us, but for many, God is not the real threat. What do you make of this? Do you believe God is a threat?

Notice that this homily is called a "Homily of the Salvation of Mankind, by only Christ our Saviour, from Sin and Death everlasting." What is the emphasis here? The important aspect is that salvation is from "Sin and Death everlasting." As you read this essay, you will notice aspects of salvation other than escaping the effects of sin. For example, by God's saving work in Jesus Christ, believers are given life everlasting, made children of God, brethren of his son, and inheritors of his kingdom of heaven (p. 13). Having said this, however, the emphasis of the homily is salvation from sin and death. Is this a biblical understanding of salvation, or only an aspect of salvation? What, essentially, is salvation? Of course, this issue is not a simple one, and endless books have been written on the subject, but I would want to say that salvation is, first and foremost, knowing God in Christ Jesus. "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (John 17:3). There is more to salvation than knowing God. It also entails forming a Christian community and living in love and charity with others. Be that as it may, salvation is not only turning from something, turning from sin and death, but turning to something; that is, to God and his people as known in Jesus Christ. When the turning away from sin and death is given extreme emphasis, as in constant preaching of hell fire and damnation, one misses the true goal of salvation, namely, life with God.

The doctrine of justification describes one aspect of knowing God, his justice and his mercy. How then, concretely, are his justice and mercy made known? Or, how is his love made known? Should we turn, first and foremost to Romans as did the Protestant Reformation, or should we begin with the four gospels? In a future essay that I will give you, I will show that the gospels are the center of Scripture so that we need to start with the Incarnation, the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and this in the context of the entire biblical revelation.

Having said this, Romans itself is a reflection on the person of Christ, above all his death and resurrection, and this in the context of the biblical revelation from Adam onward. Romans, does not, however, consider the whole of Christ's saving work as presented in the gospels. Rather, the emphasis is on the atonement, Christ's saving death and resurrection. His work on the cross, however, is the heart of all his saving works, the vital core, the crown of all his words and deeds, and therefore, the gospels devote more text to this than any other complex of events. For that reason, one cannot know God as savior apart from this saving work of Christ on the cross. Although this must be affirmed, it must also be said that about three fourths of the gospel texts are devoted to Christ's life prior to his death, and as a consequence, what happened there is also of saving significance. For that reason, I have included the essay, "The Works of Christ," as part of your homework. All these works are saving works, aspects of the salvation given in Christ Jesus.

Following Luther, Cranmer, and the Reformers, evangelicals have emphasized the justification won for us by the death and resurrection of Christ. This, of course, is vital, the supreme saving act. Once that has been received, however, what does one do next? Or, to rephrase the matter, what do evangelicals do with the gospel texts prior to his crucifixion and resurrection? In general, and this is a generality, evangelicals emphasize certain aspects of Jesus' earthly ministry and neglect others. For example, they emphasize his teaching, preaching, aspects of his ethics, but place less emphasis on his healing, deliverance, radical economic ethic, and the sacramental relevance of his final Passover meal. Aspects of this can be seen, for example, in the work by Stott, Evangelical Truth, or the text by Steve Jeffery, Mike Ovey, and Andrew Sach, Pierced for our Transgressions.(3)

More will be said on this vital topic when we study evangelicalism. But for now, one further issue needs to be discussed, and that is good works and their relationship to justification. Cranmer gives what I would affirm as a biblical understanding of the relationship between justification and sanctification. What then are good works? How do we know what they are? By and large, good works are defined by the culture in which we live. At the time of conversion, this cultural inheritance is critiqued and transformed by the gospel. If, however, the gospel is narrowly defined as justification followed by sanctification, to the neglect of the teaching and ministry of Christ found in the four gospels, the result is a truncated understanding of good works. Good works, as set forth in the four gospels, entail the creation of the Kingdom, the Kingdom begun in the Exodus, proclaimed by the prophets, anticipated in creation where God created a peaceful order for the whole of humanity, and consummated in Christ Jesus who announced, taught, and lived the Kingdom. As stated in Mark's gospel, "Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel'" (Mark 1:14-5). In the context of the whole of the biblical revelation, the Kingdom is a community of love united in allegiance to Christ in which all the relations of life are redeemed -- relations between God and his people, relations among the people themselves, relations to wealth and wages, and relations with the natural world as described in Genesis one and two as well as elsewhere in Scripture. Good works have their foundation in Christ. He was poor, he gave up his life in service, he associated with the weak and marginalized, and much, much more, and he founded a movement dedicated to sacrifice. That is the Kingdom, and in the Kingdom good works create the church as an outpost of the Kingdom. A great deal of evangelical preaching enables one to enter into that Kingdom through the merits of Christ's justifying work on the cross, but does not go on to describe life in the Kingdom as the redemption of all relationships beginning in this life and completed in the life to come.

When good works are viewed in a Kingdom perspective, it quickly becomes apparent that no one is really living according to the life of Christ. This is not only true for us as individuals, but the church as a whole, by and large, is part and parcel of the world system rather than an outpost of the Kingdom. When we see ourselves and the church in the light of Christ as known in the gospel, the great doctrine of justification becomes even more relevant, answering the question of how God could still accept and love us when we are so far from the radical ethics of Jesus.

Since sanctification is living the life of Christ in the church and world, and since that life is narrated in the four gospels, one must then address how justification, centered in the cross and resurrection, is related to the works of Jesus prior to the cross.

Cranmer's description of how justification relates to sanctification is important, but a prior issue is how the cross and resurrection relate to all the deeds and words of Christ. This issue needs to be addressed first because justification and sanctification have their foundation in Christ, his work on the cross as the foundation of our justification and all his works as the foundation of sanctification. Or, to put the question another way, what is the relationship between Christ's saving act of deliverance given by the cross and resurrection and the saving acts set forth in his earthly ministry? The cross and resurrection, the atonement, justification are the foundation for all of Christ's works, the door by which one enters into the Kingdom. Justified by Christ's atoning work on the cross, believers have access to the throne of grace, to refer to Hebrews, or we become children of the Father, to quote Romans, and as such, we enter into the full glory of the children of God. This means that Christians, have access to God's complete forgiveness and the outpouring of his Holy Spirit, enabling believers to do all the works of Christ, the very works that he did in the days of his flesh. This is the teaching of the New Testament and the reason for the little list given on the works of Christ. This teaching can be found in the essay entitled "Trinity and Incarnation" where, according to John's gospel, believers do the works of Christ and proclaim his words, thereby revealing Christ to those who never knew him in the flesh. Another example would be Romans where Paul, after describing the doctrine of justification, turns in chapters and following to the consequences of justification, and that consequence is a new life with God. Here are his words, "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:1-2). The "access" described here is access to the life of God, revealed in Christ, a life which includes yet transfigures suffering. This new life is developed in the following chapters and culminates in chapter eight where Paul proclaims that nothing can separate believers from the love of God found in Christ Jesus. In these examples the relationship between justification and all the graces of God in Christ is that justification is the act whereby God makes us his children with access to all the privileges and responsibilities of the new life revealed in Jesus' earthly ministry culminating in his death, resurrection, and ascension. That new life, based on the whole of Christ's incarnate life, is the grounds for the believer's sanctification.

In regard to sanctification it must be noticed that Jesus' first words to his disciples were "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19, Mark 1:17). He did not say, "Follow me and I will heal all your diseases, or make you happy, or successful, or fulfilled in your personal relationships." In fact, as is well known, he promised a cross, a daily cross which entails suffering. Having said this, however, there is no greater joy than knowing the living God as revealed in Jesus Christ, who, having loved his own, loved them to the end.

One corollary of the foregoing is that the preaching of justification and sanctification needs to be coordinated with programs in the church which allow those who respond in faith to live out the fullness of the gospel revelation. The short essay from last week, "The First Five Centuries," described aspects of that corporate life. In other words, the preaching of justification requires the formation of a community in which the words and deeds of Jesus are put into practice.

You will notice from your reading last week, that one of the causes of the Reformation was the inability of the church to reform itself. One example of this was the monasteries whose members had abandoned the rigors first practiced at their inception. Today, if justification is to take hold in our cynical post-modern society in which truth is simply my truth or yours, the preaching of the gospel must be coordinated with the formation of community where Christian love and forgiveness takes concrete form.

Finally, if salvation is understood as, first and foremost, knowing God, then one could ask, "In what mode does God make himself known?" For the Reformation, God was known, above all, by his Word, hearing and reading the words of Scripture. God can also be known by sight. In fact, God can be known through all the senses as, for example, in the Holy Eucharist. Having said this, however, when Cranmer read Scripture, he believed that God was speaking to him, revealing his very being. Therefore, when he speaks of God's justice and mercy, he believed that God was revealing his very self along the lines described in the essay "Trinity and Incarnation." Therefore, let us end this section with a quotation from Cranmer, keeping in mind that all the words we read are setting forth God so that we can know his very heart.

This reason is satisfied by the great wisdom of God in this mystery of our redemption, who hath so tempered his justice & mercy together, that he would neither by his justice condemn us unto the everlasting captivity of the devil, & his prison of Hell, remediless for ever without mercy, nor by his mercy deliver us clearly, without justice or payment of a just ransom: but with his endless mercy he joined his most upright and equal justice. His great mercy he showed unto us in delivering us from our former captivity, without requiring of any ransom to be paid, or amends to be made upon our parts, which thing by us had been impossible to be done. And where as it lay not in us that to do, he provided a ransom for us, that was, the most precious body and blood of his own most dear and best beloved Son Jesus Christ, who besides this ransom, fulfilled the law for us perfectly. And so the justice of God & his mercy did embrace together, & fulfilled the mystery of our redemption.

For Cranmer, justification by grace was a wonderful truth, a great "mystery," revealing God's "endless mercy," his most "upright justice," his "great wisdom," in which "the most precious body and blood of his own most dear and best beloved Son Jesus Christ" paid the ransom for our sins." For Cranmer, the doctrine of justification was the very life of God made evident.

Homework Question on the "Works of Christ"

Copy the "Works of Christ" into you word processor. All the works listed there bring salvation. Then, after reading Cranmer on salvation, go back and after each of the nine works of Christ, state one of the following: "emphasized," mentioned," or "scarcely noted," depending on whether Cranmer, in his homily of salvation, emphasized, or mentioned or indirectly stated, or scarcely discussed, each of the nine particular works of Christ. For the points that are emphasized, copy one line out of Cranmer, stating that emphasis, and paste it into your answer.

Answer to the Homework

1. The Lord Jesus Christ reconciled sinners to God and each other by his atoning sacrifice on the cross and powerful resurrection. Believers further this work by suffering for Christ's sake. Emphasized

"we were condemned to hell, and death everlasting, hath given his own natural Son, being God eternal, immortal, and equal unto himself, in power and glory, to be incarnated, and to take our mortal nature upon him, with the infirmities of the same, and in the same nature to suffer most shameful and painful death for our offences, to the intent to justify us, and to restore us to life everlasting: so making us also his dear children, brethren unto his only son our Savior Christ, and inheritors for ever with him of his eternal kingdom of heaven."(4)

2. Jesus forgave sinners and created a community based on forgiveness and self-sacrificial love. Mentioned

3. He proclaimed the good news of the Kingdom and taught people about God. Indirectly Stated

4. He associated with people of all sorts, especially the lost, broken, and abandoned. Scarcely Noted

5. He fed the hungry. Not noted

6. He healed the sick and cast out evil spirits. Not noted

7. He was generous, he lived simply and did not accumulate wealth, and he called his followers to be generous and to help those in any kind of material need. Scarcely Noted

8. He was Lord, but he was also a servant, exercising his authority in sacrificial service to others and calling all in authority to do likewise. Mentioned

9. He was a prophet, proclaiming judgment on a sinful people, especially those who led Israel astray. Further, like the prophets, he carried out symbolic acts such as his baptism, his entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey, the cleansing of the temple, and the institution of the Lord's Supper. Mentioned

In all of this, he fulfilled the law and the prophets, establishing a Kingdom that encompassed all areas of life â€“ spiritual, economic, personal, and social.

A healthy congregation will reflect the life of Christ through ministries such as teaching, preaching, sacraments, ministries of healing and deliverance, prophetic words and deeds, and works of justice and mercy. Most churches have some of these forms of grace, but not all. All are needed because Christ is alive and calls, convicts, forgives, heals, commissions, and redeems the world.

Endnotes

1. Cranmer's homily on salvation can be found here: http://books.google.com/books?id=Lp0oAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA138&lpg=PA138&dq=Cranmer%27s+Homily+on+Salvation&source=bl&ots=ED3zysJLXK&sig=hLctr7DdvG6AlEc0AGmUEQzSCM8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=El8aUbyHIo6e9QTEjoHAAg&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Cranmer%27s%20Homily%20on%20Salvation&f=false.
2. Josh McDowell, The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1999), p. 757.
3. See the essay Penal Substitution Context and Significance, as well as the essay, Evangelical Truth.
4. See the text given in endnote 1, p. 140.

The Rev. Robert J. Sanders, Ph.D.
February, 2013