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The Truth of the Cross

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Before I started into the text of The Truth of the Cross I read the three endorsements that came with it, one by Thomas Schreiner, one by Scott Clark and one by Bruce Waltke. It was Waltke's that caught my eye when he said, "The Truth of the Cross is the best book on the cross I have read." A man of Waltke's age, Christian maturity and status must have read more than a few books on the cross, making this no little statement. Having read the book, I know it was no exaggeration. The best book on the cross I've ever read is Frederick Leahy's The Cross He Bore, a book I'd consider a must-read for any Christian. Could this one be as good, as beautiful as that?

There are few people I'd rather read on this topic than R.C. Sproul. He has an unparalleled gift for explaining difficult theological concepts in a way that makes them accessible and easy to understand. I don't know of anyone else who does a better job of explaining Reformed theology and the theology of God's sovereign grace in the contexts of biblical theology and the history of the church. This book does just that. It convincingly unfolds the meaning, significance and power of the cross, showing the necessity of an atonement and providing a biblical defense for substitutionary atonement as understood by the historic stream of Protestant theology.

This message is timely. As Sproul says in the first chapter, "I doubt there has been a period in the two thousand years of Christian history when the significance, the centrality, and even the necessity of the cross have been more controversial than now. ... Never before in Christian history has the need for an atonement been as widely challenged as it is today." Yet it is clear from the Bible that if "you take away the cross as an atoning act, you take away Christianity." We can only understand the atonement if we know about the character of God. "If we are defective in understanding the character of God or understanding the nature of sin, it is inevitable that we will come to the conclusion that the atonement was not necessary." And so this book examines the character of God, the state of humanity, and the work that must be done to reconcile sinful men to a holy God.

Though the book is short, it is dense. And yet, because of Sproul's gift in teaching, it is easy to read and easy to digest. It shares the glorious doctrines that stand at the very heart of the Christian faith. It shares the great and glorious news of the gospel.

Is this the best book on the cross I've ever read? Perhaps. I don't know that I would recommend this in place of The Cross He Bore but it certainly would make a wonderful complement to Leahy's title. Less reflective and meditative, but with a greater emphasis on teaching theology, The Truth of the Cross will be a great addition to any library. This and The Cross He Bore could be read together every year and would undoubtedly bring great blessing with each reading. It is good to remember the cross and to come to a greater understanding of what it means and why it matters. The Truth of the Cross will center your thoughts upon the cross and upon the One Who went there willingly so that we could have life.

This little book by R.C. Sproul is a book that looks to be a beginner's guide to the cross. It is very short, as it is only 168 pages and the book is only about 5 inches by 3 inches. As I opened the book I expected that this would be something that I would give to someone who is just learning about what the cross did and why it had to happen, or a refresher for those who needed to get "grounded" again. This is exactly what it was. Dr. Sproul does a very good job of quickly yet precisely taking the reader through the necessity of the cross, the cause of the cross, the implications of the cross, and even a little prophetic note of the cross through passages like Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22.

This book doesn't get too deep but just glances across a wide variety of topics to get the reader acquainted with the reason behind the cross. I believe this is exactly what Dr. Sproul was trying to accomplish, and so he fulfilled his desire with this book. The reader should not expect a deep theological discussion on each topic, but merely an introduction for further study after this book.

The only thing that I feel should have been left out or at least written with more fluidity is the last chapter on limited atonement. It was odd that Dr. Sproul wrote the entire book, focusing primarily on what the Scriptures said about the atonement and it's cause, really drawing no line in the sand on historic theologies. Then, in the last chapter he tries to quickly go through limited atonement and reformed doctrine. It just didn't seem to fit in this book. I believe he could have definitely made it fit if he wanted to give a defense of limited atonement, but he then tried to give a quick history of the TULIP and the like, and it just seemed like too short of a book and the wrong "stage" to try and draw up these arguments. It really stuck out like a sore thumb. Before the last chapter I believe I could have handed the book to any new Christian with no "primer" beforehand. Now, if I give it to a new believer I will have a lot of explaining to do because of the last chapter as it really opens a can of worms that could have been avoided.

Besides that, the book is concise and makes good arguments on the cross in a God honoring way. I would recommend the book to any who need a refresher or just don't understand the meaning or the reason behind the cross. Of course, with a disclaimer on the last chapter. Recommended

Overview

The cross has been the center of discussion and debate since the early beginnings of Christianity. What exactly happened that night? Did it even have to happen? What was Jesus going through as it happened? Who benefits from what happened on the cross? These are the simplified versions of some very complex theological questions arising from our understanding of Christ's work on the cross but if you think about it, so much of the way you live the Christian life is rooted in what you believe really took place on the cross. The author himself spells out how important this is in his comment

"If you take away the cross as an atoning act, you take away Christianity."

Outline

R.C. Sproul's most recent book The Truth of the Cross checks in at about 167 pages, a quick read if you are willing but certainly not sparse in depth. When the cross is discussed, normally you would hear the words atonement, justification, sacrifice, redemption, substitution, debt, suffering, and hell. Amazingly enough, you will find all of these topics covered in this book in a way that RC is well-known for: easy to understand but never lacking in thought-provoking theology.

Obviously in a shorter book like this it is difficult to thoroughly examine all of these topics but that wasn't the author's intent. The author seems to have written an introductory book, giving the reader who may have questions about the cross or maybe hasn't ever studied some of these topics a good overview of the subject.

Although the book answers a lot of questions throughout its first nine chapters, I particularly enjoyed the tenth chapter, "Questions and Answers". Some great questions are asked and RC briefly responds with just enough to cover the question but leaves the reader to ponder some more and, hopefully, dig into the Bible for more answers. I wish more authors provided a Q&A section within their books; a mini-catechism of sorts. This also serves as a good quick-reference guide to the book written in a much more readable form.

Summary

This is a great book for those looking for a quick introduction to the questions they have about the cross and some of the more theological terms associated with it. But of course, this would be an excellent book for anyone who has studied the cross but loves to hear the story again and again.

There is probably no other author who has had such a profound effect on my theology as R.C. Sproul. His Essential Truths of the Christian Faith was a formative book for me - my first real introduction to the world of theology. R.C. has a way of taking some of the more difficult theological concepts and explaining them so that anyone can not only understand, but see how exciting and wonderful it is to learn more about the amazing God we serve.

This latest book, as one would expect, is no exception to that. It is a very typical R.C. Sproul book - in a good way - in that its direct, concise, and easy to read. I finished off the entire book in about a week and a half, and that was with highlighting and note taking. The Truth of the Cross examines Christ's death on the cross from several different biblical angles - God's Justice, Christ as our Ransom, Christ as our Substitute, the exchange of Christ's blessedness for our cursedness, etc. In each he explains why the Cross is a necessary part of Christianity, and expounds the glory of the Atonement.

This book seems to be an answer to the ongoing controversy over penal substitutionary atonement. There are many in our age who find the idea that God punished His Son on our behalf repellant. They claim it makes God sound primitive and petty - that He would need to be placated, or that He would unjustly punish someone else in our place. While the Truth of The Cross definitely answers these charges, you need not be aware of the modern debate to enjoy it (I'm only tangentially aware of it, and yet I still enjoyed the book).

It also should be somewhat clear from the subject matter, that people who are more well-versed in theology will find this book mostly a review. That is not to imply that its not worth reading or that you won't find new insights, but if you've studied theology at length and don't know anything about the Cross.... well, "UR doin it wrong" (as the lolcats say). If, however, you or someone you know is new to Christianity or hasn't really studied the Cross in depth, then this would be a perfect introduction.

For me, it was mostly a review, but one very worth the time it took to read. There is truly nothing more important than the Cross, and we can never have studied it too in depth. It's also a great asset to have such a succinct summary of biblical categories for the Cross in my library. I'm sure this book will serve as a nice reminder if I want to review a specific aspect of redemption (to that end, I do wish he had included an appendix or something of Bible verses for future study on each topic).

However, one insight in chapter 7 (The Suffering Servant) really jumped out at me, and I don't think I had thought about it before. R.C. first talks about how we often get things wrong by focusing on the externals - man looks at a person's actions, but God looks at his heart. He notes the many incorrect assessments of the Cross by the people who were there as eyewitnesses - the soldiers view Him as another criminal, the Pharisees and the thief mock Him by saying that He saved others but can't save Himself, the people see Him as being punished by God, even the disciples see this as the crushing defeat of their Lord. Clearly, looking at the Cross from the outside, or from the simple historical details, doesn't lead to understanding its cosmic significance.

But then R.C. takes a close look at Isaiah 53, and specifically v. 4-5: "Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed." (emphasis mine) The interesting thing here is that the crowds that saw Christ as being punished by God actually got it right! He WAS being punished by God, and even for the sake of sin. What they missed was that Christ was not being punished for HIS sin - He was being punished for THEIR sin. This is precisely what Isaiah is teaching in this verse - a remarkable example of how the Old Testament taught the Atonement (including precise specifics) hundreds of years before Christ was even born.

Apart from the content of the book, the printing of the book is high quality which is encouraging since its the first book I've seen from Ligonier's new Reformation Trust imprint. It's a hardcover book, sort of like the old Soli Deo Gloria ones where it has no dust jacket, but the cover is printed with all of the nice artwork and such. I MUCH prefer hardcovers like this, as I always find dust jackets so easily lost/torn/etc and yet these hardcovers look nice (sometimes dust jacket hardcovers are so ugly and plain w/o the dust jacket). It's also a surprisingly small book - a little over 7" tall, which isn't clear from the photos online.

All in all, its a quality book and a good overview of the essentials surrounding the Atonement and the Cross. I recommend it - 4 out of 5 stars.

From his earliest days as a teacher, RC Sproul has used his writing skills to proclaim a message focused on the person and work of Christ. And in "The Truth of the Cross," Dr. Sproul cogently centers on the truth of the cross, its essential God-glorifying and salvic purposes, and its effectual application. "The Truth of the Cross" is a brief book; nonetheless it is loaded with precise doctrine grounded on scripture regarding the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Topics included:
- Substitutionary atonement
- Propitiation
- Justification
- Expiation and more.
1Corithians 2:2-5 "For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human[ wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."

The author adds wide-ranging discussions from church history, Christian philosophy, and theology as he brings to light relevant work from:
- Augustine
- Luther
- Calvin and many others

This volume makes an excellent gift for a new Christian or someone who lacks basic doctrinal knowledge on the purpose of the Cross of Christ. It makes a fine devotional book for the mature believer forasmuch as Sproul writes in a winsome and page-turning style.

Romans 5:6-11 "For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation."
God Does Exist!: Defending the faith using presuppositional apologetics, evidence, and the impossibility of the contrary

"The Truth of the Cross" by R.C. Sproul is arguably one of the best books written on the Cross. It is an understatement to state that Dr. R.C. Sproul has a rare and unique giftedness of explaining meaty theological doctrine in a way that is both thorough and simplistic. I found myself reading through this book effortlessly. This book covers the important theological study of the powerful, meaningful and most necessary atonement of Jesus Christ at the Cross. In the words of R.C. Sproul in Chapter 1: "I doubt there has been a period in the two thousand years of Christian history when the significance, the centrality, and even the necessity of the cross have been more controversial than now. ... Never before in Christian history has the need for an atonement been as widely challenged as it is today." R.C. Sproul walks you through an in depth understanding of "The Necessity of the Atonement", "The Just God and the importance of the Just Character of God in the Atoning work of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ", "The Total Depravity of Man", "Atonement, Redemption, Substitution, Propitiation, Expiation, Mediation and Surety of Jesus Christ" and so much more. At the end of the book R.C. closes out the book with an insightful Chapter on Q&A. R.C. Sproul does a great job in walking you through a thorough look at the Holy Scriptures of the Word of God in order to explain each theological concept. He also uses insightful analogies and stories that helps captivate the essence and meaning of The Truth of the Cross. This book is a must read and is highly recommended.

For more information or to purchase this book please visit: http://www.ligonier.org/publishing_reformationtrust_catalog_truthofthecross.php

The cross.

Most of us have read the story, seen the pictures, & heard the sermons about the cross since childhood.

But do we deeply and thoroughly understand the truth of the cross? Why did Jesus have to die in that way? What does the atonement really mean? Are we really enemies of God & criminals in His eyes? Why did Christ have to lead a sinless life? What is the significance of the shedding of blood at the cross? How do the Old Testament covenants explain the cross?

Honestly, most of us without theology degrees don't thoroughly understand the truth of the cross. And frankly, there is no more important truth in the universe to understand & embrace with all our heart and mind. In this book Dr. Sproul does an excellent job of stepping through all the glorious truth of the cross point by point, giving us solid answers, solid hope, & solid joy. Every Christian should read this book to deepen their knowledge of the cross and their love for the Savior.

Perhaps the most crucial and basic of Christian doctrines also happens to be the most neglected and overlooked. I refer to the doctrine of the cross - the saving work of Christ as enacted at Calvary. The Apostle Paul could say that he desired to know nothing except Christ and him crucified. Yet today, even in the churches, this fundamental teaching is often neglected, misunderstood or minimised.

R.C. Sproul is greatly concerned about this. He has written this book to correct the trend of a cross-less Christianity. There are of course other more lengthy, detailed and elaborate treatments of the cross available. But this volume very nicely covers all the bases in a compact yet clear presentation. The heart of the gospel is here concisely and thoroughly expounded.

Perhaps one must ignore four aspects to this book to appreciate its true worth: it is brief; it is written for a popular audience; it lacks footnotes and bibliography; and it is packaged in a gift-book format. All this might make one think that this is a lightweight affair - but it is not. Contained in these 168 pages is biblical theology at its best.

In ten brief but solid chapters Sproul lays out the biblical understanding of the cross. He begins by reminding us that the main reason why the atonement is downplayed so much today is because people do not see the need for it. They have little or no sense of sin and of the righteous and holiness of God.

Therefore they do not recognise that they are "privately, personally, individually, ultimately, inexorably accountable to God for their lives". The doctrine of the cross only makes sense if we have a proper understanding of who God is, and a proper understanding of who we are as lost sinners.

He examines the great and non-negotiable themes of the Bible: the justice of God, the destructive nature of sin, they need for atonement, and so on. For example, he details the various ways in which sin is depicted in Scripture. We are described as debtors, as enemies of God, and as law-breakers.

The work of Christ in dealing with sin is carefully explored. To cancel our indebtedness to God, Christ became our surety. To end our enmity with God and make reconciliation, Christ became our mediator. To deal with the crimes we have committed against God, Jesus became our substitute at the bar of God's justice.

The penal, substitutionary understanding of the atonement is here elaborated upon. Sin demands payment. The wages of sin is death. By ourselves we cannot overcome our sin or its penalty. Thus the penalty we deserve is taken upon us by Christ. He takes our place. He becomes our substitute.

Both the mercy of God and the justice of God come together perfectly at the cross. God was under no obligation to any of us. We could have received the just penalty for our sins. But God has not left us in our desperate situation. He took our place, and paid in full the debt we owed.

Sproul looks at the various ways the Bible discusses this. Christ is our ransom. He is our redeemer. He is our saviour. And he is also our propitiation, taking upon himself the wrath of God against sin.

It is this last element that so many people - even within the church - find unpalatable today. But it is hard to escape the clear thrust of Scripture on this. A holy God must forever hate sin, and judge it. We are sinful, under the judgment of God. Jesus took that judgment upon himself, so that we can escape it.

The salvation provided cost Jesus dearly. Says Sproul, this placation of the wrath of God comprises "Christ's supreme achievement on the cross". But there is a positive dimension to the cross as well. Not only is the sin question dealt with, but so too is the issue of righteousness.

Another unpopular teaching today is that we are not such bad chaps. But the Bible clearly says there is none righteous. Indeed, all our righteousness is as filthy rags. But the work of the cross offers the imputation of righteousness. We are given by God what we could not become ourselves.

And this is no mere legal fiction: "God really laid our sins on Christ and really transferred the righteousness of Jesus Christ by imputation". Also, Sproul reminds us how the entire Old Testament is full of the foreshadowing of the cross, from the Psalmist's cry of dereliction in Psalm 22 to the Suffering Servant songs of Isaiah.

Sproul is firmly in the Reformed camp, but he does not dodge the tough issues entailed in this theological tradition. Thus he tackles the issue of limited atonement. This is a hotly debated topic, and not all will be satisfied by his treatment of it. But Sproul does as good a job as anyone in trying to make the biblical case for it, answering various objections along the way.

For those who are theologically literate, there will not be too much new or unfamiliar material found here. But that is the problem - far too many believers are woefully unfamiliar with theology in general and the doctrine of the atonement in particular.

As a good, easy-to-read introduction to this most foundational of Christian themes, this slim volume is hard to beat. I recommend it highly, both to theological novices as well as to those who are theologically mature.

I still vividly remember a sermon my pastor preached a while back. Actaully when I say vividly I mean one particular thing he said during his sermon. He said that your theology of the cross will always reveals your theology about sin and salvation. Ask someone what they think the cross accomplished and you've got a basic shorthand for what they believe about a number of other things.

Sproul quotes a heckler from one of his lectures who said "[the Cross] is primitive and obscene" (page 11) and its not difficult to see why our culture responds in such a fashion. Today our talk of rights (devoid of responsibilities mind you) has bred an attitude that says "I deserve this" or "I'm entitled to this". The PC movement has lead some to label the cross a form of divine child abuse. These two attitudes seem to go hand in hand. One denies the need for any atonement - after all people aren't that bad are they? The other denies the possibility of an atonement taking place in such a "primitive" fashion. Surely our (post)modern minds no longer need to believe this? Sproul counters these objections with a timeless message. Man is a rebel who owes God a debt he cannot pay (page 35) . Man has violated his personal relation with God, even when God did not show any emnity towards him. (page 37) Man is a criminal who has transgressed God's law and stands under the judgement of God (page 40). Given all this our salvation must come from a substitute, someone who can pay the price and take our place.

Time and time again Sproul simplified the complex theological ideas and arguments. Take the Ransom to Satan theory (page 57). Sproul gives decisive and air tight dismissal of the Ransom to Satan theory. If God owed Satan something, then Jesus is not victorius over the powers of Darkness; Satan still wins. It reminded me a bit of the Wright on Resurrection. If we are not raised from the dead then death is not defeated. I loved his illustration of the word vicarious. When our favourite sports team wins we often say things like "We won and they lost". We rejoice in their victory or agonize in their defeat. We think the players are doing something on our behalf. This is a vicariouos experience. I was glad he was not overly dogmatic about the doctrine of PSA either, acknowledging that the Bible does in fact teach Christus Victor too. But I don't think he went far enough to show the relationship between the two doctrines. Both have relevance in the life of the Christian.

One of the best chapters in the book is the one on "The Blessing and the Curse" (page 127) . These are words Christians use all the time, but we pay little attention to how they were used in the covenant stipulations. Sproul uses the example of the benediction in Numbers 6. The supreme blessing for an Israelite was for God's face to shine up on you. But a curse, being the opposite of blessing, was for God to turn his back on you. Essentially meaning that you are cut off from the presence of God. This helped clarify some of what happened on the cross. Jesus' words on the cross make a lot more sense when seen in light of the covenenant.

But as always there are a few things I could think of that would have improved the book. I would have liked a better discussion on some of the more recent books out there, like Chalkes "The Lost message of Jesus" and those who seem to dislike the idea of substitutionary atonement (To be more correct I think these people would dislike the caricatures of a God who is so angry that needs to be appeased by a random sacrifice). I would also have liked to see a greater focus on scripture, but in saying that I realise the book is not an exegetical defence of the Penal Substitionary Atonement Doctrine. I would have liked a bigger discussion on the significance of the incarnation and resurrection. In our culture today we're more likely to be asked "What makes Jesus unique?" over which doctrine doctrine of the atonement has better scriptural support. The changes in society and epistemology mean that people are asking new questions. Too many Christians (including myself) have at times categorically rejected the post modern movement. But with some careful nuancing there is much we can learn.

I've come to enjoy Sproul's books. He writes in a way that takes you into the situation he describes. He has an ability to take a complex subject like the atonement and simplify it so that anyone can understand it. His books tend to be more anecdotal and devotional rather than exegetical or theological. They are good introductions to complex theological ideas. For those who want a basic introduction to the theology of the Cross you can't do much better than this book. Even a seasoned reader like myself had a few moments where the light switch went on. Its a nice short read that you can probably finish in a couple of hours. What are you waiting for? Get the book and read it !!

In a day and age in which the Cross has been down played entirely or simply used as a band aid to patch every want and need imaginable, R. C. Sproul has written a timely and concise book dealing with the subject of the Atonement. This book is rich in theology while at the same time it remains easy to understand. Dr. Sproul tells us why he chose this time period to write this book when he says "I doubt there has been a period in the two thousand years of Christian history when the significance, the centrality, and even the necessity of the cross have been more controversial than now." This is no small concern considering he has been in the ministry for well over thirty years. If this is indeed true-and I believe it is-than this book is right in time and it will go a long way in helping to regain what has so tragically been lost in American Christianity, the Cross of Christ. Dr. Sproul goes on to tell us that there are basically three types of view on the atonement: those that believe it is absolutely unnecessary, those that believe it to be only hypothetically necessary, and the classical, orthodox view that it is absolutely necessary; he states that "If we are defective in understanding the character of God or understanding the nature of sin, it is inevitable that we will come to the conclusion that an atonement was not necessary." (p 15) This statement is made in the first chapter after R.C. has made a very solid case for the necessity of the Atonement.

Dr. Sproul continues by moving to the next chapter entitled The Just God. Here R.C. clarifies one the most overlooked aspects of God's character, that being that God is a just , saying "God is loving, but a major part of what He loves is His own perfect character, with a major aspect being the importance of maintain justice and righteousness. Though God pardons sinners and makes great provision for expressing His mercy, He will never negotiate His justice. If we fail to understand that, the cross of Christ will be utterly meaningless to us."(p 19) It is here that this book begins to go from good to great, because Pastor Sproul doesn't just give us his opinion, he opens up the Bible and begins to teach from it, beginning in Gen 18 and expositing all throughout Scripture Dr. Sproul leaves no stone unturned in helping us understand the truth of the Cross and all its beauty. This book is truly written in a way that will benefit Christians of every maturity level.

There are only two other issues that I have with this book the part I liked most and the part I feel could have been left out. Beginning with the part that could have been left out and that is the chapter on limited atonement. While I fully believe and am growing in my understanding of the Doctrines of Grace, the L is the one petal on the TUILP flower that I truly have more to learn about. The only reason I feel this chapter could have been left out is the fact that it does tend to divide the body bitterly, however the more I thought about it the more I realized that if he had removed this chapter then he would not have given us the complete truth of Cross but only a shorten version of it. Even in this chapter we are shown how great of a Bible teacher he is and how he can take such a complex issues as this and explain them in laymen's terms. For example he states "The real heart of the controversy over limited atonement is this question: what was God's intent or His design in sending Christ to the cross? Was it the purpose of the Father and the Son to make an atonement that would be made available to all who would put their trust in it, with the possibility that none might avail themselves of its benefits? In other words, was God's purpose in sending Christ to the cross simply to make salvation possible? Or did God from all eternity plan to send Christ to die a substitutionary death in order to effect an actual atonement that would be applied to certain elect individuals?" and then explains it like this " People have trouble with that, particularly if I use those words to describe the doctrine. What if I say Jesus went to the cross to make an atonement for believers, and only for believers? In that statement, I declare that it was God's design that Jesus should die not for everybody indiscriminately, but only for those who would believe. If you accept that, you see that only the elect are believers and that only believers are the elect. I'm not saying anything different when I say that Christ died only for the elect. Can you conceive of people who are believers who are not elect, or of people who are elect who are not believers?" He continues to explain this out of the text of Scripture and at the very least gives the reader a basic understanding of their Calvinist brothers.

My favorite chapter in this book is easily the last one here Dr. Sproul answers nine questions about the atonement that went a long way in answering some of nuances of the Cross for me. For instance the first question is what is the significance of the shedding of blood on the Cross? Well you'll have to buy the book to get the answer to this and the other questions in this chapter. I strongly recommend this book to anyone that would like to understand the Cross better.