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Reading Classics Together - The Seven Sayings (Introduction)
- 04/24/08
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Last year some of the readers of this site began to read Christian classics together with me. The impetus for this project was the simple realization that, though many Christians want to read through the classics of the faith, few of us have the motivation to actually make it happen. This program allows us to read them together, providing both a level of accountability and the added of interest of comparing notes. We spent eight weeks reading through J.C. Ryle’s Holiness, covering one chapter per week and posting some thoughts about the book on Thursday mornings. We then turned to John Owen’s Overcoming Sin and Temptation and read it over thirteen weeks. Both titles were worthwhile reads and we learned that they have rightly earned their reputations as Christian classics. Feedback from readers assured me that this was a project we should continue as it benefited all who chose to participate.
Today we begin the third round of this project by reading The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross by A.W. Pink. We’ll cover only the Introduction today and look at each of the book’s seven chapters in the seven weeks to come. I hope you’ll read along with us.
Each I am going to offer a short summary of the chapter and a couple of brief reflections. At that point I’ll ask that you feel free to post your own questions, comments or reflections.
Summary
As Introductions go, this one had a lot to offer. Because the book focuses on the seven words Jesus spoke from the cross, Pink had to provide the important “back story” in this introduction. To do this he explained that the death of Jesus was natural, unnatural, preternatural and supernatural.
Jesus’ death was natural in that it was a real death. The fact that this can seem so unremarkable to us proves that we do not have a sufficient apprehension of just who Jesus was. That God Himself could suffer and face a very human death is far more remarkable than we are accustomed to thinking. Jesus’ death was unnatural in that it was abnormal. Death had no claim on Jesus as it does on every other human who has ever lived. Hence Jesus death was different from any other before or since. Jesus’ death was preternatural in that it had been marked out and determined for Him beforehand. Before the foundations of the earth it had been foreordained that Jesus would die and that He would die in this manner. Jesus’ death was supernatural in that it was different from every other death (just as His birth was different and His life was different). Pink expands on this point by showing seven ways in which the Lord’s death was entirely unique.
“In the chapters which follow we shall hearken to the words which fell from his lips while he hung upon the cross - words which make known to us some of the attendant circumstances of the great tragedy; words which reveal the excellencies of the one who suffered there; words in which is wrapped up the gospel of our salvation; and words which inform us of the purpose, the meaning, the sufferings, and the sufficiency of the Death Divine.”
Discussion
While I enjoyed Pink’s discussion of Jesus’ death under the four headings, it was the section on Jesus’ death being supernatural that really grabbed and held my attention. Though certain aspects of this have crossed my mind in the past (such as Jesus yielding His Spirit rather than having it taken from Him) there were others that were fresh to me. Never have I considered that Jesus was actively involved in fulfilling prophecy when He said, “I thirst.” While prophecy obviously has a predictive element, it makes perfect sense to me that Jesus would have had an awareness that He was fulfilling prophecy. Hence He deliberately cried out in thirst in order to fulfill those prophetic words spoken so long before. Similarly, I had never before taken in the significance of the word “loud” in the context of Jesus’ words. Jesus spoke loudly, showing that His strength had not failed Him. He had not been defeated; He had won. Pink attaches significance to every element of the biblical narrative whereas I am sometimes too quick to miss the important details.
Though this Introduction was short, it certainly packed a punch and gave me some things to meditate upon. I can’t wait to dive into the heart of the book beginning next week.
Next Time
Next Thursday we will continue with the first chapter of the book. We have only just begun so there is still plenty of time for you to get the book and to read along.
Your Turn
I would like to know what you gained from even just the Introduction to the book. Feel free to post comments below or to write about this on your own blog (and then post a comment linking us to your thoughts). Do not feel that you need to say anything shocking or profound. Just share what stirred your heart or what gave you pause or what confused you. Let’s make sure we’re reading this book together.
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband to Aileen and a father to three young children. I worship and serve as a pastor at 
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Comments (24)
I was so pleased with what I gained from reading Pink’s introduction. I saw things portrayed in the scripture by Pink that I hadn’t realized before. What struck me was how closely Pink looks at the scripture. “Loud Voice” - our saviour’s strength was not exhausted, the contrast between Stephen saying “Lord receive my Spirit” and Our Saviour saying “I commend my Spirit.” Or the demonstration that he was in full attainment of his faculties as Pink emphasized the word “knowing.” Jesus knew that all things were accomplished and that the Scripture must be fulfilled in psa 69.21 said “I thirst.” - Or the active way in which again Jesus BOWED his head and gave up the ghost. Not that his head fell - not passive but active in laying down His Life a ransom for many.
Also another great thing Pink accomplished and I hope this remains true for the rest the book, He wrote the introduction in such a way that I was able to retain his whole message. The four words and what they mean: natural, unnatural, preternatural and supernatural. Then the sevenfold proof of the supernatural aspect of our Saviour’s death. It sticks with you. It’s repeatable. And it enabled me to explain and repeat what I had learned to my family. What a great Example!
I enjoyed this introduction as well. I was also struck by Pink’s emphasis the supernatural aspects of Christ’s death. I posted my thoughts on my blog:
Writing and Living
Tim,
I am excited to join you in this project. Here are my first two posts:
http://www.boomerinthepew.com/2008/04/the-seven-sayin.html
http://www.boomerinthepew.com/2008/04/the-seven-say-1.html
Perhaps someone could give me a brief little HTML lecture so that my links could look nicer.
I couldn’t find your trackback link.
Having just recently come to your blog, may I join your conversation? It has been awhile since I read Pink’s book, so I have pulled it down from the bookshelf and have begun a re-read. The Word that has always gripped my heart and mind is the Word about being Forsaken by the Father - the depth of the statement is truly unfathomable for such a finite mind as mine. It always takes me back to the triology of Psalms 22, 23, and 24. The Saviour, the Shepherd and the Sovereign. I look forward to reading this book with you and learning from you and your commenters. Thanks for the challenge!
Those same things struck me in the introduction. When Pink mentioned Jesus’ saying “I thirst” in order to fulfill prophecy, I remembered how Jesus sent the disciples ahead of him to find the donkey he would ride into the city, also to deliberately fulfill the Scripture.
What a wonderful Savior.
I have only recently come across this site - and I thank God for it. It has given me a greater desire to study God’s Word and learn more about our blessed Saviour.
I must confess to never having reading any of AW Pink’s books, although many have recommended them. As I don’t have this book in my possession, a quick search on the web brought up an online version. I will endeavour to read through this in conjunction with the schedule set out.
The two things that struck me most were:(i) Pink outlined about Christ speaking with a LOUD voice - proof that the crucifixion hadn’t taken His strength away.(ii) The way Pink described Christ “bowing” his head - its something that I had never really given much consideration to before. (Often we have the tendency to read over the words without taking the time to understand their meaning!)
I look forward to the rest of the book.
Thank-you James for the idea of finding an online version of the book . I’ve come across one to and I’m glad to join in.(http://www.pbministries.org/books/pink/Seven_Sayings/sayings_intro.htm)
The second to last paragraph of the introduction really did it for me :
Putting these together: the manifest yielding up of himself into the hands of those who arrested him; the crying with a “loud voice”, denoting his retained vigor; the fact that he was in full and unimpaired possession of his mentality, evidenced by the “knowing that all things were now accomplished”; the “bowing” of the erect head; the deliberate “committing” of his spirit into the hands of the Father; the fact that he was “dead already” when the soldiers came to break his legs; all furnished proof that his life was not “taken from him”, but that he laid it down of himself and this, together with the tearing of the temple veil, the quaking of the earth, the rending of the rocks, and the opening of the graves, all bore unmistakable witness to the supernatural character of his death; in view of which we may well say with the wondering centurion, “Truly this was the Son of God”.
What I had not pondered all that much before is the reality that, as quoted, “his life was not “taken from him”, but that he laid it down of himself”.
This is the first Pink book I have read, and I am already encouraged by his attention to the details of the scripture. Each word has explicit meaning and carries a definite weight. This pushes me to read my Bible even more carefully and thoughtfully.
Of the “seven evidences” Pink lists regarding Christ’s giving of his life, three really stood out to me: Christ saying “I thirst,” the bowing of his head, and the breaking of the thieves’ legs.
The last one, in which Christ was already dead when the soldiers came to break his legs, ties in with Pink’s assertion that Christ was fully self-possessed in his time on the cross. Having built the case that Christ was not an “impotent sufferer that hung there in a swoon,” it would make no sense to suggest that Christ was overcome and simply died. He was dead because he truly gave his life! Just that thought is enough to evoke tear of gratitude.
Only through the introduction so far, and already a lot to think about. The short paragraphs on each of the 7 sayings are in themselves quite a bit of meat.
I posted more thoughts on my blog. Short summary: 1) At the end of this study, I should be more conformed to Christ’s image than I am now; 2) The gospel will be all through this book - I want to look for new aspects of it to apply; and 3) Jesus Christ was undeniably God.
Looking forward to getting into chapter 1!
Sorry for the messed up comment - trying the link again. My thoughts are here.
@Daniel, you mentioned something I had neglected: Pink’s statement at the beginning of the introduction did strike me, too. “Unless our ‘Bible study’ is conforming us, both inwardly and outwardly, to the image of Christ, it profits us not.” Indeed, may the result of reading this classic be that we are more conformed to the image of Christ.
I had not before encountered the concept of the “undergirding of the Cross,” mentioned as one implication of Christ’s death being preternatural. Pink writes, “It was in view of that approaching death that God “justly passed over the sins done aforetime” (Rom. 3:25 RV). Had not Christ been, in the reckoning of God, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, every sinning person in Old Testament times would have gone down to the pit the moment he sinned!”
This is yet another instance of several for me recently where I have been challenged to acknowledge that God is truly supreme, in control and far more majestic and worthy than I have tended to think. As well, the implication for OT souls is one I am motivated to ponder and research further.
I am excited to read this Christian Classic with you, and to join in the discussions. May God open His Word to each one of us, as together we “study prayerfully” what A. W. Pink has labored to bring forth from “the scripture of truth”.
Pink’s reflections on how often we can pass over the reality of Christ’s death being a natural, human death as “simple and commonplace” really stood out to me as well. Pink is right, this is an amazing truth that should grab the Christian heart. You write that,
“The fact that this can seem so unremarkable to us proves that we do not have a sufficient apprehension of just who Jesus was. That God Himself could suffer and face a very human death is far more remarkable than we are accustomed to thinking.”
I agree, Tim. I was very edified and challenged by how well Pink seems to grasp, and keep in mind, Jesus’ Divine nature, as he looks at the narratives of our Saviour’s sufferings. I think we can often get too comfortable thinking of Jesus only as the suffering, down trodden human on the cross, or the meek little baby in the manger, and forget that He is the eternal Son of God, and He has been made King to reign forever.
As I read through Pink’s thoughts on the evidences of the supernatural nature of Christ’s death, I was just really struck with the majesty and power of Jesus on the cross, willingly, actively laying down His life for His sheep. This is not to take away from the unimaginable sufferings that our Lord underwent in His body and soul, it is only to recognize that it was truly He in whom the fullness of the godhead dwells bodily who suffered willingly for us.
Hello. I’m new to this site, and new to A.W. Pink. I was invited to join this discussion by a friend who is also reading and following along. I’m very glad that I accepted. The intro to this book alone was so full of insight, I don’t know how many times I went to a family member and said, “Listen to this….” What struck me most is that even though the Son was being crushed, He was still in control. He was clear-headed to fulfill the prophecies. (I thirst.) He was strong enough and coherent enough to soberly cry out in a loud voice. He bowed His head. He decided when it was finished. As Pink points out on page 16, most who died by crucifixion would quite often hang there lingering on for two or more days. Christ, however, gave Himself up after only six hours. He was in control every step. Often I have heard sentimental and sappy versions of the meaning of the cross. How refreshing to see someone merely magnifying scripture and proclaiming Truth in the details! “Truly this was the Son of God.”God bless
Wow. The introduction itself is very thought provoking. It really opened my eyes to the small details that are so easily overlooked in reading the different accounts of the crucifixion in the gospels. The intro really has me looking forward to the rest of the book.
I enjoyed reading all of your comments. In fact I read them, and then read the introduction. It even made it stand out the more. I believe that I was given grace to do the Sunday School on the life of A W Pink.http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=416082244256
What I learned is that any book that was published by Pink after 1922 was published from his magazine, Studies in the Scriptures.
This book was written in 1919, so was one of the first books he wrote and wrote it right after his most famous work, “The Sovereignty of God.”
I have been reading Pink’s work for 27 years, but this was one of the first books of his I read. So it is great to reread it. Did you notice, as you read it, that Pink often speaks in plural rather than singular? “By this we mean that it was a real death. It is because we are so familiar…”I have not heard a reason for this, but possibly because he doesn’t want to give the impression that he is coming up with his own interpretation. Any thoughts?Pink wrote, “Second: the death of Christ was un-natural…”Yes, but for that matter incarnation is unnatural as well. And Pink covers this under “the death was supernatural.”
Pink notes that Jesus cried with a loud voice indicating that he was still in possession of his strength. This is true, but it also was a mark of his prayers to God, no one prayed with His fervor, “having offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death” Heb. 5:7
Have you ever noticed that it is easier to meditate on the Life of Christ - his humanity - than other subjects taught in Christology such as His intercession, His eternal sonship, His role as a priest - Hebrews 9-10 etc. I guess it is because I can try to put myself in the place of the people who witnessed what He was doing and teaching and I just marvel - what would that have been like? For example, can you imagine the awe of the people, and the joy of the mother at the raising of the son of the widow of Nain?
Pink’s unique references to Jesus and the crucifixion were like little gems that I picked out of the intro., and hopefully will uncover throughout the book. It seems he has a penchant for these:
“Jehovah’s Fellow”“blessed Sufferer”“How sublime was His carriage even on the Tree”“great Tragedy”“Death Divine”
As many of you have already mentioned, I was also seeing “for the first time” how He passed from life to death ( back to life) in total control, all knowing, prepared,remembering us, loving us because He knew the JOY set before Him!! The bowing of His head, the loud voice, those struck me in a new and deeper way.There is one other thing that alwasy grips me when I read this passage and that is when some of the soldiers and officials from the priests hear Jesus say : I am He! They went backward and fell to the ground!!! , for a moment , seeing the glory of God!! You would think that……………….., never mind!! WOOOOW!
Just curious, have you ever wondered what it must have been like for Jesus to leave His Father, come to earth, giving up that timelessness and oneness (in a sense) to become one of us , bound by time and space…….for 33 years!! What a sacrifice!
Pink is my all-time favorite and this book is another true classic. The section on the earth shaking on its axis rather than just a local earthquake really made me visualize what went on at that moment.I have received the ” Studies in The Scriptures” from Mt. Zion Bible church for several years and outside of my Bible study it is the most valuable reading that i do. I highly recommend that series to everyone.
I know I’m late, but I’ve been busy. Just read the intro tonight. I had read the two Forwards already a few days ago. I actually already had an older version of the book without the forwards. I enjoyed reading the forwards as well as the introduction. You can read my experience at my blog post.Click here to go to the blog post
When reading the introduction and the resolve of the Saviour, His strength and power being displayed, and His humble servitude being put to the test says a lot about what we are to learn from our Lord. I could imagine my place on that cross in agonizing pain, and I could easily imagine how quickly I would call for death to come upon me that I may cease suffering. Not our Lord, He had purpose and meaning and willingly took upon Himself the task of the cross. Is there no greater evidence in the world today needed for the love He expressed there that day? I need none.
This is the first Pink book I have read, but it certainly won’t be the last. I was amazed at the depth of knowledge he shared even in the brief introduction.
Most of the points that stood out to me have already been mentioned by others, so I’ll try and keep mine brief.
1. Warren Wiersbe’s quoting of Pink in his Foreward about how all Bible Study should be conforming us to the image of Christ.2. The seven examples given of Christ’s super-natural death. I, too, had known that Jesus laid down his life deliberately for us, but the examples Pink gave really drove that truth home.3. There were two other quotes of Pink’s that Wiersbe used in his Foreward that really spoke to me as well. One was (paraphrasing) to do your duty where God plants you and trust in Him for the fruit, even when you don’t see it. The other was Pink’s final words that “The Scriptures explain themselves.”
It struck me how Pink touched upon (though briefly) about the death of Christ being preternatural, how he was the lamb slain before the foundation of the world. Had it not been as such, everyone who sinned in OT times would have immediately gone down to the pit. I hope he can expand more on this later in the book because there’s plenty here for us to camp out at.
I couldn’t believe how powerful just the introduction was to this book. So much that I’d never thought of before. I was so excited to see what was actually in the book when the introduction required a second read (through some of it at least, if not the whole thing). I loved that Pink sees that every word is there for a reason. Now what’s the reason? Proving that every bit of the Bible is God breathed. When he said that at the very first sin we should be sent to hell it made me thank God for His patience, grace and mercy. I should have been in hell already 27 or so years. Wow what a kind God we serve…I bought another A.W. Pink book after just the introduction to this. I may buy more. I looked up some sermons of his as well and “Vile!” is awesome. I fell in love with it in just the few paragraphs.Thank you Tim for this push to read some very fine writing.