Apostolic Preaching of the Cross

Leon Morris wrote this theological study as a young Anglican scholar responding to what he saw as inadequate treatments of New Testament atonement theology in mid-twentieth-century scholarship. Working from his position as vice-principal of Ridley College in Melbourne, Morris aimed to demonstrate that the apostolic writers employed precise theological language when describing Christ's saving work, particularly in their use of terms related to sacrifice, redemption, and reconciliation.

The work proceeds through careful exegesis of key Greek terms that the New Testament authors used to explain the cross. Morris examines the background and usage of words like hilasmos (propitiation), apolytrosis (redemption), and katallagē (reconciliation), arguing that these terms carry specific theological freight that cannot be watered down or explained away by appeals to general religious sentiment. He contends that the apostolic preaching consistently presented Christ's death as a substitutionary sacrifice that satisfies divine justice while expressing divine love. Morris pays particular attention to the concept of propitiation, defending it against scholars who preferred to speak only of expiation, and demonstrates that the New Testament writers understood Christ's death as averting God's wrath against sin.

This book became a standard evangelical reference work on atonement theology and helped establish Morris as a leading conservative New Testament scholar. Its influence extended well beyond Anglican circles, shaping evangelical preaching and theology for decades. The work remains valuable for pastors, theological students, and serious lay readers who want to understand how the earliest Christians explained the significance of Christ's death. Those seeking devotional material or practical application will find this work too technical, as Morris writes primarily for readers comfortable with detailed biblical exegesis and theological argument.