THE GOSPEL BILLBOARD

 

A billboard grabs attention. It distills volumes of information into a simple message, a placard of truth. What is Christianity's billboard? Paul explains in Galatians 3:1. Jesus Christ is THE CRUCIFIED ONE! 

"You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?"

Bewitched by the lure of success, the pride of works, and the promises of false teachers, the Galatians had lost sight of the essence of Christianity. We worship a Savior who was crucified as a common criminal. The Romans claimed that Carthage invented crucifixion, which they perfected to torture the worst slaves and criminals. Crucifixion was the worst shame that authorities could inflict on another human. The cross is the crux of our faith. A symbol of disgrace became the billboard of Christianity. Preaching placards the crucified one for all to see.

The verb translated "publicly portrayed" (προεγράφη) can have two meanings. It can mean "to write beforehand or in advance," or it can mean "to write up in public, to placard" (Lightfoot, Galatians, 134). The first century papyri show examples of the word meaning to "write above" or to "placard up" for public viewing. For example, a father directed that a public proclamation be set up to announce that he was no longer responsible for his son's debts. Government officials often used the word to refer to public notices and official declarations that were displayed where all could see them (M&M, Vocabulary, 538). Paul preached "Christ crucified" as if he placarded the message on a giant billboard for all to see.

Paul announced the crucified Christ before their eyes (οἷς κατ´ ὀφθαλμοὺς). Literally, it reads, "for whom, in the presence of eyes" (BAGD, 406). This is where we get the translation "publicly portrayed." Some argue that Paul painted a word picture of Christ on the cross. His preaching was so graphic that they could see Christ on the cross. However, there is no lexical support for taking the verb to mean "paint or depict," and the following phrase in the perfect tense would negate this view (Burton, Galatians, 144). The verb was not used for painting a picture but for public announcements of official business. It wasn't that Paul graphically painted a picture for them, but that he placarded the truth because he wanted to keep their eyes from wandering to the charms of this world (Lightfoot, Galatians, 134). He wanted them to keep their eyes upon Jesus - the crucified one - and not get distracted by the issues and concerns of this world.

Paul went on to say that he billboarded Christ "as crucified" (ἐσταυρωμένος). The participle is in a perfect tense, indicating past action with ongoing results. Paul proclaimed Christ as having been crucified for them. He stressed the foundational fact of Christ's crucifixion. It was a past act. It was a finished task. Christianity is based on what Christ did for us in the past, not what we do for him in the present. If Paul wanted to picture Christ hanging on the cross, he would have used the present participle, but he used a perfect participle. Our faith depends on an accomplished fact - the crucified Christ - and that makes it a matter of official pronouncement (Burton, Galatians, 145). We proclaim to the world a finished fact, not a possible present or a wishful future.

The gospel billboard announces that the work is done!

Lord, keep my eyes on the billboard of Christ crucified and not the alluring advertisements of this world.