"In truth, the certainties of the Christian religion are historical facts, and all these historical facts revolve around the person of Jesus the
Christ, the Messiah of God.
Even the risen Lord always remained the crucified man, Jesus, and stayed before the eyes of the Christians in His historical form.
When the apostle Paul looked at Jesus, he saw Him with the nail marks in His hands and feet. So he preached to the Galatians Jesus the crucified: "Did I not present Jesus before your eyes as vividly as if someone had put up before you a placard of Jesus on the cross?" Gal. 3:1 (the writer's translation).
Here we need to note a little technicality in Paul's language.
He used a certain form of the Greek verb which we recognize as the perfect tense; but the perfect tense in the Greek refers to something that has occurred in the past, but is just as real in the present: that is, the historic past event is projected into the present. The cross, which had historically stood behind the Galatians, moved up and passed them and was now in front of them. With this presentation and vivid appeal of the Christ on the cross."
Ministry 1933
Christ, the Messiah of God.
Even the risen Lord always remained the crucified man, Jesus, and stayed before the eyes of the Christians in His historical form.
Here we need to note a little technicality in Paul's language.
He used a certain form of the Greek verb which we recognize as the perfect tense; but the perfect tense in the Greek refers to something that has occurred in the past, but is just as real in the present: that is, the historic past event is projected into the present. The cross, which had historically stood behind the Galatians, moved up and passed them and was now in front of them. With this presentation and vivid appeal of the Christ on the cross."
Ministry 1933