The Seven Words

By Dr. Clovis G. Chappell

THE WORDS OF JESUS ON THE CROSS REVEAL THE HEART OF CHRISTIAN FAITH

With his characteristic method of relating Scripture to daily living, Dr. Chappell provides numerous illustrations—from everyday life, from personal experiences, from experiences of other ministers, from current world events, from other parts of Scripture, from history, from literature—that make the deep truths of the Crucifixion meaningful for present-day men and women.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Papamoa Press
• Release date: Feb 27, 2018
• ISBN: 9781787209664

Dr. Clovis G. Chappell

Dr. Clovis Gilham Chappell (1882-1972) was a Methodist minister, school principal and author of some 35 religious books which were distributed throughout the world. He was born on January 8, 1882 in Flat Woods, Perry County, Tennessee, to William Brown Chappell and Mary Z. ‘Mollie’ (Gillham) Chappell. He studied at Trinity (now Duke) and Harvard Universities and held doctoral degrees from Duke, Centenary College of Louisiana, and Birmingham Southern College. Dr. Chappell was the first principal and coach at Grove High School in Paris, Tennessee from 1906-1908. He was ordained into the ministry of the Methodist Church in 1908, and over the next 41 years held pastorates in Washington, Memphis, Houston, Birmingham and Charlotte, North Carolina. He officially retired in 1949, but filled numerous speaking engagements each year throughout the U.S. He married Cecil Hunt in 1909 and the couple had two children, Clovis G. Chappell, Jr. and Robert H. Chappell. Dr. Chappell passed away in Waverly, Humphreys County, Tennessee in August 1972 at the age of 90.

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Text originally published in 1952 under the same title.

© Muriwai Books 2017, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electrical, mechanical or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright holder.

Publisher’s Note

Although in most cases we have retained the Author’s original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern reader’s benefit.

We have also made every effort to include all maps and illustrations of the original edition the limitations of formatting do not allow of including larger maps, we will upload as many of these maps as possible.

THE SEVEN WORDS

BY

DR. CLOVIS G. CHAPPELL

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

DEDICATION 4

THE FIRST WORD 5

I 5

II 6

III 7

IV 8

THE SECOND WORD 10

I 10

II 11

III 12

IV 13

THE THIRD WORD 15

I 15

II 17

III 19

THE FOURTH WORD 20

I 20

II 21

III 22

IV 23

THE FIFTH WORD 25

I 25

II 27

III 28

THE SIXTH WORD 30

I 30

II 31

III 32

IV 33

THE SEVENTH WORD 35

I 35

II 36

III 37

IV 38

REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER 40

DEDICATION

To

my two brothers, who were ministers,

EDWIN AND ASHLEY

with tender and grateful memories

THE FIRST WORD

"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do"—LUKE 23:34

HAD YOU BEEN IN JERUSALEM ON THIS FATEFUL FRIDAY that changed the world, you would doubtless have been brought under the spell of the excitement of the hour. This excitement was born of the fact that three prisoners were about to pay the death penalty. One of them was a prophet from Nazareth. The other two were revolutionists. The crowd, with a natural love of the gruesome, was hideously eager for the show. This eagerness was doubtless heightened by the fact that all three of the doomed men were well-known. This was certainly the case with the prophet. It was probably true of the two outlaws as well.

Not only were all three of these men well-known, but they were all popular. The two revolutionists were ardent patriots. Having fought like men, like men they were determined to die. The crowd naturally looked upon them as heroes. The prophet had also been popular. He was so still. This was the case in spite of the fact that most of those immediately surrounding the cross were intensely hostile. So bitter was their antagonism that, having nailed Jesus to the cross, they would not allow him to die in peace. Even the revolutionists, caught under the spell of their bitter antagonism, added their own insults to the senseless howls of the mob and to the cruel jibes of the churchmen. Then something took place that at first silenced one of these revolutionists, then changed his insults into prayers. What happened? The man on the central cross prayed this prayer, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

I

The fact that the first word that Jesus uttered upon his cross was a prayer does not surprise us. His had been a habit of prayer from his youth. Naturally, he would pray in this black and desperate hour. Even those who refuse to pray when the sea of life is smooth generally refuse no longer when their sea is being whipped by a tempest. There is a sense in which prayer is all but instinctive. When the ground gives way beneath our feet, when some dire tragedy wrenches every visible support from our clinging fingers, we reach for the Unseen almost as naturally as we shrink from a blow. But when we pray under such circumstances, it is almost invariably for ourselves. In our need we cry, Lord, help me. Nor is there anything wrong in such prayers. We are invited to come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in every time of need. Had Jesus, therefore, thus prayed, it would have been only the natural and the expected.

But what does thrill us is that this first word of prayer that Jesus offered was not for himself. He did not ask for his own deliverance. He did not pray in that black hour for his loved ones, nor for his friends. He prayed for his enemies. He prayed for the soldiers and for the far more cruel churchmen who, having nailed him to the cross, were even then howling about him. It was around the bloody shoulders of these murderers that he flung the folds of this prayer, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

Once on a certain hill Jesus had preached in this fashion, Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies,...and pray for them which despitefully use you. On another occasion he had commanded his followers to forgive,