Luke 9:23

Context

In Luke 9, Peter confesses Jesus as "the Christ of God" (9:20), and Jesus immediately foretells for the first time that he will suffer, be killed, and be raised on the third day (9:22). This verse follows directly after that passion prediction. Some translations, such as the Korean Revised Version, render the introductory phrase as "to the crowd," but the original is closer to "to all," so the saying is read as addressed not only to the Twelve but to everyone who would follow him. The same saying appears in Matthew and Mark, but the word "daily" occurs only in Luke.

Interpretation

• Historical reading: In the Roman era, carrying a cross was the image of a condemned man on his way to execution. On this reading, the verse calls for a radical devotion that extends even to laying down one's life.
• Luke's emphasis: Many interpreters hold that the addition of "daily" shifts the focus from a single act of martyrdom to a life of continual, everyday obedience.
• Reformed reading: John Calvin, in Book 3 of the Institutes of the Christian Religion, treats "self-denial" and "bearing the cross" as a summary of the Christian life. The Reformed tradition reads this verse in connection with sanctification, the process by which those who have been saved grow progressively in holiness.
• Wesleyan reading: John Wesley preached a sermon titled "Self-Denial" on this verse. Methodist and Holiness churches emphasize the verse as a call to the practical pursuit of a holy life.
• Bonhoeffer's reading: In The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer criticized grace unaccompanied by discipleship as "cheap grace." His discussion is frequently cited in interpretations of this saying.

Debates and Issues

• The relationship between salvation and discipleship: Views differ on whether self-denial is a condition for receiving salvation or the way of life that characterizes those who have already been saved. Mainstream Protestantism generally holds that justification is received by grace and that discipleship is its fruit.
• Textual question: Some manuscripts reportedly omit the word "daily." Nevertheless, most modern critical editions and translations, including Korean versions, include it.
• Broadening the meaning of "cross": Some observe that calling every everyday inconvenience or difficulty "my cross" trivializes the original meaning. Others criticize using the verse to demand that people endure unjust suffering, arguing that such use takes it out of context.

Perspective: Korean Protestant practiceHow this idea is used in Korean churches, kept from the original Korean article.

In Korean Protestant churches, the verse is frequently used in discipleship training materials and retreat sermons as a key text for explaining discipleship. It is also often meditated on alongside hymns about taking up the cross and following Christ, such as "Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken."

Related Passages

• Matthew 16:24
• Mark 8:34-35
• Luke 14:27
• Galatians 2:20
• Philippians 3:7-10