Saturday, March 26, 2016

DID JESUS TRULY DIE ON THE CROSS?


The controversy surrounding how Jesus died


The controversy surrounding how Jesus died


Even though the cross is loved and respected by thousands of Christians worldwide, true Christians are far away from the cross and have nothing to do with it. How can that be? One significant reason is Jesus didn’t die on the cross. 


The Greek translates ‘Cross’ – ‘Stau-ros’. This means that an upright pole or stake. The Companion Bible states that ‘Stau-ros’ never means two pieces of wood or timber placed across one another at any angle.

Hermann Fulda’s book ‘The Cross and the Crucifixion’ states that Trees weren’t available everywhere at the public places chosen for execution, so a single beam was sunk into the ground. 

On this beam, outlaws hands are raised and often with the feet are bound or nailed. To confirm the truth that Jesus didn’t die on the cross, the Apostle Paul said:

Christ by purchase released us from the curse of the law, by becoming cursed instead of us because it is written “Accursed is every man hanged upon a stake (tree-King James Version)” Galatians 3:13. 

At Deuteronomy 21:22, Paul’s quote clearly refers to a stake, not the cross. Since anyone who dies on a pole, beam, stick, wood, tree, etc; is cursed, it wouldn’t be appropriate for Christians or churches to decorate walls or homes with cross symbols.

The New Catholic Encyclopedia admits, the cross is found in both pre-Christian and non-Christian cultures. It was rather linked to pagan sex rites. Above all, the scriptures also warn against all kinds of idolatry. (Exodus 20:4, 5; 1 Corinthians 10:14). 

With such good reasons, true Christians don’t use the cross in worship.  One of those churches which have nothing to do with the cross is ‘The Jehovah Witness.’