Why does Christendom teach that Jesus was impaled on a cross?

Question

Because the earliest manuscripts do not teach this. I mean it seems kind of silly to wear someting that was used to kill someone if in fact it was even a cross. To illustrate if your son or daughter was shot with a 38 would you wear a little gold 38 around your neck, and wouldnt the veneration of a cross not be idolitry?

Answer 1

THE cross is loved and respected by millions of people. The Encyclopædia Britannica calls the cross “the principal symbol of the Christian religion.” Nevertheless, true Christians do not use the cross in worship. Why not?

An important reason is that Jesus Christ did not die on a cross. The Greek word generally translated “cross” is stau·ros′. It basically means “an upright pale or stake.” The Companion Bible points out: "Stauros" never means two pieces of timber placed across one another at any angle . . . There is nothing in the Greek of the New Testament even to imply two pieces of timber.”

In several texts, Bible writers use another word for the instrument of Jesus’ death. It is the Greek word "xylon". (Acts 5:30; 10:39; 13:29; Galatians 3:13; 1 Peter 2:24) This word simply means “timber” or “a stick, club, or tree.”

The apostle Paul says: “Christ by purchase released us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse instead of us, because it is written: ‘Accursed is every man hanged upon a stake [“a tree,” King James Version].’” (Galatians 3:13) Here Paul quotes Deuteronomy 21:22, 23, which clearly refers to a stake, not a cross. Since such a means of execution made the person “a curse,” it would not be proper for Christians to decorate their homes with images of Christ impaled.

There is no evidence that for the first 300 years after Christ’s death, those claiming to be Christians used the cross in worship. In the fourth century, however, pagan Emperor Constantine became a convert to apostate Christianity and promoted the cross as its symbol. Whatever Constantine’s motives, the cross had nothing to do with Jesus Christ. The cross is, in fact, pagan in origin. The New Catholic Encyclopedia admits: “The cross is found in both pre-Christian and non-Christian cultures.” Various other authorities have linked the cross with nature worship and pagan sex rites.

Why, then, was this pagan symbol promoted? Apparently, to make it easier for pagans to accept “Christianity.” Nevertheless, devotion to any pagan symbol is clearly condemned by the Bible. (2 Corinthians 6:14-18) The Scriptures also forbid all forms of idolatry. (Exodus 20:4, 5; 1 Corinthians 10:14) With very good reason, therefore, true Christians do not use the cross in worship.

Answer 2

It seems unnecessary to specifically "denounce" the cross. Instead, true Christianity understands the bible to plainly forbid idolatry of any kind, including the worshipful use of icons such as crucifixes.

(1 John 5:21) Guard yourselves from idols.

(Acts 17:29) We ought not to imagine that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, like something sculptured by the art and contrivance of man


The exact shape of Christ's instrument of death is hardly a central doctrine of the religion, but Jehovah's Witnesses do happen to believe that Jesus was almost certainly impaled on a simple stake, rather than a cross of two intersecting beams. Of course the Romans had the ability to create a cross, and probably did. But ask yourself: why they would have bothered when a simple stake would have worked just as well or better?

The bible most assuredly does NOT offer any proof that the stake was actually a cross of two intersecting beams. The actual facts of the bible may be enlightening to examine...

You may be interested to see how your own copy of the bible translates Acts 5:30, Galatians 3:13, Deuteronomy 21:22, 23, and Acts 10:39. The King James, Revised Standard, Dyaglott, and Jerusalem Bible translate the instrument of Christ's death simply as "stake" or "tree" because the original wording simply does not support the idea that this was more than a piece of upright wood.

It is also eye-opening to examine how the first-century Christians felt about idols of any kind, much less one that glorified an instrument of death.

Answer 3

For a thorough explanation of what happened during the crucifixion of Jesus, read:

Peter Michas's- The Rod of an Almond Tree in God's Master Plan.

He tells us that Jesus was not crucified on a Roman cross, but on a tree. In addition, there were not three separate trees, but the three were likely crucified on the same tree.

It also details where and when Jesus was killed. Throw your tradition out the window, because he backs his conclusions up in scripture as well as Jewish traditions of the time.

Answer 4

I hear what you're saying. i think you ignored a considered necessary element approximately Jesus. The scriptures let us know He got here to die, He replaced into not murdered He gave His life that we would have life. God knew we wanted a savior for it replaced into our sins that keep us from going to heaven. So God in His countless love provided the perfect sacrifice, His Son. He replaced into the perfect appropriate sacrifice because of the fact He under no circumstances sinned. so which you spot this replaced into His important purpose in coming, it replaced into to not coach us a thank you to stay that replaced into basically Him. you spot He would have called one thousand angels for risk-free practices yet He knew He had to pass to the pass. whilst on the pass He mentioned the words to the daddy "Why hast thou forsaken me"? for it replaced into at this element God had to coach away for that replaced into while each and all of the sins of the international have been located upon Him. in case you examine interior the e book of John financial disaster a million verse a million you will see Christ is God. "interior the initiating replaced into the notice, and the notice replaced into with God and the notice replaced into God" now in verse 14 it tells us" and the notice became flesh and dwelt between us( Christ's coming). desire this sheds some easy, Cheers in Christ!