The crucifixion and resurrection of Christ is perhaps the most important single event in human history and the most misunderstood. The traditions associated with the crucifixion assert that Christ was crucified on a cross. This is translated from the Latin word crux. The origin and significance of the cross is dealt with in the paper The Cross: Its Origins and Significance (No. 39)). The Companion Bible at Appendix 162 deals with the two words translated as cross from the Greek NT. The words are stauros and xulon. The Companion Bible notes that the Greek word stauros denotes an upright pale or stake, to which the criminals were nailed for execution. The word xulon denotes a piece of dead log or wood, or timber for fuel or any other purpose. It is not like dendron which is used of a living or green tree (as in Mat. 21:8; Rev. 7:1,3; 8:7; 9:4 etc.). The Appendix states that: As this latter word xulon is used for the former stauros, it shows us that the meaning of each is exactly the same. Our English word “cross” is the translation of the Latin crux; but the Greek stauros no more means a cross than the word “stick” means a “crutch.” Homer uses the word stauros of an ordinary pole or stake, or single piece of timber. And this is the meaning and usage of the word throughout the Greek classics. It never means two pieces of timber placed across one another at any angle, but always of one piece alone. Hence the use of the word xulon (no 2 above) in connection with the manner of our Lord’s death, and rendered tree in Acts 5:30; 10:39; 13:29; Gal. 3:13; 1Pet. 2:24. This is preserved in our old Eng. name rood or rod. See the Encycl. Brit., 11th (Camb.) ed., vol. 7, p. 505d. There is nothing in the Greek of the N. T. even to imply two pieces of timber. The letter chi, X, the initial of the word Christ [Christos] was originally used for His name; or Xp. This was superseded by the symbols and , and even the first of these had four equal arms. These crosses were used as symbols of the Babylonian sun god, , and are first seen on a coin of Julius Caesar, 100-44 BC and then on a coin struck by Caesar’s heir (Augustus), 20 BC ... (see App. 162, p. 186). The first confusion of the matter of the crucifixion is perhaps more clear. Christ was crucified on a stauros or stake, not a cross. He was crucified on the 14th of Nisan sometime in the reign of Tiberius Caesar. The identification of the day of the week will depend on the year in which he was killed and the sequence of events of the week as herein. The Passover rotates depending upon the New Moon and not on the day of the week. There are a number of Scriptures that determine the exact time and there are a number of prophecies that have to be fulfilled in order for Jesus, or more correctly Jehoshua, to be the Messiah.
Posted on: Thu, 26 Sep 2013 13:52:15 +0000
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