CROSS WORDS

by Richard Burkard

The Worldwide Church of God's doctrinal changes of the 1990's forced many members to review and reexamine their core beliefs and understandings. That's not necessarily a bad thing, if it helps you "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (II Pet. 3:18) But disagreements can develop over what exactly a "core belief" is.

A man I know is adamant on several "old school" teachings of the WCG, including the means in which Jesus died. He insists our Lord was executed on a "torture stake" - as in an upright pole, not the cross depicted by many Christian churches. It's a core issue for this man because, "I don't want to worship the Catholic Church's God." He would argue both Catholic and Protestant denominations have "another Jesus." (II Cor. 11:4)

The man offered to bring me several books confirming his point about the pole. Before he did, I decided to do a new study of my own into the crucifixion. Where did this old Church of God concept come from - the Bible or a legend? Was it right for the WCG to change its view of the cross in the 1990's? And does the device used in the death of Jesus really matter, anyway?

Defining the Terms

The word "crucifixion" is based literally on the Latin words for "fixed to the cross." And the only Greek word used for "cross" in the New Testament is stauros - defined by Strong's Concordance as "a stake or post, as set upright, i.e. spec. a pole or cross (as an instrument of capital punishment); fig. exposure to death. i.e. self-denial...."

But there's another Greek word used in the New Testament in describing the crucifixion. You'll find it in verses such as Acts 5:30: "The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead - whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree." (See also 10:39, 13:29 and I Pet. 2:24.) This Greek word is xulon, which Strong's defines as "timber.... by impl. a stick, club or tree or other wooden article or substance." It's the same word used to describe something much more positive, the "tree of life," in Revelation 22:2, 14.

The Bible Evidence

Instead of starting with books men have written about the crucifixion, let's go to the book God inspired about it. If the Bible is the final authority in such matters, it should offer a basis for our understanding.

All four New Testament gospels describe Jesus's death. Three of the four indicate Simon of Cyrene was found on that day, "and they forced him to carry the cross." (Mt. 27:32; Mk. 15:21; Lk. 23:26) John specifies Jesus carried "his own cross" (19:16-17), a discrepancy explained by some commentators as indicating Jesus became too weak at some point to press on with it.

"When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him," Luke continues in 23:33. (Compare Mt. 27:35, Mk. 15:24, Jhn. 19:18) "There was a written notice above him," verse 38 says, "which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS." John 19:19 adds Pilate had the notice "fastened to the cross."

After the resurrection, Peter reports Jesus was killed "by hanging him on a tree." (Acts 10:39) But if you want more details about the method of execution - sorry, the Bible doesn't really provide it. You have to look to books of history and Biblical analysis from here. And that brings back one of our original questions - does the sort of device used in the death really matter? Especially since the New Testament offers few details about it?

Books of Knowledge

We checked a large number of traditional "Bible helps" for insight and in-depth understanding -- and the writings of scholars (traditionally panned by some Church of God hardliners) actually come down on both sides of the cross/stake question.

"Stauros, to fasten to a stake or pole, are originally to be distinguished from the ecclesiastical form of a two-beamed cross," says Vine's Expository Dictionary (1997 ed., p. 248). "The shape of the latter had its origin in ancient Chaldea, and was used as a symbol of the god Tammuz...." In other words, the traditional cross is straight out of paganism - the sort of thing Church of God members are to avoid like a Christmas tree or Easter egg.

The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology edited by Elwell adds: "Earlier forms [of execution] probably involved impaling the condemned on a single pole or suspending him by wedging the head between a 'Y' at one end of the implement." (1984 ed., pp. 286-87) But this latter dictionary goes on to say the forms underwent some changes over the years.

"By New Testament times there seem to have been several different forms of 'crosses' commonly used by the Romans. In addition to the single pole (crux simplex), most involved the use of two opposite pieces of wood to construct a frame.... The two cross forms most likely used for the execution of Jesus are the St. Anthony's cross.... shaped like a T, or the Latin cross.... on which the vertical piece rises above both horizontal cross-beams.... and the head of the victim...." (p. 287)

Note even in traditional Christendom, there can be a disagreement over the exact shape of the cross. As the HarperCollins Bible Dictionary points out: "The procedure was subject to wide variations, especially under wartime conditions. The upright stake continued to be used, but frequently a crossbar was added across the top of the stake forming a 'T.'" (1996, p. 212)

Keep in mind the cross had to be carried to the place where Jesus was crucified. Would this have been simply a long pole? Perhaps not, because some authors claim at execution sites, "the upright stick.... would have been already erected." (Dictionary of the Christian Church, Revised Edition, Douglas, gen. ed., 1978, p. 273)

"After the beating," writes another author, "the victim was forced to bear the [horizontal] crossbeam to the execution site.... the beam with the body was then lifted and tied to the already affixed upright pole." (Holman's Bible Dictionary, 2003, pp. 368-69)

If a written notice was placed above the head of Jesus, this would seem to argue against a T-shaped crucifixion. With the head of our Lord above his arms, where would the notice go? And of course, this detail leaves open the possibility of a simple pole with a title above it. "Often, but by no means always, a horizontal piece was attached to the vertical.... Generally the condemned man was forced to bear his own cross, or transverse part, to the place of execution." (Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, 1962, vol. 1, p. 745)

A Recent Discovery

An archeological find of the 20^th century should have helped settle part of this "cross talk." Remains were found in 1968 of a crucified man from first-century Palestine. "The victim's outstretched arms were affixed to the cross-bar by either nails or ropes. This was then raised and secured to the perpendicular pole...." (Elwell, ed., p. 287)

"But that's not Jesus!" the critics might contend. And that's true - and that's glorious. There's no body around today to give us an absolute answer, because Jesus was resurrected three days after the crucifixion! When He returns to rule the world as King of Kings, we'll be able to ask Him about the method of His death. But at that point - well, will it matter?

Shift Your Focus

Hardliners in the Church of God would contend the shape of the execution device is important because they want to worship God "in spirit and in truth." (Jhn. 4:24) Their desire to worship in this way should not be faulted. But note Paul's words in I Corinthians 2:2: "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" - in that order.

Can we become so hung up (pardon the pun) on the method of crucifixion that we overlook the Person who was crucified? I fear some Church of God members may have done that over the years. If your focus is on the shape of the wood more than the sacrifice, your priorities may need reexamination -- because countless criminals were crucified as well, but the only person actually remembered for it is the Savior who endured it for very different reasons.

"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree," Peter wrote, "so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed." {I Pet. 2:24) Another New Testament passage urges us to "fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith...." (Heb. 12:2) This refocusing transcends both presumed Catholic idolatry over cross-worship, and Church of God overanalysis to get every little detail of the picture right in our mind's eye.

We've reviewed the United Church of God booklet Jesus Christ: The Real Story elsewhere on this web site, and found a few flaws with it. But these words about the cross make a lot of sense: "If it were important that we know its exact shape, the Gospel writers could have easily provided us that information -- yet none of them do. What is important for us to know is the willing sacrifice Jesus made of His own life for our sakes." (2004 ed., p. 41)

Conclusion

We must be careful not to be among those Paul describes as having, "their mind.... on earthly things." (Phil. 3:19) Such people are "enemies of the cross of Christ," according to verse 18. The cross/stake used to hang Jesus was earthly. The Lord who hung absolutely was not.

However you envision Jesus's death -- at Calvary or Golgotha, on a single pole or a "Latin cross," surrounded by two thieves or two additional "malefactors" (as I heard the late Dean Blackwell contend once in a sermon) -- may we all resolve to follow the words of a classic Christian hymn:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus.

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of Earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace.

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