THE CROSS

 

jehovah's witnesses, jehovah's witness

As the emblem of a slave’s death and a murderer’s punishment the cross was looked upon with great horror. The early pre-Constantine Christians did not use the cross as an emblem of their Christianity. Two of the earliest symbols of their faith were the anchor and the fish. On the walls of the ancient catacombs of Rome we can find evidence of early Christian graffiti, and the most widely used symbols were the anchor and the fish.

After the so-called conversion of Constantine the Great, the cross first came into use as a central emblem of Christianity. He claimed that in a critical moment he saw a flaming cross in the heavens bearing theses words “In hoc signo vices” which means, “By this sign thou shalt conquer.” And the following night he claimed that Christ came to him and ordered him to take for his standard the sign of the cross. It remained the standard for the Roman army until the downfall of the Western empire.  Since then it has been used as the central symbol of the Christian faith.

The importance of the cross as a central theological theme in the New Testament is impossible to overestimate. It stands as the center of the New Testament theology of salvation and is the starting point for all true Christian theology.

The WTS claims that Jesus died on a torture stake and not on a cross. The originators of this doctrine claim that Jesus was crucified and died with both hands nailed together above his head. They insist that the cross was never recognized as the instrument used in the death of Jesus Christ by the early Christians; but rather it was the Romans who erroneously introduced it into Christian theology.

They also claim that the word cross was never used in the earliest known text. The WTS quotes several verses of the New Testament where the writers, under the divine inspiration of God, did not use the word "cross" but the word "tree". In the original Greek the word used for tree is xuvlon, which means “something made of wood”. In Acts xuvlon is used for cross and also prison “stocks”.  When we engage a search of the Greek text for the words “torture stake” we find no matches. The divinely inspired writers of the New Testament did not use “torture stake” in any of their works.

Now the word found in the earliest known copies is staurovß or its modern version stauros which translates to cross and appears 28 times in the New Testament.

In the Gospel of John, Thomas is quoted as saying," Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe." {John 20:25} Thomas wanted to see his hands and the prints of the nails, not the nail. Thomas knew that Jesus was crucified with both arms stretched out. Some have answered that the nails were the one used on both hands and the one used on both feet. The response for that is found in vs. 27. "Then saith he {Jesus} to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing." Jesus did not tell Thomas to hither his finger and behold his feet, only his hands.

 

 The 1927 copy of “Creation”, [written by Judge J. F. Rutherford who was the second president of the WTS], agrees with the translation of the King James Version.  “In the year 1611 A. D. what is commonly known as the Authorized Version was produced. It is otherwise known as the King James version. Doubtless there has never been a more masterful and perfect English publication than the Authorized Version of the Bible” pg 117. On page 229 Judge Rutherford writes that Jesus died on a cross. On page 265 and 336 Rutherford portrays Jesus Christ dying on a cross.  Judge Rutherford considered the King James translation a perfect publication and by so clearly agreeing that Jesus Christ died on the cross not a torture stake.  Judge Rutherford was considered by his followers as a man of great knowledge and divine inspiration. 

God is infinitely great, unchangeable, sovereign, eternally holy, wise, and comprehending at once all things that were or will be. Now the question to be asked is; which divine inspiration that came from God to his chosen organization is right and which one is wrong?  How can God inspire the writers of the New Testament to write that Jesus died on a cross, and then inspire the unknown translators of the NWT that Jesus died on a torture stake?  It can’t be.  Who is fallible God, or the translator or the NWT?  Obviously it cannot be God. Then the evidence is clear and it is reasonable to conclude that the “scholar” who worked on the NWT, was not spiritually qualified or inspired to make such a translation.

Below are the matches found for tree.

The New Testament Greek Lexicon

Found 13 entries matching: TREE

          English Translation                    Original Word                           Transliterated Word

        tree                                     devndron                          dendron

        olive tree                               ejlaiva                                elaia

        good olive tree                      kallievlaioß                       kallielaios

        tree                                   xuvlon                              xulon

        street                                 platei'a                               patria

        street                                  rJuvmh                              rhume

        sycamine tree                    sukavminoß                      sukaminos

        fig tree                                   sukh'                                  suke

       sycomore tree                      sukomoreva                     sukomoraia

        palm tree                            phoenix                             phoinix

            street                                 ajgorav                              agora

            wild olive tree                       ajgrievlaioß                       agrielaios

            olive tree which is wild          ajgrievlaioß                       agrielaios

Below is the meaning for xuvlon and were it is found in the Bible.

The KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon

 

Original Word

  

xuvlon

  

Transliterated Word

  

Xulon

  

Phonetic Spelling

Parts of Speech

xoo'-lon   

Noun Neuter

 Definition
  1. wood
    1. that which is made of wood
      1. as a beam from which any one is suspended, a gibbet, a cross
      2. a log or timber with holes in which the feet, hands, neck of prisoners were inserted and fastened with thongs
      3. a fetter, or shackle for the feet
      4. a cudgel, stick, staff
  2. a tree
 

 King James Word Usage - Total: 19

tree 10, staff 5, wood 3, stocks 1
 

  KJV Verse Count 

Mathew

2
Mark

2

Luke

2

Acts

4

1 Corinthians

1
Galatians

1

1 Peter

1

Revelations

4

Total

17

Blow are several verses where xuvlon is used.

KJV Verse Count

Greek Word: Xuvlon
Transliterated Word: xulon
Book to Display: Acts
Verse Count: 4

  Acts 5:30

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

Acts 10:39

And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:

Acts 13:29 

And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.

Acts 16:24 

Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

Verses in Acts where xulon is used in the Greek.

Acts 5:30  HoTheos ton pateron hemon egeiren Iesoun hon humeisdiecheirisasthe kremasantes epi xulon.

Acts 16:24  Hos parangelian toiauten labon ebalen autous eisten esoteran fulaken kai tous podas esfalisato autoneis to xulon.

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Below is the only match found for cross.

Found 1 entry matching: CROSS

           English Translation                    Original Word                           Transliterated Word

        cross                                  staurovß                            stauros

Below is the meaning for staurovb and how many times it appears in the Bible,

The KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon

 

Original Word

  

staurovß

  

Transliterated Word

  

Stauros

  

Phonetic Spelling

Parts of Speech

stow-ros'  jehovah's witnesses truth  

Noun Masculine

 Definition
  1. an upright stake, esp. a pointed one
  2. a cross
    1. a well known instrument of most cruel and ignominious punishment, borrowed by the Greeks and Romans from the Phoenicians; to it were affixed among the Romans, down to the time of Constantine the Great, the guiltiest criminals, particularly the basest slaves, robbers, the authors and abetters of insurrections, and occasionally in the provinces, at the arbitrary pleasure of the governors, upright and peaceable men also, and even Roman citizens themselves
    2. the crucifixion which Christ underwent
 

 King James Word Usage - Total: 28

cross 28
 

  KJV Verse Count 

Matthew

5

Mark

5
Luke

3

John

4

1 Corinthians

2

Galatians

3

Ephesians

1

Philippians

2

Colossians

2

Hebrews

1

Total

28

Below are several verses where staurovb is used in the Bible.

Greek Word: Staurovß
Transliterated Word: stauros
Book to Display: Matthew
Verse Count: 5

Mt 10:38   

And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Mt 16:24  

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Mt 27:32 

And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.

Mt 27:40  

And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

Mt 27:42  

He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

Greek Word: Staurovß
Transliterated Word: stauros
Book to Display: Mark
Verse Count: 5

Mr. 8:34

And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Mr. 10.21

Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lockset: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

Mr 15:21 

And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.

Mr. 15:30 

Save thyself, and come down from the cross.

Mr 15:32

Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.

Greek Word: Staurovß
Transliterated Word: stauros
Book to Display: John
Verse Count: 4

John 19:17 

And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:

John 19:19 

And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.

John 19:25 

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.

John 19:31

 

The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

Verses in John where staurovb is used in the Greek translation.

John 19:19  Egrapsen de kai titlon ho Pilatoskai etheken epi tou stauros.  En de gegrammenon:IEESOUS HO NAZOORAIOS HO BASILEUS TOON IOUDAIOON.

John 19:25  Heistekeisan de para to stauros tou Iesou hemeter autou kai he adelfe tes metros autou, Mariahe tou Klopa kai Maria he Magdalene.

John 19:31  Hoi oun Ioudaioi, epei Paraskeue en, hina-memeine epi tou stauros ta somata en to sabbato (engar megale he hemera ekeinou tou sabbatou), erotesanton Pilaton hina kateagosin auton ta skele kaiarthosin.

Below is a match for torture.

The New Testament Greek Lexicon

Found 1 entry matching: TORTURE

                  English Translation                  Original Word                         Transliterated Word

              torture                              tumpanivzw                   tumpanizo

Below is meaning for tumpanivzw and where it is found in the Bible.

The KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon

 

 

Original Word

  

tumpanivzw

  

Transliterated Word

  

Tumpanizo

  

Phonetic Spelling

Parts of Speech

toom-pan-id'-zo  jehovah's witnesses truth  

Verb

 Definition
  1. to beat the drum or timbrel
  2. to torture with the tympanum, an instrument of punishment
 

 King James Word Usage - Total: 1

torture 1
 

  KJV Verse Count 

Hebrews

1

Total

1

The verse where tumpanizo is used.

KJV Verse Count

Greek Word: Tumpanivzw
Transliterated Word: tumpanizo
Book to Display: Hebrews
Verse Count: 1

Heb 11:35

 

Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were torture d, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

Note no matches were found for torture stake.

The New Testament Greek Lexicon

Found 0 entry matching: TORTURE STAKE

There were no entries matching your query of 'TORTURE STAKE'.

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Below is page 265 from the book "Creation"

jehovah's witnesses truth

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Below is page 336 from the book "Creation."

 

Below is page 229 from the book "Creation".jehovah's witnesses truth

jehovah's witnesses truth 

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Below is the Rosemont United Cemetery memorial site of Charles Taze Russell. This pyramid was placed as a memorial, for Pastor Russell and is set not to far from his grave site. Note the cross and crown emblem of the WTS, also "Watchtower And Tract Society" carved in the stone.jehovah's witnesses truth

Sources for the Greek translation: Elis Ultra Bible, Crosswalk.com, Thayer’s and Smith’s Bible dictionary, and Theological Dictionary of the New Testament.
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