The Cross: Is It Pagan?
| Crucifixion was an oriental mode of punishment introduced into the west from the Persians. It was little used by the Greeks but was employed extensively both by the Carthaginians and the Romans. In Roman literature it was described as a cruel and feared punishment which was not inflicted on Roman citizens; it was reserved for slaves or for non-Romans. (1) |
| Gal 3:1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified |
| If Jesus was put on a torture stake, then why does Thomas say "Unless I shall see in His hands the imprint of the nails..." In the Greek the word used here for "nails", helos, is in the plural. Therefore, there was more than one nail used in the hands of the crucifixion of Christ.(2) |
| Christ tells us in Mat 10:38 "and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me." And in Malt 16:24 / Lk 9:23 "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up the cross and follow me." |
| In fact Christ points out in Lk 14:27 "And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." |
| Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me |
| Gal 5:24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions & desires. |
| Gal 6:14 ...The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. |
| Phil 2:8 And being found in the appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on the cross! |
| In this book who is pictured on a cross? (Life; 1929; 1,000,000 ed.; p.198) |
| 1929 "Jesus was crucified upon the cross; but it is a well-known fact that, contrary to the custom in respect to the victims of crucifixion, not one bone of his body was broken." (Life; 1929; 1,000,000 ed.; p. 216) |
| In the book " You Can Live Forever On Paradise On Earth (1981) p 170" shows a picture of Christ on stake. (3) |
If the Watchtower uses the scriptures properly why do the books contradict one another? Go look it up! |
(1) McKenzie, John. Dictionary of the Bible, Macmillan Publishing Company, 1965 p161
(2) Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry J. Slick, B.A., M. Div. welcomes your comments via E-mail at mslick@connectnet.com
(3) Bible@bible.ca
Scripture quotations taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.