Difference between revisions of "Cross"

<p> The instrument of a slave's death, associated with the ideas of pain, guilt, and ignominy. "The very name," writes Cicero (Pro Rab., 5), "ought to be excluded not merely from the body, but from the thought, eyes, and ears of Roman citizens." The Hebrew, having no term for it as not being a punishment in their nation, called it "warp and woof." [[Scourging]] generally preceded crucifixion: so Jesus (&nbsp;Matthew 27:26; &nbsp;Mark 15:15; foretold in &nbsp;Isaiah 50:6; &nbsp;Isaiah 53:5). Pilate had probably hoped the Jews would be content with this scourging, and still let Him escape crucifixion (&nbsp;Luke 23:22; &nbsp;John 19:1). Jesus bore His own cross toward [[Golgotha]] outside the city (&nbsp;Hebrews 13:12; so Stephen, &nbsp;Acts 7:58), but sinking exhausted probably He was relieved, and it was transferred to Simon of Cyrene; prefigured in Isaac carrying the wood (&nbsp;Genesis 22:6; contrast &nbsp;Isaiah 9:6, "the government shall be upon His shoulder".) </p> <p> Jesus' sacred and lacerated body was raised aloft, the hands nailed to the transverse beam, the feet separately nailed to the lower part of the upright beam so as to be a foot or two above the ground (others think the two feet were pierced by one and the same nail). Stupefying drink, vinegar mixed with gall and myrrh, was first offered to Him and refused (&nbsp;Matthew 27:34), for He would meet suffering consciously. Near death, to fulfill &nbsp;Psalms 69:21, He drank of the sour wine or vinegar kindly offered Him on a sponge. His death was hastened by rupture of the heart (See [[Blood]] ; also &nbsp;Mark 15:23; compare &nbsp;John 19:28; &nbsp;Matthew 27:48.) </p> <p> The sour wine called '''''Posca''''' was the common drink of the Roman soldiers. Pilate marveled at His speedy death, crucifixion often not terminating in death for days. The approach of the [[Passover]] sabbath, one of peculiar solemnity, led to his permitting the [[Jewish]] law to be carried out which forbids bodies to hang after sunset (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 21:22-23). His legs could not be broken, because the Passover type must be fulfilled (&nbsp;Exodus 12:46). [[Constantine]] when converted abolished crucifixion. The agony consisted in: </p> <p> '''(1)''' the unnatural position of the body, causing pain at the least motion; </p> <p> '''(2)''' the nails being driven through the hands and feet, which are full of nerves and tendons, yet without a vital part being directly injured; </p> <p> '''(3)''' the wounds so long exposed bringing on acute inflammation and gangrene; </p> <p> '''(4)''' the distended parts causing more blood to flow through the arteries than can be carried back through the veins; </p> <p> '''(5)''' the lingering anguish and burning thirst. </p> <p> After Constantine's vision of the cross in the air and the inscription, "Under this standard thou shalt conquer," a new standard was adopted, the Labarum, with a pendent cross and embroidered monogram of Christ, the first two Greek letters of His name, and [[Alpha]] and [[Omega]] (&nbsp;Revelation 1:8). The Andrew's cross is shaped like an X, through Hippolytus says he was crucified upright. The [[Anthony]] cross (embroidered on his cope) was shaped as a T. The pagan Egyptians, Copts, Indians, and Persians, all have the same sacred emblem. Tradition, and the inscription over our Lord's head, make it likely that the form of His cross was +. The pole on which the brazen serpent was lifted by Moses was the type (&nbsp;John 3:14; &nbsp;Numbers 21:8-9). </p> <p> The fathers regarded its four limbs pointing above, below, and to both sides, as typifying" the height, depth, length, and breadth" of the love of Christ, extending salvation to all (&nbsp;Ephesians 3:18). The harmlessness of cruciform flowers is another suggested type in nature. Christ's cross transforms the curse into a blessing (&nbsp;Galatians 3:13-14); the inscription was written with letters of black on a white gypsum ground. By a striking retribution in kind, the Jewish people, whose cry was "crucify Him," were crucified in such numbers by Titus "that there was not room enough for the crosses, nor crosses enough for their bodies" (Joseptius, B. J., 6:28). The piercing of Jesus' hands was foretold in &nbsp;Psalms 22:16; &nbsp;Zechariah 12:10. </p> <p> The story of "the invention of the cross," A.D. 326, is: Helena the empress, mother of Constantine, then nearly 80 years old, made a pilgrimage to the holy places, and there, by help of a Jew who understood her superstitious tastes, found three crosses, among which Christ's cross was recognized by its power of working miracles, at the suggestion of Macarius, bishop of Jerusalem. Bits of this real cross were distributed as relics throughout Christendom. To supply the enormous demand, they were alleged to have been miraculously multiplied! In the church of the Holy Jerusalem Cross at Rome, relics of the top of the cross with the inscription are annually exhibited to the people for veneration. The falsity of the whole story appears from the fact that the Jews' law required the cross to be burnt; Eusebius is silent as to the alleged discovery of it. </p> <p> A symbol or emblem merely at first, it soon began to have the notion of spiritual and supernatural efficacy attached to it. In the 6th century the crucifix image was introduced, and worship (latria) to it was sanctioned by the Church of Rome. Figuratively, the cross and crucifixion are used for spiritually mortifying the flesh, in union spiritually by faith with Christ crucified, not self-imposed austerities (&nbsp;Matthew 16:24; &nbsp;Philippians 3:18; &nbsp;Galatians 6:14; &nbsp;Colossians 2:20-23). Our will and God's will are as two separate pieces of wood; so long as both lie side by side there is no cross; but put them across one another, then there is a cross. We must take up the cross Christ lays on us if we would be His disciples. </p>

<p> <strong> [[Cross]] </strong> . The cross in its literal sense is dealt with under Crucifixion, but there are certain spiritual uses of the word in the NT that call for separate consideration. </p> <p> (1) It is <em> a symbol of self-sacrifice </em> . According to the Gospels, Jesus on at least three occasions affirmed the necessity for those who would follow Him of taking up the cross (&nbsp; Matthew 10:38; &nbsp; Mark 8:34 = &nbsp; Matthew 16:24 = &nbsp; Luke 9:23; [&nbsp; Mark 10:21 only in AV [Note: Authorized Version.] ]; &nbsp; Luke 14:27 ). The words imply a prophetic anticipation of His own experience on Calvary; but even although on Christ’s earliest use of them this special application was hidden from His disciples (cf. &nbsp; Matthew 16:21; &nbsp; Matthew 20:19 ), the figure of bearing one’s cross would convey a quite intelligible meaning. In [[Galilee]] multitudes had been crucified after the rebellion under [[Judas]] the Gaulonite (Jos. [Note: Josephus.] <em> Ant </em> . [[Xvii. X]]  10, <em> BJ </em> II. v. 2); in Jerusalem, as we see from the execution of two robbers side by side with Jesus, a crucifixion must have been an ordinary incident of the administration of Roman law. And as it was usual to compel a <em> cruciarius </em> to carry to the place of execution the transverse beam ( <em> patibulum </em> ) of his own cross, Christ’s figure would have a meaning as plain as it was vivid. But, unlike the wretched <em> cruciarius </em> , His disciples of their own free will were to take up the cross and follow Him. </p> <p> (2) It is <em> a thing of shame </em> . The author of Hebrews tells us bow Jesus ‘endured the cross, despising shame’ (&nbsp; Hebrews 12:2 ). Both to the Roman and to the Jew the death of the cross was the most shameful death a man could die to the former because reserved by Roman usage for slaves, foreigners, or desperate criminals; to the latter because it came under the curse denounced by the Jewish Law upon any one whose dead body hung upon a tree (&nbsp; Deuteronomy 21:23; cf. &nbsp; Galatians 3:13 ). To Jew and [[Gentile]] alike this was the great ‘stumbling-block of the cross’ (&nbsp; Galatians 5:11 , &nbsp; 1 Corinthians 1:23 ). And even St. Paul himself regards ‘the death of the cross’ as the very lowest point in Christ’s long pathway of humiliation (&nbsp; Philippians 2:8 ). </p> <p> (3) There are certain theological uses of the word peculiar to the [[Pauline]] writings. St. Paul makes the cross <em> a summary of the gospel </em> . Thus for ‘the preaching of the gospel’ in &nbsp; 1 Corinthians 1:17 he substitutes in &nbsp; 1 Corinthians 1:18 ‘the word of the cross,’ and in &nbsp; 1 Corinthians 1:23 ‘the preaching of Christ crucified’ (cf. &nbsp; 1 Corinthians 2:2 ). Again in &nbsp; Galatians 6:12 he speaks of suffering persecution ‘for the cross of Christ,’ where the meaning evidently is ‘for the confession of faith in the [[Christian]] gospel.’ And when he glories in ‘the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (&nbsp; 1 Corinthians 1:14 ), the cross is used, as the clauses following show, to epitomize the saving work of Jesus both <em> for </em> us and <em> in </em> us. </p> <p> (4) Further, in the Pauline theology the cross is set forth as <em> the great instrument of reconciliation </em> . It is ‘through the blood of his cross’ that Christ has effected a reconciliation between God and man (&nbsp; Colossians 1:20 ff.). He took out of the way the bond written in ordinances that was against us, ‘nailing it to the cross’ (&nbsp; Colossians 2:14 ). It is ‘through the cross’ that He has reconciled the Gentile and the Jew, abolishing that ‘law of commandments’ which rose between them like a middle wall of partition (&nbsp; Ephesians 2:14-16 ). And there are glimpses of a still wider reconciliation accomplished by Jesus through His cross a reconciliation of all things unto God the Father, whether they be things upon the earth or things in the heavens (&nbsp; Colossians 1:20 , cf. &nbsp; Ephesians 1:10 ). </p> <p> (5) Once more, the cross is to St. Paul <em> the symbol of a mystical union with Christ Himself </em> . In the great figure of the [[Gospels]] (&nbsp; Matthew 10:38 ||) cross-bearing stands for the imitation of Christ. St. Paul goes deeper, and sees in the cross a crucifixion with Christ from which there springs a possession of the indwelling life of Christ (&nbsp; Galatians 2:20 ). The old man is crucified (&nbsp; Romans 6:6 ), that a new man may rise from the dead (cf. &nbsp; Romans 6:4 ). The flesh is crucified, with its passions and lusts (&nbsp; Galatians 5:24 ), that the Christian may live and walk by the Spirit (&nbsp; Galatians 5:25 ). And yet this mysticism of the cross never causes the [[Apostle]] to lose sight of the cross as the means of an objective redemption. On the contrary, he regards the two ideas as inseparably connected; and, glorying in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, does so because through it ( <em> a </em> ) the world the sphere of external ordinances is crucified unto him; and ( <em> b </em> ) he himself is crucified unto the world (&nbsp; Galatians 6:14 ). </p> <p> J. C. Lambert. </p>

<p> Crucifixion was a form of torture and execution used by the Romans, not by the Jews. Yet Jesus knew that in the end this was the way the Jews would have him killed (&nbsp;John 3:14; &nbsp;John 8:28; &nbsp;John 12:32-33). Although the New [[Testament]] writers refer to the cruelty and injustice of Jesus’ crucifixion (&nbsp;Acts 2:23; see [[Crucifixion]] ), their main concern is not with the physical horror of his death but with its theological meaning (&nbsp;1 Corinthians 1:18; &nbsp;1 Peter 2:24). </p> <p> '''The curse of the cross''' </p> <p> [[Israelites]] of Old Testament times executed their criminals by stoning them. After an execution, they hung the body of the victim on a tree as a sign to all that he was under the curse and judgment of God (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 21:22-23). The Jews of Jesus’ day, being under the rule of Rome, had no power to carry out executions themselves, but had to submit requests for execution to the Roman authorities. In the case of Jesus they did not even ask for him to be stoned when they saw it would be easier to have him crucified (&nbsp;Matthew 27:22-23). </p> <p> The Jews considered that Jesus’ hanging on the cross had the same meaning as hanging on a tree. They considered, therefore, that he was under the curse of God. Actually, Jesus did bear the curse of God, but he did so on behalf of sinners, not because of any sin he had committed (&nbsp;Acts 5:30; &nbsp;Acts 10:39; &nbsp;Galatians 3:10-13; &nbsp;1 Peter 2:24). Because the Jews had a wrong understanding of the curse Jesus bore in his death, his crucifixion was to them a stumbling block. They could not trust in Jesus’ death on the cross as a way of salvation, and therefore they could not be saved (&nbsp;1 Corinthians 1:23; see [[Curse; Stumbling Block]] ) </p> <p> '''God’s way of salvation''' </p> <p> To the writers of the New Testament, Jesus’ death on the cross was the central point in the whole saving activity of God (&nbsp;1 Corinthians 1:23; &nbsp;1 Corinthians 2:2; &nbsp;1 Corinthians 15:3-4; see [[Justification]] ; [[Propitiation]] ). The cross therefore became a symbol for that salvation. The message of the gospel was the message of the cross (&nbsp;1 Corinthians 1:17-18; &nbsp;Galatians 3:1; &nbsp;Galatians 6:12; &nbsp;Galatians 6:14; &nbsp;Ephesians 2:16; &nbsp;Philippians 3:18; see [[Gospel]] ; [[Reconciliation]] ). To the early Christians, the expression ‘cross of Christ’, like the expression ‘blood of Christ’, meant the same as ‘death of Christ’ (&nbsp;Romans 5:9-10; &nbsp;Colossians 1:20; &nbsp;Colossians 1:22; see [[Blood]] ). </p> <p> The cross symbolized death not only for Christ, but also for believers. Paul explained the meaning of the baptism of believers in relation to the cross of Christ. Their union with Christ means that they have, so to speak, died on the cross with Christ, been buried with Christ, and risen with Christ to new life (&nbsp;Romans 6:3-4; &nbsp;Galatians 2:20; &nbsp;Colossians 2:12-14; see [[Baptism]] ). Christians demonstrate the truth of this in their daily lives by living victoriously over the old sinful nature, the flesh (&nbsp;Galatians 5:24; &nbsp;Galatians 6:14; see [[Flesh]] ). </p> <p> But death on a cross also meant humiliation. [[Believers]] must therefore be prepared for the sort of humiliation Christ suffered (&nbsp;Philippians 2:8; &nbsp;Hebrews 12:2; &nbsp;Hebrews 13:12-13; see [[Persecution]] ). </p> <p> '''Christian self-denial''' </p> <p> During his lifetime, Jesus warned people what to expect if they became his disciples. Jesus knew that his life would finish at the cross, and each person who followed him had to be prepared to take up his or her own cross and follow Jesus to a similar end (&nbsp;Matthew 16:24-26; cf. &nbsp;John 19:17-18). </p> <p> To bear one’s cross is still a requirement for all those who want to follow Christ. It means they must sacrifice their own interests for the sake of Christ. Christ does not require every disciple to suffer literal crucifixion, but he does require every disciple to be prepared for it, should it be God’s will. If disciples are prepared for that, they will be prepared for the lesser sacrifices and hardships that are involved in following Christ (&nbsp;Matthew 10:37-38; &nbsp;Luke 14:27-33; see [[Disciple]] ). </p>

<div> '''1: '''''Διαπεράω''''' ''' (Strong'S #1276 — Verb — diaperao — dee-ap-er-ah'-o ) </div> <p> "to pass over, to cross over" (dia, "through," perao, "to pass:" akin to this are peran, "across," peras, "a boundary," Latin, porta, "a gate," Eng., "portal, port," etc.), is translated by the verb "to cross" in the RV, but differently in the AV; in &nbsp;Matthew 9:1; &nbsp;Mark 5:21; &nbsp;6:53 (AV, "passed"); &nbsp; Matthew 14:34 (AV, "were gone"); &nbsp; Luke 16:26 (AV, "neither can they pass"); &nbsp; Acts 21:2 (AV, "sailing"). See [[Go]] , [[Pass]] , Sail. In the Sept., &nbsp; Deuteronomy 30:13; &nbsp;Isaiah 23:2 . </p>

<p> (σταυρός , <i> ''''' staurós ''''' </i> , "a cross," "the crucifixion"; σκόλοψ , <i> ''''' skólops ''''' </i> , "a stake," "a pole"): The name is not found in the Old Testament. It is derived from the Latin word <i> crux </i> . In the Greek language it is <i> ''''' stauros ''''' </i> , but sometimes we find the word <i> ''''' skolops ''''' </i> used as its Greek equivalent. The historical writers, who transferred the events of Roman history into the Greek language, make use of these two words. No word in human language has become more universally known than this word, and that because all of the history of the world since the death of Christ has been measured by the distance which separates events from it. The symbol and principal content of the Christian religion and of Christian civilization is found in this one word. </p> 1. Forms of the Cross <p> The cross occurs in at least four different forms: (1) The form usually seen in pictures, the <i> crux immissa </i> , in which the upright beam projected above the shorter crosspiece; this is most likely the type of cross on which the Saviour died, as may be inferred from the inscription which was nailed above His head; (2) The <i> crux commissa </i> , or Anthony's cross, which has the shape of the letter T; (3) The Greek cross of later date, in which the pieces are equally long; (4) The <i> crux decussata </i> , or Andrew's cross, which has the shape of the letter X. </p> 2. Discovery of the True Cross <p> The early church historians Socrates (1, 17), Sozomen (2, 1), Rufinus (1, 7) and Theodoret (1, 18) all make mention of this tradition. The most significant thing is that Eusebius ( <i> Vit. Const </i> ., iii.26-28), who carries more weight than they all together, wholly omits it. </p> <p> According to it, Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great, in 325 ad, when she was 79 years old, discovered the true cross of Jesus by an excavation she caused to be made on the traditional spot of His grave. With the cross of the Saviour were found the two crosses of the malefactors who were crucified with Him. A miracle of healing, wrought by touching the true cross, revealed its identity. Whenfound it was intact, even the holy nails of the crucifixion being discovered. The main part of the cross was deposited by Helena in a church erected over the spot. Of the remainder, a portion was inserted into the head of the statue of Constantine, and the balance was placed in a new church, specially erected for it at Rome and named after it Santa Croce. Small fragments of the wood of the true cross were sold, encrusted with gold and jewels, and since many among the wealthy believers were desirous of possessing such priceless relics, the miracle of the "multiplication of the cross" was devised, so that the relic suffered no diminution "et quasi intacta maneret" (Paulinus epistle 11 <i> ad Sev </i> ). [[Fragments]] of the true cross are Thus to be found in many Roman [[Catholic]] churches of many countries, all over Christendom. It is said that the East celebrated the <i> ''''' staurosimos hēmera ''''' </i> (Crucifixion Day) on September 14, since the 4th century. The evidence for this fact is late and untrustworthy. It is certain that the West celebrated the Invention of the Cross, on May 3, since the time of Gregory the Great in the 6th century. The finding and publication of the apocryphal "Doctrina Addaei" has made it evident that the entire legend of the discovery of the cross by Helena is but a version of the old [[Edessa]] legend, which tells of an identical discovery of the cross, under the very same circumstances, by the wife of the emperor Claudius, who had been converted to [[Christianity]] by the preaching of Peter. </p> 3. Symbolical Uses of the Cross <p> (1) Extra-Scriptural </p> <p> The sign of the cross was well known in the symbolics of various ancient nations. Among the Egyptians it is said to have been the symbol of divinity and eternal life, and to have been found in the temple of Serapis. It is known either in the form of the Greek cross or in the form of the letter "T". The Spaniards found it to be well known, as a symbol, by the Mexicans and Peruvians, perhaps signifying the four elements, or the four seasons, or the four points of the compass. </p> <p> (2) Scriptural </p> <p> The suffering implied in crucifixion naturally made the cross a symbol of pain, distress and burden-bearing. Thus Jesus used it Himself (&nbsp;Matthew 10:38; &nbsp;Matthew 16:24 ). In Paulinic literature the cross stands for the preaching of the doctrine of the [[Atonement]] (&nbsp;1 Corinthians 1:18; &nbsp;Galatians 6:14; &nbsp;Philippians 3:18; &nbsp;Colossians 1:20 ). It expresses the bond of unity between the Jew and the Gentile (&nbsp;Ephesians 2:16 ), and between the believer and Christ, and also symbolizes sanctification (&nbsp;Galatians 5:24 ). The cross is the center and circumference of the preaching of the apostles and of the life of the New Testament church. </p> 4. Crucifixion <p> As an instrument of death the cross was detested by the Jews. "Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree" (&nbsp;Galatians 3:13; compare &nbsp;Deuteronomy 21:23 ), hence, it became a stumbling-block to them, for how could one accursed of God be their Messiah? Nor was the cross differently considered by the Romans. "Let the very name of the cross be far away not only from the body of a Roman citizen, but even from his thoughts, his eyes, his ears" (Cicero <i> Pro Rabirio </i> 5). The earliest mode of crucifixion seems to have been by impalation, the transfixion of the body lengthwise and crosswise by sharpened stakes, a mode of death-punishment still well known among the Mongol race. The usual mode of crucifixion was familiar to the Greeks, the Romans, the Egyptians, [[Persians]] and [[Babylonians]] (Thuc. 1, 110; Herod. iii.125, 159). [[Alexander]] the Great executed two thousand [[Tyrian]] captives in this way, after the fall of the city. The Jews received this form of punishment from the [[Syrians]] and Romans ( <i> Ant. </i> , Xii , v, 4; XX, vi, 2; <i> BJ </i> , I, iv, 6). The Roman citizen was exempt from this form of death, it being considered the death of a slave (Cicero <i> In Verrem </i> i. 5, 66; Quint. viii.4). The punishment was meted out for such crimes as treason, desertion in the face of the enemy, robbery, piracy, assassination, sedition, etc. It continued in vogue in the Roman empire till the day of Constantine, when it was abolished as an insult to Christianity. Among the Romans crucifixion was preceded by scourging, undoubtedly to hasten impending death. The victim then bore his own cross, or at least the upright beam, to the place of execution. This in itself proves that the structure was less ponderous than is commonly supposed. When he was tied to the cross nothing further was done and he was left to die from starvation. If he was nailed to the cross, at least in Judea, a stupefying drink was given him to deaden the agony. The number of nails used seems to have been indeterminate. A tablet, on which the feet rested or on which the body was partly supported, seems to have been a part of the cross to keep the wounds from tearing through the transfixed members (Iren., <i> Adv. haer </i> ., ii.42). The suffering of death by crucifixion was intense, especially in hot climates. Severe local inflammation, coupled with an insignificant bleeding of the jagged wounds, produced traumatic fever, which was aggravated the exposure to the heat of the sun, the strained of the body and insufferable thirst. The swelled about the rough nails and the torn lacerated tendons and nerves caused excruciating agony. The arteries of the head and stomach were surcharged with blood and a terrific throbbing headache ensued. The mind was confused and filled with anxiety and dread foreboding. The victim of crucifixion literally died a thousand deaths. [[Tetanus]] not rarely supervened and the rigors of the attending convulsions would tear at the wounds and add to the burden of pain, till at last the bodily forces were exhausted and the victim sank to unconsciousness and death. The sufferings were so frightful that "even among the raging passions of war pity was sometimes excited" ( <i> BJ </i> , V, xi, 1). The length of this agony was wholly determined by the constitution of the victim, but death rarely ensued before thirty-six hours had elapsed. Instances are on record of victims of the cross who survived their terrible injuries when taken down from the cross after many hours of suspension (Josephus, <i> Vita </i> , 75). Death was sometimes hastened by breaking the legs of the victims and by a hard blow delivered under the armpit before crucifixion. <i> Crura fracta </i> was a well-known Roman term (Cicero <i> Phil </i> . xiii.12). The sudden death of Christ evidently was a matter of astonishment (&nbsp;Mark 15:44 ). The peculiar symptoms mentioned by John (&nbsp;John 19:34 ) would seem to point to a rupture of the heart, of which the Saviour died, independent of the cross itself, or perhaps hastened by its agony. See [[Blood And Water]] . </p>