JWs-Raising the Stakes

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Can someone help on this topic? The JWs say and show in pictures that Christ was crucified on a stake not a cross. In otherwords it was just a pole sticking up from the ground with no horizontal pole coming off of it. Now I know these guys are messed up but where does this come from?
How do they explain all that stuff about Jesus carrying the cross?
 
Crosses took a number of forms. We don’t actually know what form Christ was crucified on. It MIGHT have been a simple stake. The Jehovah’s Witnesses would still be getting it wrong simply because they like to speak of Christ having been ‘impaled’ upon the cross–absolutely NOT how the Scriptures indicate He was killed. To ‘impale’ suggests the instrument of death was driven through the body, which is not what was done to Jesus. Christ clearly was affixed TO the cross, using nails. Jehovah’s Witnesses would be more correct if they chose to assert the belief that Christ was “EMPOLED”, which–if there were such a word–would more accurately describe the act of doing death to someone by affixing them to a pole.

The easiest way to understand why Christians have traditionally affirmed that Christ died on either some sort of a ‘t’ shaped cross or an ‘x’-shaped cross is that this is what the WORD means–to slay upon a cross-shaped form. Since the Latin word for how Romans executed vile criminals actually MEANS some sort of a cross, and not a pole, we can assume that they ordinarily did NOT use a pole-shaped instrument.

For complex reasons drawn partly from what we know historically about Crucifixion and partly from what can be deduced from the Greek words used in the New Testament to describe what was done to Christ-- it is likely that Christ was crucified on an “+”-shaped cross. The other possibilities would be that He was affixed to a “T”-shaped cross; or to an “X”-shaped cross. But there are reasons this is unlikely. For example there was a sign fastened over Christ’s head declaring in several languages His supposed crimes. There would have been no room over His head for such a sign on either a ‘X’ or a ‘T’-shaped cross.

Christ probably only carried the cross-bar of the cross. The weight of an entire cross would likely have been too great for a single person to carry. The upright portion of the cross was probably already in place at the scene of the execution.

In all likelihood, someone will either elaborate on my comments themselves or will point you to an article which can describe the issues involved in better detail.
 
The JW’s depict Jesus on a stake with his arms above his head with one nail going through both. In John 20:25 when told that Jesus rose from the dead, Thomas said, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the NAILS (notice plural - more than one nail) were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.

Ask them to explain that verse. Thomas knew it was a nail in each hand.

The JW’s are wrong about just about EVERYTHING they believe. Why would they be right about the stake vs. cross?
 
In addition to what CM says above , about the testimony from Thomas that more than one nail was used in Jesus’ hands, there is this: **

Matthew 27:37** And above His head they put the charge against Him which read “This is Jesus the King of the Jews”.
**Note - **Here it says that the sign that was nailed above Jesus was nailed “above his head”. But yet, illustrations showing Jesus being put to death on a stake show the sign above his hands. Isn’t the above statement in Matthew more in line with his hands being outstretched, as on a cross?

So, there are two places from scripture that suggest that Jesus died on a cross, rather than on a stake with both hands nailed together above his head w/one nail, as WT literature shows.

Here’s another thing. The WT has had favorable articles about Jerome (circa AD 340 - 420) and even includes references to the Vulgate in the Reference Edition to the New World Translation. Well, when Jerome translated the Greek “stauros” into Latin he used the Latin word “crux”. Doesn’t that count for something?
 
At His Feet said:
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Matthew 27:37** And above His head they put the charge against Him which read “This is Jesus the King of the Jews”.
**Note - **Here it says that the sign that was nailed above Jesus was nailed “above his head”. But yet, illustrations showing Jesus being put to death on a stake show the sign above his hands. Isn’t the above statement in Matthew more in line with his hands being outstretched, as on a cross?
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Excellent! I have never heard this. Did you come up with this? Whoever did needs to be remembered and thanked.
 
Catholic Dude - That’s not original with me. But, between that scripture and John 20:25, there are two internal evidences in scripture that suggest that Jesus died on a cross rather than a stake. Certainly John 20:25 proves the WT illustrations wrong.
 
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Subrosa:
Here’s a couple websites you’ll like. It’s not likely to sway a JW. They are strictly Sola Scriptura.
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Not JUST Sola Scriptura but it has to be their “New World Translation” (read plagierized version of the Bible).
 
Semper Fi:
Not JUST Sola Scriptura but it has to be their “New World Translation” (read plagierized version of the Bible).
Click to expand...
I guess it should be called the New Word Translation.
 
hi, lm new simple catholic, share my ideas

Stauros-- equivocal term means one word with different meanings,

it can be STAKE---- post
it can be CRUX – two intersecting lines or cross,

The Romans use the Latin Cross for punishment for criminals,
it is the Roman who crucify Jesus on the cross not the jews, they use cross, not stake.

world history by obrien page 144. " Constantine look at the sky and saw a Cross that has a word “In hoc signo vinces” through this sign youll win. it is cross.

Ezekiel 9:4 people of God make the sign of the Cross “THAU” ( not stake. 🙂
 
The “t” shaped cross is not explicitly described in scripture. It is one of the churches Traditions that we share with our protestant brothers.
I suppose it doesn’t really matter what shape the “stauros” is. If Christ was crucified on a round flat piece of plywood and then rolled down a hill, then today we would be using the sign of the circle to acknowledge his redeeming us from our sins.

Jim
 
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