Protestant Cross

[Gottle_of_Geer]

Far from it! Most Protestants put more emphasis on Jesus’ resurrection and ascnesion than on His crucifixion. Why? Because the crucifixion is over? But so is the resurrection and the ascension, so why honor Him risen and ascented? Or, is His resurrection and ascension eternal? But than so is His crucifixion! Indeed, the Messiah was prophesized to perpetuate the thanksgiving offering - so how can most Protestants claim it is not so? It is a lie against Christ!

Why the emphasis on the Resurrection ? Because it is the terminus of the previous events in Passion-tide; the crown and completion of them. Many men have been crucified - only One has abolished death and risen from it in glory and victory. If the gospels had ended with His Burial, there would be no Gospel.​

Moreover, if most Protestants were not ashamed of Christ crucified, they would not be ashamed to honor Him!

They don’t ? How can anyone think such a thing ? Where to start is the problem: Protestantism is rich in Saints, martyrs, missionaries, theologians, spiritual writers, all of them a refutation of the idea that they do not honour Him. The CC would have been indescribably blessed to have such Christians as the Puritans in it; they united theology with spiritual writing & Biblical scholarship in a way RCism has far too often not done.​

They would have crucifixes and make Signs of the Cross. But they do not.

Until the 13th century, the CC had no crucifixes either; if by crucifixes you mean those showing the Crucified in an agonised pose. I’ve seen Christ the Priest-King Crucified (a design rich in meaning, and older by centuries than the agonised type) on a cross in an Anglican church - but not in a RC church.​

There are many ways to glorify Christ Crucified - that some are not known among RCs, does not mean they are any less Christian. It means they are different from RC ways; nothing more. ISTM Christians ought to glorify God that He has inspired such varied forms of piety among such different groups.

They do not wish to be called Catholic

That is half-true, but not true as it stands. But supposing it were true: what is the Catholic name compared to that of Christian ? They are not of equal importance - it is far more important to be in Christ, than to be in a particular Church. Christ is necessary for salvation and for everything - no particular religion is; not even Christianity. If there were no Protestantism or Catholicism or any other Christianity, Christ would still be Lord: but take Him away, and Christianity is less than nothing.​

and they do not wish to be mocked for honoring what the world believes is a dead man. Furthermore, most Protestants are about the “joy” of Christianity,

Joy is a gift - or fruit ? - of the Holy Spirit. It is pretty tricky to get by without it.​

pushing aside the sorrows of Christ, salvific suffering, and more. In their zeal for man’s salvation, they put aside God and set up a false god for mankind.

They are in the best of company then - for above all else, Christ is the Saviour. As for “salvific suffering”, you’ll need to explain what your objection is. ​

In what concerns the Crucifix, how about this:

• Catholics use the the Crucifix, corpus and all, to emphasise the meaning of the Passion
• Protestants use the the Cross, without the corpus, to emphasise the history of the Passion: that it led on to the Resurrection

Why can’t both approaches co-exist ?

It is not true Protestants are ashamed of the Cross - many hymns show it is very important to them:

• And Can It Be
• There is a Fountain Filled with Blood
• O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
• In the Cross of Christ I Glory
• Abide with Me
• Lift High the Cross

and others too numerous to mention; as searching the various hymn sites would show.

 

[Kamalayka]

Why did the Protestants take off the crucifix on the cross?

It is odd.

Paul said, “I preach Christ crucified.”

 

[onenow1]

Thought : An empty cross would be meaningless to the uninterested,or non christian, put a corpus on it and a lot of questioning eyes, I think would result. Just imagine if all the Churches had a cross outside with corpus?

The work of the Holy Spirit is awsome in the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

And just imagine it happened, before the reformation.

Peace, and God Bless
onenow1

 

[Nominefili]

Because they are ashamed of Christ crucified.

Really? Why do you say things like this?

 

[Benjamin8o8]

Because it is finished. Jesus is no longer on the cross, because He is risen and is at the right hand of God interceding for us! Jesus is ruling and reigning from the throne of God.

Romans 8:34

Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Yup, they say “thanks Jesus for dying such a horrible death but hey…we don´t really need to see all the details, so Ima just use a simple cross as a little reminder”.

“did I mention you rock?”

 

[2nd_Adam]

but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles 1 Cor. 1:23

God bless

Christ crucified and the ressurection are necessary, agreed? This seem related to Mel Gibson’s movie of The Passion. I think this was a debate within Christianity, that the movie did not have enough about the ressurection and overly focused on the suffering without the victory. It is finished according to Jesus!

 

[tweetymom]

Because they are ashamed of Christ crucified.

That is a very offensive statment to make. We all know Jesus was on the cross for our sins, but is no longer there.:tiphat:

 

[2nd_Adam]

That is a very offensive statment to make. We all know Jesus was on the cross for our sins, but is no longer there.:tiphat:

Thanks tweetymom as always!

There can be different focuses of our Infinte Triune God. The Eucharist focuses on the suffering. I used to attend a Protestant Church before I moved which presented the Lord’s Supper sacrament every Sunday. Some Protestant churches will not focus enough on the suffering and death of Christ because of His victory and once for all sacrifice. Here’s a good Bible passage to reflect on from Hebrews 10.

“You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. - Hebrews 10

 

[spoiltvictorian]

They are more rare, but there are Baptists, anyway, who are ashamed of the non-empty cross. I quote a friend of mine: “Leaving Christ on the cross shows weakness. The resurrection shows His power and deity.” This man’s church doesn’t have a cross at all. The only symbol I’ve seen is giant neon open book. One time I asked him how anyone was supposed to know it was a Bible and not a Q’ran.

I have encountered other reasons why various Protestants, mostly Presbyterian and Baptist, prefer the empty cross:
-they think pictures of Christ are idolatrous.
-they think the crucifix is saying that Christ can’t be everywhere at once. Same reason they deny the Body and Blood during Communion.
-they think the empty cross gives more hope
-they think the empty cross keeps us from imagining Christ in our minds.
-they prefer the empty cross for aesthetic reasons.

 

[Benjamin8o8]

That is a very offensive statment to make. We all know Jesus was on the cross for our sins, but is no longer there.:tiphat:

I don´t think so.

How can anybody take Jesus off the Cross. That is a reminder that He died for our sins. But protestants always want to ignore the sufferings and skip to the jolly part.

 

[tweetymom]

I don´t think so.

How can anybody take Jesus off the Cross. That is a reminder that He died for our sins. But protestants always want to ignore the sufferings and skip to the jolly part.

I don’t need to see Him on the cross. I know He was there for me. He wasn’t in the tomb either! I don’t know of one Christian who ignores the sufferings of Christ, and what ever is the jolly part? I am happy that Jesus is in my heart. :tiphat:

 

[Roman_Catholic_1]

Christ crucified and the ressurection are necessary, agreed? This seem related to Mel Gibson’s movie of The Passion. I think this was a debate within Christianity, It is finished according to Jesus!

I am not sure where Mel Gibson falls on this issue nor do I care. The Apostle Paul though wrote the following:

but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles 1 Cor. 1:23

God bless

 

[2nd_Adam]

They are more rare, but there are Baptists, anyway, who are ashamed of the non-empty cross. I quote a friend of mine: “Leaving Christ on the cross shows weakness. The resurrection shows His power and deity.” This man’s church doesn’t have a cross at all. The only symbol I’ve seen is giant neon open book. One time I asked him how anyone was supposed to know it was a Bible and not a Q’ran.

I have encountered other reasons why various Protestants, mostly Presbyterian and Baptist, prefer the empty cross:
-they think pictures of Christ are idolatrous.
-they think the crucifix is saying that Christ can’t be everywhere at once. Same reason they deny the Body and Blood during Communion.
-they think the empty cross gives more hope
-they think the empty cross keeps us from imagining Christ in our minds.
-they prefer the empty cross for aesthetic reasons.

I think it is a serious error for any Protestant church not to have a cross symbol somewhere. I’ve been to many Protestant churches and they all had a cross symbol in the sanctuary to reflect upon. Many Christians have a cross symbol around their necks. My middle son who is a rebellious teen wants a cross tatoo on his upper arm. Unforunately, some Protestant liberal churches have loss focused on Christ and Him crucified. I think a crucifix or an empty cross symbol or icon would be extermely helpful with churches who loss focus on Christ and Him crucified. The Bible points to Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

 

[Roy5]

One experience. I was flying back from India years ago and struck up a conversation with a woman seated alongside me. We finally got into religion, and when I spoke as a Christian she immediately said: “I could never belong to a religion whose symbol was an instrument of torture.” I told her that as a Protestant the cross to me (and others) was seen as a symbol of victory over torture, holding out the promise of victory to all Christians who lived by faith.

 If some Christians are fortified in their faith by a crucifix, fine. When I worship in a Catholic Church which has a huge crucifix bearing a very gory Jesus I personally think of this as a symbol that I cannot shsre. It focuses on the suffering Christ while I focus on the triumphant Christ. That seems to me to have been his principal message and the message of hope that sustains me. 

  God bless everybody. May religion become a bridge and not a barrier.

 

[2nd_Adam]

One experience. I was flying back from India years ago and struck up a conversation with a woman seated alongside me. We finally got into religion, and when I spoke as a Christian she immediately said: “I could never belong to a religion whose symbol was an instrument of torture.” I told her that as a Protestant the cross to me (and others) was seen as a symbol of victory over torture, holding out the promise of victory to all Christians who lived by faith.

 If some Christians are fortified in their faith by a crucifix, fine. When I worship in a Catholic Church which has a huge crucifix bearing a very gory Jesus I personally think of this as a symbol that I cannot shsre. It focuses on the suffering Christ while I focus on the triumphant Christ. That seems to me to have been his principal message and the message of hope that sustains me. 

  God bless everybody. May religion become a bridge and not a barrier.

Great post and very Christ-centered!

 

[Zundrah]

Why did the Protestants take off the crucifix on the cross?

…because using images of either God or of the angels in heaven is idolatry and is also blasphemy.

 

[tweetymom]

…because using images of either God or of the angels in heaven is idolatry and is also blasphemy.

It is ?

 

[Zundrah]

It is ?

No, of course it isn’t. But that is what they believe.

 

[Zundrah]

It is ?

When I go into my methodist church wearing a crusifix people cringe at it, especially my ministers.

 

[tweetymom]

No, of course it isn’t. But that is what they believe.

I went to a number of Protestant Churches and never heard that said:shrug: