Page 62 - Uncompromising Sermons By Bobby Cabonce

translated “cross” is stau•ros’. It basically feet, were bound or nailed.”
means “an upright pale or stake.” The
Companion Bible points out: “[Stau•ros’] The most convincing proof of all, however,
never means two pieces of timber placed comes from God’s Word. The apostle Paul
across one another at any angle . . . There says: “Christ purchased us, releasing us
is nothing in the Greek of the [New Testa- from the curse of the Law by becoming a
ment] even to imply two pieces of timber.” curse instead of us, because it is written:
‘Accursed is every man hung upon a stake
[“a tree,” King James Version].’” (Gala-
tians 3:13) Here Paul quotes Deuteronomy
21:22, 23, which clearly refers to a stake,
not a cross. Since such a means of execu-
tion made the person “a curse,” it would not
be proper for Christians to decorate their
homes with images of Christ on a cross.

There is no evidence that for the first 300
years after Christ’s death, those claiming
to be Christians used the cross in worship.
In the fourth century, however, pagan
Emperor Constantine became a convert
to apostate Christianity and promoted
the cross as its symbol.

Why, then, was this pagan symbol
promoted? Apparently, to make it eas-
ier for pagans to accept “Christianity.”
Nevertheless, devotion to any pagan
symbol is clearly condemned by the
Bible. (2 Corinthians 6:14-18) The Scrip-
tures also forbid all forms of idolatry.
(Exodus 20:4, 5; 1 Corinthians 10:14)
With very good reason, therefore, true
Christians do not use the cross in worship.
In several texts, Bible writers use another
word for the instrument of Jesus’ death. I made an intensive research on the
It is the Greek word xy’lon. (Acts 5:30; book written by Alexander Hislop were
10:39; 13:29; Galatians 3:13; 1 Peter Babylonian religion long before there
2:24) This word simply means “timber” or was Christianity they already practice the
“a stick, club, or tree.” sign of the cross. Whether you believe it
or not but sign of the cross is paganism.
Explaining why a simple stake was often
used for executions, the book Das Kreuz There are some Christians who misunder-
und die Kreuzigung (The Cross and the stood me and they seems to say that it is
Crucifixion), by Hermann Fulda, states: okay to make a sign of the cross after they
“Trees were not everywhere available pray. And I responded that to understand
at the places chosen for public execution. that a cross never means two pieces of
So a simple beam was sunk into the timber placed across one another at any
ground. On this the outlaws, with hands angle . . . There is nothing in the Greek
raised upward and often also with their of the [New Testament] even to imply two
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