Glory in the Cross: Part 3

Hello TiMP Nation! We are back after a week of pause to wrap up our “Glory in the Cross” study. I'm sure most of you may have been taken aback by our title versus the direction our study has taken us. However, that was exactly the point, we as believers must become more aware. We must not just follow everything we see and hear but measure everything against God’s word. This not only brings truth to light in our lives, but helps us clearly understand God’s intent and standards on how we are to live. Ephesians 1:17 " That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him". Therefore when it comes to the cross and how we have been falsely trained to elevate it versus the reality that we should not have, hold, carve or erect any images of such. When you seek to study history and where things come from in our practices, particularly as Christian believers you will be shocked! Further more most things are in plan sight and known but being avoided in most churches. The question then becomes, Why is that?

Again when we reference our study text in Galatians 6:11-15, Paul's goal was that believers would only look to what Jesus did and accomplished on the cross to be glorified not some graven, pagan rooted man made image. If you study early cross depictions of Yehoshua/Yeshua (Jesus’s actual Hebrew name which means the Lord is Salvation. In Greek the related spelling is Iesous (Ἰησοῦς), which then in Latin becomes IESVS/Iesus, which in English is spelled Jesus. You will find Jesus alive and in vigorous perfect health hanging on various cross depictions. This would be the total opposite of Paul stressing and preaching Christ crucified. What happened to our Lord and Salvation leading up to and hanging on the stick or cross which ever you prefer was gruesome and horrific! That was the purpose of the physical cross to display shame, ridicule and death. But the purpose of Jesus!, Hallelujah! was far greater!

The cross is a very touchy and deep subject. Many will say, well they keep a cross as a reminder to them of what Jesus did or that it brings them peace, or makes them feel safe. However, I’ve come to recognize that if Jesus truly lives or dwells in us, then what need do we have for a cross as a symbol or trinket? Many will say well I wear a cross to show the world my belief, faith and acknowledgement of God and Jesus. This all sounds great. Yet some of these same folks never pick of the Bible. Even some that do and should be the gatekeepers swing the door wide open for any kind of manipulation and deception for followers and dollars. Read 2 Corinthians 2:1-15.

Yet, pay attention to what Jesus tells us to keep if we truly love Him and it's not a cross! In John 14:23, Jesus in response to Judas (not Judas the betrayer) but another disciple with the same name, says "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. So, Jesus says keep his WORD!, not only that but He and the Father will live in you!

So here was and is the danger of the cross being this idol piece for worship or dependency. It in most instances replaces what we should be keeping and that is Gods's word. What we think are spiritual things we should not make images of them for the danger it may lead to worship and/or idolatry. Which again is why God speaks against it in Exodus 20:4-6 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 as we read in part 2 of this series. Lastly, as promised I want to leave you with the history and origin of the cross. One source is from Vine’s Expository Dictionary which I’m sure is used by most preachers and teachers of the word. Which brings a lot into question about the church and it’s avoidance of the cross topic.

Vine’s states: Cross, Crucify A — 1: σταυρός (Strong's #4716 — Noun Masculine — stauros — stow-ros' ) denotes, primarily, "an upright pale or stake." On such malefactors were nailed for execution. Both the noun and the verb stauroo, "to fasten to a stake or pale," are originally to be distinguished from the ecclesiastical form of a two beamed "cross." The shape of the latter had its origin in ancient Chaldea, and was used as the symbol of the god Tammuz (being in the shape of the mystic Tau, the initial of his name) in that country and in adjacent lands, including Egypt. By the middle of the 3rd cent. A.D. the churches had either departed from, or had travestied, certain doctrines of the Christian faith. In order to increase the prestige of the apostate ecclesiastical system pagans were received into the churches apart from regeneration by faith, and were permitted largely to retain their pagan signs and symbols. Hence the Tau or T, in its most frequent form, with the cross-piece lowered, was adopted to stand for the "cross" of Christ. As for the Chi, or X, which Constantine declared he had seen in a vision leading him to champion the Christian faith, that letter was the initial of the word "Christ" and had nothing to do with "the Cross" (for xulon, "a timber beam, a tree," as used for the stauros, see under TREE).

WOW! So all these years here is Vine’s clearly telling us that the origin of the cross as we know it is rooted and created from man’s pagan worship NOT from GOD! Second is just a couple of insightful video links I came across that take you through the history and origin. I strongly suggest you watch. The second is the more detailed of the two.

Click or Press here to learn the Truth about the Cross!

Click or Press here to learn the Pagan Origins of the Cross!

Well, I hope you review the video and seek God for wisdom regarding the cross. However, make no mistake the evidence in His word is pretty clear. As the one gentleman in the video notes. If Christ Jesus had died by noose or guillotine, I would even add a gun. Would we be wearing those or placing them in our homes or in and on churches as a symbol of our belief and faith? I think not. Then why are we doing so with the cross? Because truly there is no glory to Christ in doing that.