Jehovah's Witnesses and the "Torture Stake"

Several years ago, I asked a JW about this. What I was told had nothing to do with the translation of a Greek word. Their justification begins with Galatians 3:13.

They believe that this verse teaches that Jesus Christ could never be cursed. To be hung on a cross, or tree, would be saying that Jesus was cursed and since he couldn't have been cursed, he wasn't hung on a tree, but on a stake.

I don't know if that's the official position of the JW, but it's what I was told.

 

I've heard many Messianic Jews (Torah Observant) call the "cross" the "execution stake" because the word "cross" seems to offend them. When I first heard that term used, I thought I was among a group of JWs.

Jesus bore our sins in His own body on the tree----and was made a curse for us.

1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

 

The standard NT lexicon, BDAG, has this "a pole to be placed in the ground and used for capital punishment, cross...a cross-piece was often attached to the upper part, so that it was shaped like a T or a †." The standard classical Greek dictionary, Liddell-Scott-Jones, has this "upright pale or stake...cross, as the instrument of crucifixion...ts form was represented by the Greek letter T."

Therefore, it appears that stauros has a more general meaning, "stake," and more specific meaning, "cross."

 

I heard a Greek Professor say that the Romans had many names for the cross. It was basically used to execute slaves. He gave the following:

"slave's cross, slave's stake, slave's tree...ultimate punishment" among others.

It was a cross. The JW's also believe Jesus was the ArchAngel Michael. Since God couldn't clean up the mess on the earth, Michael volunteered to do it for Him. Since Michael was so faithful, God made him a (little) god.

peace to youraying:

 

/Sarcasm on. Yeah. And those heathens don't even celebrate the birthday of Jesus on December 25th just as He commanded us to do. /Sarcasm off.


:tonofbricks: