While the apostles preached "the cross " as part of the history of Christ's ministry for our sakes (1 Corinthians 1:17-18), it was not something they idolized. While most people today connect the cross with Christianity rather than paganism, we must also ask if the cross is something to be worshipped or honored. that crosses in churches and chambers were introduced, while the use of crosses on steeples did not come until about 586 A.D." (p. Woodrow further explains, "It was not until Christianity began to be paganized that the cross came to be thought of as a Christian symbol. From Babylon, the cross spread to other nations and was associated with paganism long before Jesus' crucifixion in A.D. Historians say that it was a symbol associated with Tammuz" ( Babylonian Mystery Religion, p. According to author Ralph Woodrow, "Centuries before the Christian era, the cross was honored as a religious symbol by the people of Babylon. Though crucifixion on a cross was common at the time, the Bible allows that Jesus may have been put to death on an upright pole (rendered "tree" in 1 Peter 2:24 from the Greek word stauros, which primarily means an upright stake).Ī study of history shows that the cross symbol predates Christianity. Though there are at least seven different types of crosses, we are not even certain that Jesus was crucified on a cross-like apparatus. One of the first questions we might ask is, Who decided that the cross was to be the sign of Christianity? This tradition of wearing a cross does not come from the Bible or the practices of the New Testament Church. Having a desire to let our light shine and to share our faith are positive goals! In order to answer this specific question, though, we must also consider the background of the cross, the New Testament record and Jesus' teaching about how to display our Christianity.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |