Did Jesus Die on a Cross?

The Bible’s answer
Many view the cross as the most common symbol of Christianity. However, the Bible does not describe the instrument of Jesus’ death, so no one can know its shape with absolute certainty. Still, the Bible provides evidence that Jesus died, not on a cross, but on an upright stake.

The Bible generally uses the Greek word stau·rosʹ when referring to the instrument of Jesus’ execution. (Matthew 27:40; John 19:17) Although translations often render this word “cross,” many scholars agree that its basic meaning is actually “upright stake.” According to A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament, stau·rosʹ “never means two pieces of wood joining each other at any angle.”

The Bible also uses the Greek word xyʹlon as a synonym for stau·rosʹ. (Acts 5:​30; 1 Peter 2:​24) This word means “wood,” “timber,” “stake,” or “tree.” The Companion Bible thus concludes: “There is nothing in the Greek of the N[ew] T[estament] even to imply two pieces of timber.”

Is using the cross in worship acceptable to God?
Regardless of the shape of the instrument on which Jesus died, the following facts and Bible verses indicate that we should not use the cross in worship.

God rejects worship that uses images or symbols, including the cross. God commanded the Israelites not to use “the form of any symbol” in their worship, and Christians are likewise told to “flee from idolatry.”​—Deuteronomy 4:​15-​19; 1 Corinthians 10:14.
First-century Christians did not use the cross in worship. The teachings and example of the apostles set a pattern that all Christians should adhere to.​—2 Thessalonians 2:​15.
Use of the cross in worship has a pagan origin. Hundreds of years after the death of Jesus, when the churches had deviated from his teachings, new church members “were permitted largely to retain their pagan signs and symbols,” including the cross. (The Expanded Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words) However, the Bible does not condone adopting pagan symbols to help make new converts.​—2 Corinthians 6:​17.

Despite JW lame attempts to prove he didn't, YES, Jesus died on a cross.

@ BJ -- Sorry the symbolism of the "tree" is lost on you.  Crosses are made of wood, and wood comes from trees.

You JWs try to use Justis Lipsius' book De Cruce Liber Primus to "prove" Jesus died on a "stake", but on page 650 it says:  

"In the Lord's cross there were four peices of wood, the upright beam, the crossbar, a tree trunk (piece of wood) placed below, and the title (inscription) placed above."



Yes, He did. That is what the historical documents of the time tell us, not just concerning Jesus, but concerning the execution methods of ancient Rome. And historical documents are the only way we can know about events of the past.

The instrument of torture to which Jesus was nailed came from a tree, with wood from it roughly shaped into an upright beam. In order for plural 'nails' to imprint both of His hands (John 20:25-28) so that He died after 6 hours, his hands had to be at each side of his head. Had both arms been put above his head and crossed over so that one nail would suffice, He would have asphixiated within six minutes, not hours. The Romans cruelly ensured a slowest, longest death they could, so they designed their wooden crosses in various ways to achieve that. Some were X shaped, others had a smaller cross-beam near the top of the pole.

There is evidence from Justus Lipsius where an illustration of crux simplex is shown on page 647 of his work, De Cruce Liber Primus but on page 1155 he deals with an upright pole with a crossbeam near the top, where the outstretched arms of the victim would be nailed. And Lipsius mentions Jesus in that context. He also cites Iraneus, Bishop of Lyons in AD 177 as believing in the crosspiece of the cross, and Tertullian around the end of the second century agreeing.

Notice how the Bible warns that the cross of Christ will be a cause of offense to many? They will not wish to be identified with it (1 Corinthians 1:17-18 and Galatians 6:14). There is a small group of people claiming to be Christian who really hate the cross of Christ and refuse to ever speak of it. They claim it is a pagan symbol. Well, the Roman Empire was pagan through and through and they put Jesus to death! Of course they would use one of their pagan symbols, the cross! But Christ triumphed through the cross, which is the power of God unto salvation!

That is why Jesus said that nobody could follow Him unless they picked up their cross daily. That is why Christians proudly proclaim the cross of Christ as the glory of God and the symbol of salvation to all who believe.

As a matter of history, we don't know.  There are no primary historical sources of Jesus' existence, much less his death.  We have sources a few decades later who make reference to him, in most cases though even these references are less to Jesus himself, than to the rising cult of early Christianity which was of interest to Roman historians.  The one reference to Jesus is by Flavius Josephus who referred to the death of James, brother of Jesus.  And that's it.  That's the most direct reference to Jesus we have.  Not exactly ironclad evidence.  Not zero, to be certain.  But not great evidence.

As to his death or the manor thereof, all we have are religious claims, which by nature are suspect as they are extremely biased, and have indeterminate authorship.

No, and even the trinitarian scholar Vine, admits this.

Vines Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words says:

"STAUROS....denotes, primarily, an upright pale or stake. On such malefactors ware 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.

And then there are these scholars.

the Companion Bible in its Appendix 162 remarks:

"In the Greek N.T. two words are used for "the cross", on which the Lord was put to death.1. The word stauros; which denotes an upright pale or stake, to which the criminals were nailed for execution. 2. The word xulon, which generally denotes a piece of a dead log of wood, or timber,
A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament, p819. E.W.Bullinger states:

"Used here[cross] for the stauros on which Jesus was crucified. Both words [stauros, xylon] disagree with the modern idea of a cross, with which we have become familiarized by pictures. The stauros was simply an upright pale or stake to which the Romans nailed those who were thus said to be crucified. Stauroo [the verb], merely to drive stakes. It never means two pieces of wood joining each other at any angle. Even the Latin word crux means a mere stake."

The Concordant Literal New Testament with the Keyword Concordance states:

"stauros STANDer: cross, an upright stake or pole, without any crosspiece, now, popularly, cross..."

Greek-English Keyword Concordance, Concordant Publishing Concern, 1983, 3rd printing of 6th edition of 1976 - pp. 63, 64.

"stauroo cause-STAND, crucify, drive a stake into the ground, fasten on a stake, impale, now by popular usage, crucify, though there was no crosspiece."

The Anchor Bible Dictionary says about crucifixion - Volume 1, pp.1207, 1208:

"The act of nailing or binding a living victim or sometimes a dead person to a cross or stake (stauros or skolops) or a tree (xylon)...Under the Roman Empire, crucifixion normally included a flogging beforehand. At times the cross was only one vertical stake. Frequently, however, there was a cross-piece attached..."

The book Dual Heritage-The Bible and the British Museum states:

“It may come as a shock to know that there is no word such as ‘cross’ in the Greek of the New Testament. The word translated ‘cross’ is always the Greek word [stauros] meaning a ‘stake’ or ‘upright pale.’ The cross was not originally a Christian symbol; it is derived from Egypt and Constantine.”

Why do Jehovah's Witnesses use 'torture stake'? It is not to be different, but to be honest and accurate in their translation.

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Yes, that's how the story goes. The JW's tormented attempt to differentiate themselves here does not hold water. 

Yes, of course. 

King James Version Bible


2 John Chapter 1

3. Grace be with you, mercy, [and] peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.


Revelation Chapter 22

13. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.


Matthew Chapter 16

19. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.


Revelation Chapter 1

18. I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.


Revelation Chapter 21

6. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

YES FOR OUR SINS and something much greater beyond our understanding.