6. Cross: Jesus did not die on a cross. He died on a pole, or a stake. The Greek word translated "cross" in many Bibles meant just one piece of timber. The symbol of the cross comes from ancient false religions. The cross was not used or worshiped by the early Christians. Therefore, do you think it would be right to use a cross in worship?—Deuteronomy 7:26; 1 Corinthians 10:14.
Wondering if early Christians used the symbol of the cross......
http://www.pallasart.com/ikons/early.html
After the death and resurrection of Christ the new faith spread rapidly throughout the Roman world and the Near East. The stories of the Apostles and early witnesses who had seen and known Christ Himself were eagerly listened to by converts to the new faith. Naturally, people who had seen Christ asked for descriptions of His appearance. At some point people began to create and distribute paintings of Christ. This also included his disciples and the really martyrs of the Christian faith. [...]We can reasonably suppose that these early paintings of Christ and His saints were, at first, simply looked upon as realistic depictions of people; much like the casual way we look at photographs today.
The ikon shown at left is painted in wax colors by means of heated spatulas. His robes are painted in Imperial Purple, which was reserved for the Emperor alone. His hand is raised in blessing and he holds a gold-covered gospels encrusted with gemstones. The ikon probably dates from the reign of the Emperor Justinian (527 - 565) and may be a dedicatory gift from him to the Monastery of St. Catherine, which he had built around 548. The ikon in the center is of the Virgin accompanied by Saints Theodore and George. Behind them angels gaze upon the blessing hand of God emerging from heaven. All of these three ikons are striking in that they strive to depict real people in naturalistic settings; they have all the characteristics of genuine portraits.
Theotokos, Christ, Sts. Theodore and George St. Peter the ApostleSt. Catherine's Monastery, Sinai Constantinople
mid-6th - early 7th centuries
Also, when I visited Turkey, I remember seeing the symbol of the cross in early Christian churches. The place is called Capadoccia (Land of Christian Churches) :
At the bottom of these stone formations and cones, churches, cathedrals, homes and storage facilities were hewn out. During the early ages of Christianity, this place was a refuge for first Christians of Asia Minor. More recently, the area was a safe-haven for the Christians, under the threat of Muslim Arabs, between 7th and 13th centuries. There are hundreds of churches carved on rock formations in the area.
It is also known that St. Paul established one of the first Christian colonies in this region with his followers.
I remember a carved cross on the walls of a cave-church, I was told it was one of the earliest of christianity.
However, the cross symbol existed centuries before Christianity, which demonstrates that Christianity may be a bastardization of paganism. For example:
Here are some photos of the "ankh", an ancient Egyptian cross:
So, it is granted that the cross may have been used before cristianity but the WT's statement above reads:
"The cross was not used or worshiped by the early Christians",
which we see, it is a false statement.
What do you think?
Gerard
coin wash my .50 cents