Does anyone have any idea why the cross is such a stumbling block to the WTBS and the Jehovah's Witnesses? 1 Corinthians 1:18 describes their belief system to a "T".
WTBTS and the Cross
by Honesty 21 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
-
-
Junction-Guy
They just have to be different. IF every church in the country tomorrow made an announcement that they believed in the torture stake, then Jehovah's Witnesses would embrace the cross with open arms. The JW doctrine of the torture stake is just another way to isolate the JW people, and show the world that they are different.
Dave
-
kls
It's the jws way of showing that they are different then pagan churches and that all churches preach the untruth except the jws because they have truly researched the bible as it was written .
-
Evanescence
Sorry couldn't help myself!
Evanescence
-
Lois
Someone asked Jesus...''How much do you love me"? It was at this point he stretched out his arms and died.
-
Lois
There is a great mis-understanding on the subject of the cross.
-
Lois
Did Jesus Die on a Cross?
... reprinted from the book, Refuting Jehovah's Witnesses see catalog. The Cross ... to death on a cross; consisting of a stake ... Thomas could see and believe (John 20:26,27 ...
www.freeminds.org/doctrine/ cross.htm - 35k - Cached - More from this site
The Greek word translated as "boast" is kauchomai, which is translated to boast or glory over something. Paul plainly gloried in the symbol of the cross; it was a sign of victory, not defeat. In 1 Cor. 1:17,18 he tells us that Christ sent him to preach the message of the cross, and that people would stand or fall according to their response to such a simple message! He goes on to say that some (like the Jews and the JWs) would stumble over the cross (because of its shameful significance in their minds), while others would consider it foolishness (verses 21-23). But to Christians the cross meant the power and the wisdom of God! He says that this is because God deliberately chose the weak, foolish and despised things of the world to make his point, so that his children could glory in what others consider despised!
Paul tells the Corinthians that he had decided to use the message of the cross of Christ as his main emphasis (1 Cor. 2:2); even to the point of avoiding more scholarly arguments or fine points. Why? Because of God's ability to weed out those with wrong motives by using a humble message as his calling card! He does not want to attract people to Christianity by giving them material or intellectual hopes, but he desires to reach those who realize the degree of sin in the world and who would appreciate Jesus' having died for their sins.
This has been the message of the church throughout the centuries--that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and that he is alive and lives through us (1 Cor. 15:13; Luke 24:45-47). This message only appeals to certain people; most often the lowly and simple (1 Cor. 1:26-29).
Paul also uses the cross as a symbol for the cause of Christianity, as well as the death of the old nature. He speaks of the cross in various contexts. He tells us that some have become "enemies of the cross" (Phil. 3:18). He talks about the old nature and the Law as being "nailed to the cross" (Col. 2:14). He picks up on the theme of Jesus regarding the cross (Matt. 10:38; 16:24; Luke 9:23; 14:27) and talks about "crucifying the old nature" (Gal. 2:20; 5:24). Over and over, Paul considers the cross a sign of victory, not defeat! He boasted in the cross!
Christians are not afraid of the cross nor are they to worship it. It is rather a symbol of the greatest act of love ever!
-
helios
This is just another of their badly though out ideas. It seems Rutherford thought it up in the late 1930s but the brains for most of all the Judge's ideas was old Freddy Franz. .
They love to tell you the cross in a phallic symbol. Yet is not a pole even more phallic? The tell us the Ankh or life sign of the ancient Egyptians is a phallic cross. I raised this with more than one leading Egyptologist. They all said it represented an open slipper or sandle. A sign of leaving this life. Sadly the WTS is influenced in those romantic but inacurate paintings that show our Lord carrying the complete cross.
Rather the execution post was set up and the captive was forced to carry the crossbeam on his shoulders. This is shown in the film Jesus of Nazareth (circa 1975)...a very well produced film. Even De Mile in his rather crude King of Kings made in the 1920s showed the two criminals carrying crossbeams but still loaded our Lord with a complete cross. No doubt giving into sentiment of the times rather that historical truth. Yes indeed Jesus was executed on a straight piece of wood, but this was connected to an upright post at right angles.
-
rebel8
I researched this a while back and found out that people were executed on both stakes and crosses....so it does not matter which Jesus was executed on (if Jesus was a real person and was executed, that is).
Let's remember the dubs used crosses in their worship at one time. I have a copy of a nice Christmas card from the WTS with a cross on it.
-
kls
I have done research on the stake and cross theory years ago where a professor had studied the human body and what happens when the body is nailed to a cross or stake and how the body reacts the each. In his studies ( sorry can't remember it all ) he found that if a person was put on a as the jws claim that within hours the lung collapse because of not being able to expand where as the cross where the arms are stretched out to the side ,a person can live for over a day.
