I know I am going to stamp on a lot of toes with this post, that being said here goes for those who want to learn the truth.
I know most people believe Messiah died on a cross. That's a lie. I am going to be clear on that fact. Plus the power of the fact of a stake is stronger in its truth!!!
About the year 300 Constantine changed "Stauros" from stake to cross or rather sacred "t".
Ok proof from others....
They post a wonderful article. If you want the whole thing its free to download.
http://eternalcog.org/ecgbooklets/the_truth_cross.html
here's a sample:
***
The Truth of The Cross
by
Nathan Albright
and
Randy Vild
The cross is one of religion’s oldest symbols. And although most people only associate it with Christianity, it has actually been employed by an endless array of beliefs for millennia. Furthermore, its presence in worship can be traced to faiths that existed over fifteen centuries before Jesus of Nazareth walked as a man on the earth. The truth be known, this great religious fixture is actually rooted in a belief that is light years from that proclaimed in the pages of your Bible.
The cross in its earlier forms appeared as the letter “T” and symbolized Tammuz, the ancient god of the Chaldeans and the Egyptians. The mystic “T” was a symbol of great divinity in the ancient world and has been called, “the sign of life.” It was used as an amulet worn over the heart and was inscribed on the official garments of pagan priests (see: The Two Babylons, Alexander Hislop 2nd American edition pp. 197-198). Additionally, some ancient religions used the cross as part of the dress of vestal virgins. They would wear them suspended from necklaces which adorned their garments during pagan rites (see: Pere Lafitan, Moeurs des Sauvages Ameriquains, vol. i. p. 442).
History reveals that there is hardly a pagan culture where the cross has not been found. For example, the Druids made prolific use of this symbol throughout their worship. When writing about this practice, the 19th century scholar, Thomas Maurice, in his work, The Indian Antiquities, made an extraordinary observation about the prominence of the cross in Druidic nature worship. Notice what this distinguished scholar writes:
“The druids in their groves were accustomed to select the most stately and beautiful tree as an emblem of deity they adored. And having cut the side branches, they affixed two of the largest of them to the highest part of the trunk, in such a manner that those branches extended on each side like the arms of a man, and together with the body, presented the appearance of a huge cross, and on the bark, in several places was inscribed the letter t.”
The worship of the cross was not limited to the Druids. It also stands as one of the most prominent figures in Buddhism. Buddhist’s often decorate the cross with leaves and flowers, and refer to this symbol as the “divine tree.” It has also been called the “tree of the gods” and “the tree of life and knowledge.”
However, it is not simply ancient pagan religions that characterize the cross with such words. In the Roman Catholic Church, this symbol is often referred to as the “tree of life.” Members of this great religious body are even taught to address it as follows:
Hail, O Cross, triumphal wood, true salvation of the world, among trees there is none like thee in leaf, flower, and bud. O cross, our only hope, increase righteousness to the godly and pardon the offenses of the guilty.
Clearly the Church of Rome sees the cross as a vital component of worship. It is venerated as a sacred symbol of the faith embraced by the great “Mother Church.” With this understanding, let us explore how this icon became such a HUGE part of the “believer’s” faith today.
What is a Cross?
The New Testament word “cross” used frequently in the scriptures is actually a translation of the Greek word stauros (Strong’s Concordance # 4716). Because this term is rendered “cross” by translators, most professing Christians are convinced that Jesus was crucified on a traditional “T” cross (see: A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, London, England: The University of Chicago Press, 1979, p. 764). But is this true? Understanding the meaning of this remarkable Greek word (stauros) is critical in coming to an honest conclusion concerning the instrument of the Messiah’s death.
The word stauros literally means a “post” or “stake.” Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, Vol. 1, p. 256 indicates that stauros “denotes, primarily, an upright pale or stake” According to the prominent scholar E. W. Bullinger (1837-1913), stauros “never means two pieces of timber placed across one another, but always one piece alone” (see: Companion Bible Appendix 162). Mr. Bullinger went on to state: “There is nothing in the Greek of the N.T. even to imply two pieces of timber.” Bullinger’s conclusion is supported by the meaning of the Greek verb stauroo (“to drive stakes”). Therefore, it would certainly appear that the “cross” on which Jesus was crucified was actually an upright beam as opposed to the traditional “T” as so many assume.
A Common Argument
Some have argued that the words recorded by the apostle John when describing Jesus” execution prove that the Messiah carried an actual cross on the way to Golgotha before collapsing in exhaustion. After all, this beloved apostle seems to use the term “cross” in his narrative. Notice what John writes.
And He bearing His cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha. (Jn. 19:17)
At first glance it would appear that John called the instrument of Jesus’ death a “cross.” However, let us examine this verse closely to determine what is truly being said. The Greek word for “cross” used by John when chronicling this moment in the life of the Messiah is, once again, stauros. As was mentioned earlier, stauros is not a cross as one thinks of it today. It is in fact a beam or pole.
According to John, what was taking place at this point in Jesus’ execution was a practice that was unspeakably cruel and degrading. Here, the condemned is forced by his executioner to carry the very object that would be used in his death. This is similar to what was done by the Nazis in WW II when they would force their victims to dig their own graves before being executed. However, although what happened to the Messiah was gruesome and barbaric, it actually helps to prove a point concerning the “cross” on which He hung.
OK so I thrown a lot at you. But keep in mind there's so much more this this text these two men wrote
again here's the link to the full e-book and it's free. http://eternalcog.org/pdfs/ecg/The%20Truth%20about%20the%20Cross.pdf
I am in no way endorsing or negating the Eternal Church of God, just sharing their findings.
More Later.
