THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL PEOPLE TO QUESTION ME about my use of the word “stake” and not the “Cross” that Christ was crucified on. When all the churches, even the Catholic church uses the cross as the thing that Christ was crucified upon. Well I am not the only one that believes that He was crucified on a stake and not a cross as the following from the Companion Bible relates:–
The Cross and Crucifixion
In the Greek New Testament 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 mailed for execution.
2). The word “xulon,” which generally denotes a piece of a dead log of wood, or timber, for fuel or for any other purpose. It is not like “dendron,” which is used of a living, or green tree, as in Matthew 21:8; Revelation 7:1, 3; 8:7; 9:4.
As this latter word “xulon” is used for the former “stauros,” it shows us that the meaning of each is exactly the same.
The verb “stauroö” means to drive stakes. (There are two compounds of it used: sustauroö to put any one thus to death with another (Matthew 27:44; Mark 15:32; John 19:32; Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20); and anastauroö to raise up and fix upon the stake again (Hebrews 6:6). Another word used is equally significant; prosp gnumi to fix or fasten anything (Acts 2:23)