Was the cross really a pole? This clip examines the Greek word stauros, early Christian writings, and biblical passages often discussed in relation to the instrument of Jesus Christ's execution. It also explores why Christians are called to walk by faith, not by sight, and why faith comes through hearing the Word of God rather than through idols, icons, or religious objects.
TRANSCRIPT
By the way, I should mention that the Greek word that's often translated as cross in the New Testament, which is the word stauros, means a pole, not a cross. Nowadays, the word means cross, but that's not what it originally meant.
In the second century, by the way, Polycarp of Smyrna wrote, and he was ordained by the apostles:
"Let us then continually persevere in our hope, the earnest of our righteousness, which is in Christ Jesus, who bore our sins in His own body on the tree."
He was teaching Jesus was killed on a tree pole, not some type of modern cross.
Now, that's not to say that everybody who owns a cross is necessarily an active idolater. Certain governments have crosses on ID cards and stuff on them, but it's not something we're supposed to venerate.
Now, one of the reasons we're not supposed to have idols and icons is, as it says in 2 Corinthians 5:7, Christians are supposed to walk by faith, not by sight.
And we learn from Romans 10:17 that faith comes by hearing, and hearing from the Word of God, not from idols or icons.
And the Apostle Peter wrote, by the way, in 1 Peter 1:18:
"Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers."
Anyway, faith does not come by seeing icons, but from hearing the Word of God. It doesn't come from things made out of silver, gold, wood, or whatever.
Idols and icons are just a small part of traditions of men that should not be part of Christianity.
#Cross #Stauros #BibleStudy #ChurchHistory #Christianity #Faith #Sermon
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