Should True Christians Use the Cross in Worship?

On our travels to India over the years, we've faced a lot of different questions, a lot of different Bible questions about a lot of different topics. It's gone from the nature of God to the Trinity to what on earth are these annual festivals that you talk about every now and then, to the Sabbath, how should we observe the Sabbath? You know, so many different things. The Passover, how do we observe the Passover? A lot of different things. Prophecy, it goes on and on. The kingdom of God, what is it really?

And one of the questions, though, that we were asked on this trip that we've never been asked before is, what about the cross? What about the cross? And should we put a cross on our church building to show that we are a Christian church? Is it okay to have a cross on our walls, or in our windows, or on the doors? Is it okay to wear a cross on my necklace? You know, throughout the world, I think people universally regard, or a lot of people do, they regard the cross as the sign or the symbol of Christianity.

But is that really the case? Is that true? Many individuals wear crosses. They wear them on their necklaces, they've got them on bracelets, they've got them on rings, they've got them on key chains, they've got them on their clothing. You know, people, in a sense, even cross themselves. You've probably seen this, the forehead, to the breast, to the shoulders, where they're crossing themselves possibly out of a certain religious ritual or a blessing of some kind that they're hoping for on either themselves.

Or on others. Some think the sign of the cross is effectively warding off evil spirits, and maybe generally protecting a believer from harm. So let's discuss the topic today. In the time that we've got left, let's refer to Scripture, let's refer to some historical writings in addressing the question, which is also the title of the message, Should true Christians use the cross in worship?

I don't know if you've heard a message on this particular topic before. I hadn't. I hadn't. I've studied it over the years, but I haven't. Remember hearing a message along the lines, and maybe you have, and maybe you haven't. Maybe it's a good time for us to address the question, Should true Christians use the cross in worship? You know, having a desire to let our light shine is a good thing. In a sense, isn't it?

We have a responsibility as a believer to let our light shine and to share our faith. Those are all positive goals that God himself instructs us to have. But in order to answer this specific question, though, Should true Christians use the cross in worship? We've got to consider the background of what Scripture has to say, and also the historical record.

One of the first questions that we might ask is, Who decided that the cross was to be the sign of Christianity? Who is it that decided that? You know, we're going to take a look at that. Because we're going to see that the tradition of using the cross in worship, or in having a cross, or in wearing a cross, does not come from the Bible. You can't find it in there. If you do, let me know.

There is no example. There is no command at all. It's not there. In fact, we're not even certain that Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross-shaped apparatus. That has not been historically proven one way or another. So let's get into the Greek word here just for a moment. The Greek word generally translated cross.

It's the Greek word. I'll spell it for you. It looks like it's got about seven letters. It's pronounced storos, and it's spelled S-T-A-U-R-O-S. That is the Greek word that is translated into the English word cross. It basically means an upright stake or post. An upright stake or post also can basically mean an upright pale. It's not a word that we usually use in English very much, if at all, but it actually means the same thing as a stake or a post, a pale. Listen to what the companion Bible points about here. Storos never means two pieces of timber placed across one another at any angle.

There is nothing in the Greek of the New Testament even to imply two pieces of timber. Nothing in the Greek at all, according to the companion Bible. There's another book. This is explained why a simple stake was often used for executions. This is a book written by a German author. I'm not sure if I'll pronounce this correctly. The German title of the book is Das Cruse, meaning the cross. Das Cruse und die Kresunkung. I don't know if I got crucifixion right.

Kresunkung. The Cross and the Crucifixion by Hermann Fulda. He states this. Trees were not everywhere available at the places that were chosen for public execution. So a simple beam was sunk into the ground. On this, the outlaws, or the criminals in other words, the outlaws with hands raised upward and often with their feet were bound and kneeled. You may not be able to see this from where you're sitting, but here's an artist rendition of a criminal that was crucified on a stake.

See how his hands are up above his head and feet down below. A possible, very much a possible way of a crucifixion. So, as we look at the New Testament, it doesn't specifically describe the instrument upon which Christ died. It doesn't specifically describe it, but there are several scriptures that all use a different Greek word than storos in describing the instrument. Let's take a look at what that Greek word is. I'll spell it for you.

I'll say it first and then spell it for you. The Greek word is exulon. It's spelled X-U-L-O-N. Five letters. X-U-L-O-N. That is the Greek word which is used in several different places that says what Jesus was hanged on. It is translated tree. We're going to look at several of those. Let's go over to the first one. There's three of them in the book of Acts. Let's go to the book of Acts. Chapter 5 is where we'll start. Acts 5.

This Greek word, exulon, which can be translated as a tree, but it can also mean a stick or a club or other wooden articles, according to Strong's Concordance. Let's not notice Acts 5 and verse 30. We have the first reference here. It says, So we see here the word here is exulon, and Jesus was hung on a tree. Let's go to the next reference in Acts. Chapter 10, verse 39. It says, It says, Let's look at another reference in Acts. Chapter 13, verse 28. Acts.

Chapter 13, verse 28. Again, a few more pages over. It says, So we've heard from the apostles here. Let's notice from Peter now, one of the apostles, in 1 Peter 2, verse 24. He also uses this same Greek word, 1 Peter 2, verse 24. These are all pretty familiar scriptures here, but in this context, we'll see that the word storos isn't even used, but it's a totally different Greek word as far as the apparatus that Jesus Christ was crucified on. And it says in 1 Peter 2, verse 24, All right, let's go and look at one last scriptural reference, and this is from the apostle Paul over in Galatians chapter 3.

Galatians chapter 3 and verse number 13.

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, and he's quoting now, he's quoting the Old Testament. He's actually quoting Deuteronomy chapter 21, verses 22 and verse 23. He says, He's redeemed us, actually, is what it says here, from the curse of the law. Rather, because he became a curse for us, because it says, Cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree, and because of our sins, we had that curse hanging over us. The death penalty needed to be paid. Someone had to be a curse for you and for me. And Christ was. He hung on a tree, on a Zulon. And so we see in its quoting Deuteronomy chapter 21 verses 22 and 23. So it clearly refers here to a tree, is what it's talking about here. So we don't necessarily know for sure what this is. It suggests a stake, actually.

But again, it is not for sure. Now, let's begin to touch on some historical evidence as we talk about the cross. Some of this information I'm about ready to share with you now comes from the Encyclopedia Britannica, the 11th edition. So the question is, did the use of a cross as a religious symbol begin with Christianity? Did the use of the cross as a religious symbol begin with Christianity? Here's what the Encyclopedia Britannica says. And I quote, Various objects dating from periods long interior to the Christian area have been found, marked with crosses, of different designs in almost every part of the Old World. Still quoting, It's fascinating. It was found everywhere. Pre-Christ. Pre-Christian. It goes on, I'm quoting, May probably be regarded as almost universal, and in very many cases it was connected with some form of nature worship. So this is the Encyclopedia Britannica, 1910, volume number 7, page 506. Let's go on with some other historical references here. This one comes from Ralph Woodrow, who wrote a book, The Babylonian Mystery Religion. What I'm going to quote comes from page number 51. So we see now a study of history is beginning to show that the cross predates Christianity. According to Ralph Woodrow, who wrote The Babylonian Mystery Religion, and I quote, Centuries before the Christian era, the cross was honored as a religious symbol by the people of Babylon.

It is seen on their oldest monuments. Historians say that it was a symbol associated with Tamuz. We're going to talk about Tamuz here in just a moment. Tamuz, I'll spell that six letters here. T-A-M-M, as in Mary, U-Z. T-A-M-M-U-Z, Tamuz. So from Babylon, the cross spread to other nations, and it was associated with heathenistic, false religious, paganistic practices long before the crucifixion of 31 A.D. So when did Christians first begin to use the cross as the sign of their religion? When did it first begin? Did it begin with the first twelve of the apostles in the first century?

There is no evidence that for the first three hundred years after Christ's death, that those claiming to be Christians using the cross in worship. There is no evidence for the first three hundred years in Christianity that the cross was ever used as an object of worship. In the fourth century, however, pagan emperor Constantine became a convert to post-date Christianity and promoted the cross as its symbol. You don't know what Constantine's motives were, but the cross really had nothing to do with Jesus Christ. The cross, in fact, had pagan heathen origins from false religions. The new Catholic Encyclopedia admits that the cross is found in both pre-Christian and non-Christian cultures. Various other authorities have linked the cross with nature worship and pagan sex rites. A lot of information here. I know I'm quoting a lot. Don't do this all the time, but I think it's important to get this background. Again, the author, Ralph Woodrow, I quoted him earlier. This is going to be a quote down, page 50, from his book, Babylonian Mystery Religion. He explains, and I quote, It was not until Christianity began to be paganized that the cross came to be thought of as a Christian symbol. It was in 431 A.D. that crosses in churches and chambers were introduced. That's four hundred years after 31 A.D. Our country is a little over 200 years old. There was not a single reference that people can find of a cross connected with Christianity for over 300 and possibly 400 years.

It was not until the Christianity began to be paganized that the cross came to be thought of as a Christian symbol. It was in 431 A.D. that crosses in churches and chambers were introduced. While they used to cross this on steeples on the outside of the top of the roof of the churches, buildings did not come into play until 586 A.D. Nearly 500 years later. Another quote here from the Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th edition. It was not until the time of Constantine that the cross was publicly used as a symbol of the Christian religion. We've got two different sources. Ralph Woodrow and the Encyclopedia Britannica. It says, under Constantine, it became an acknowledged symbol of Christianity. His actions, no doubt, influenced by the vision which he believed he saw of the cross in the sky. Maybe some of you have heard about that over the years. Constantine, the emperor of Rome, saw this vision of a cross in the sky. And then there was a voice that said, in this sign, conquer. Some of you heard that over the years? In this sign, conquer. And so there's a question even of his conversion really to Christianity, that he was maybe used for political reasons. And even on his deathbed, I think that was when he was baptized. So he lived most of his life without making a commitment. The widespread use of the cross did not begin until the time of Constantine, three centuries after Christ's. And this is interesting, I think. Archaeologists have not found any Christian use of the symbol from before that time. They can't find anything, no archaeological find, that what is utilized, the cross was utilized as a Christian symbol prior to that time. According to W. E. Vine, from Vine's expository dictionary of the Old and New Testament, he said this. He just pretty much says, a spade is a spade. The cross, as the Christian symbol, was taken directly from the pagans. Okay. All right. You know, if you check the encyclopedias, if you check the historical reference works, it makes for an interesting study when it comes to the cross. So there's actually an enormous body of information that's out there that the cross is really not a Christian symbol, but has its roots in false religious, hedonistic practices. Now, some will argue that, well, we can use the sign of the cross for worship because it represents the manner in which Jesus Christ died. And we're not using it today to worship a pagan deity, but we're using it to worship the true God.

Well, you know, that's a Christian sign of... you know, that... its use in that way, really, is a syncretism use. It's used as a Christian sign or symbol. That's a product of syncretism. And we talked about that over the years, that syncretism is taking something that's true and mixing it with something that's false. That's not true in trying to make it all work together. And God has a lot to say about that in the Scripture, that that doesn't produce good fruit. And what it actually does is actually take you away from the truth when you try to mix false religious practices with the way God says that he wants to be worshipped. Let's go to Deuteronomy 12, verse 30. We'll take a look at that. Now, we can ask the question, if God would have wanted us to use the cross as a means of worship, then why is he totally silent on this? You know, why doesn't he say anything in the Scriptures about this? Why is there no command in Scripture? Well, there's a reason. It's because this is a manner in which people in the past had worshipped false gods, and God says that he condemns the use that, I don't want you to worship me the way that you worship these false gods, or the way that others have worshipped their false gods. Don't apply that to me. God speaks very clearly in Scripture that that type of thing ought not to be done. So let's pick it up here in Deuteronomy 12, verse 30. God's people have left the false gods of Egypt, and they're in the wilderness, and they haven't yet come into the Promised Land. They're going to replace those that were there before them that did serve false gods. And God has a warning for his people in Deuteronomy 12, verse 30. He says, He says, God says, That's not the way God says, I want this to go, because he knows the end from the beginning. He knows where it will lead.

God speaks very strongly that this is an abominable thing. Every abomination to the Lord which he hates, they have done to their gods. They've gone so far as to burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. Verse 32, You know, if God is God, he knows the end from the beginning. And he has the ability as God to say, This is how I want to be worshipped. Don't worship me the way others have worshipped false gods. Don't apply that to me. There's a reason why God does that. He has the wisdom to know where it goes. He doesn't go in a good direction. So some will say, well, does it matter? Does it matter? You know, I think we have to consider if it's even appropriate to use the very tool that was used to kill our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as an emblem of our faith. You know, what if Christ would have been hung? What if he would have fulfilled, paid the capital punishment for you and I by hanging? You know, would we use the gallows then, or a noose, as the symbol of our faith? You know, think about that. Is that what we do? And if he had been beheaded, there's more than one way to die and to pay a penalty. What if he would have been, would we use the guillotine? No, I don't think so. You know? I don't think so. Others ask, well, what about individually? Is it okay to wear the cross as a symbol of my personal faith? You know, one person, Riley, asked a facetious question. Well, what if Christ would have been killed with a bullet? Would we put the bullet and hang that around our neck?

Of course not. Or would we? Or would some? You have to think about that. You know, 2 Corinthians 5, verse 7, let's go there. 2 Corinthians 5. Brethren, we don't need physical object like a cross to assist us in worshiping God. We don't need that. You know? If we do, I'd say we only have a dead and empty faith. But Paul exhorted the true followers of Jesus Christ to walk by faith and not by sight. That we don't have to have something in front of us to see. Notice that in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 7.

For we walk by faith and not by sight. You know, we don't have to have something visible. In fact, God seems to indicate, be careful, don't make any idols at all of anything. I don't want to see the likeness of anything. That can be breaking the second commandment. In your worship of me, I don't want to see any of this. Why does he say that? Because he knows where it will lead. It will take us away from him.

Someone argued that most people today connect the cross with Christianity rather than paganism. So that makes it okay. I think we've touched on that already. But you know, the same thing could be said for Easter and Christmas. I don't think it holds water. You know? We're applying these false religious practices to the true God. Look what the fruit of that has been in traditional Christianity. But an important question I think to ask is, should the cross be something to be worshipped or honored? Should the cross be something to be worshipped or honored? I don't think so. I think that's idolatry. You know, the apostles preached about the cross. They preached about the storos. You know, let's go over in 2 Corinthians. Let's go to 1 Corinthians chapter 1. It was part of the history of what they talked about. Part of what Jesus Christ did for us. He died. The ministry that He had for our sakes. The serving that He had for us. He had to die. This was the means by which He died. But do we idolize the means in which He died? I don't think so. 1 Corinthians, in fact, I know so. 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse number 17. For Christ sent me not to baptize. Now, we know He did baptize a few, but that wasn't His main role that God had called Him to do. Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the good news, the gospel of a coming kingdom of God. That's the reality that's coming to this earth. Not with the wisdom of words. Lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. But to us, which are saved, it is the power of God. Brethren, Jesus Christ died. He died on a stake. He died on a tree. He was a curse for us. So that we could have an opportunity to have everlasting life.

It's part of the story, but it's not to be idolized. It's not something to be idolized. Let's look at some additional historical records and see further how this pagan symbol was promoted. We touched on the fact that this happened. It was utilized long before the coming of Christ by various false religious practices of heathen and pagans. It was used as a religious tool. So let's ask a question. Did the ancients use the type of cross that is generally used as a symbol of Christianity today? Did the ancients use the type of cross that is generally used as a symbol of Christianity today? There are basically two forms of pre-Christian crosses, which are perhaps the most frequent ones that we see. The first one is the tau cross. Tau is tau cross. I'm not sure if I'm pronouncing it correctly. It's so named after its resemblance to the Greek capital letter T, also the Babylonian letter T, similar to the English lowercase letter T. The tau cross. The second is the swastika, of all things. The Gamadian cross, also known as the Gamadian cross. According to Wikipedia, the swastika is an ancient religious symbol that generally takes the form of an equilateral cross with its four legs bent at 90 degrees. It is considered to be sacred, and the auspicious symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism dates back before the second century, before Christ, and of course the Nazis used it in World War II. But it's the first one, or the tau cross, that's the type of cross that is used as a symbol of traditional Christianity today. Now, the tau cross, as we've already talked about, is a common Egyptian device. It has indeed even been called the Egyptian cross. Variations of the tau cross were used extensively by nominal Christians in Egypt. Now, this is history now. Let's take a look at what the Encyclopedia Britannica here is sharing with us. It says, the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol of life, the ankh, a tau cross surmounted by a loop, and known as kruz-ansantha, was adopted and extensively used on Coptic Christian monuments. What is a Coptic Christian? Alright. A Copt is a member of the traditional monophysite Christian Church originating and centering in Egypt. A monophysite is one who adheres to a variation of Gnosticism that teaches that Christ is altogether divine and not human. Of course, we know that he was both God and man, divine and in the flesh at the same time. The Egyptians used crosses in abundance. The British Museum, for example, exhibits statutes of ancient Assyrian kings wearing almost perfect Maltese crosses around their necks. This is long before Christianity. The ancient Greek goddess Diana is pictured with a cross over her head in much the same way that the Virgin Mary is represented by many medieval artists. And Bacchus, the Greek god of wine, is often pictured wearing a headdress adorned with crosses.

Temus, we talked about him a little bit. Where did the tau cross come from? Where did it come from? Where did it start in religious practices? Well, in the book of Ezekiel, let's go to Ezekiel 8 and verse 14. In the book of Ezekiel here, God revealed to Ezekiel some of the secret sins of the nation of Israel. They had begun to get away from God. They had begun to worship false gods. And so God shows him a little bit of behind the scenes of what's going on. Ezekiel 8 and verse 14.

Ezekiel 8 and verse 14.

Ezekiel 8 and verse 14.

Verse 13, He said to be turned again, and you will see greater abominations that they are doing. So God is showing Ezekiel certain things. So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the Lord's house. We're getting pretty close to God's house. And to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for Temus. You know, this was something that he just couldn't believe that he was seeing to his dismay. So who was Temus and why would women be weeping for him? Well, according to the New Encyclopedia Britannica, an article written about Temus, and I quote, In Mesopotamian religion, Temus is the God of fertility.

A God of fertility embodying the powers for new life in nature in the spring. And this keeps coming around, doesn't it? This God of nature, God of fertility. So this nature God was associated with two yearly festivals, one held in the late winter, the other in the early spring. Again, New Encyclopedia Britannica here. The cult of Temus centered around, I guess I read that, two yearly festivals. One celebrating his marriage to the goddess Iana, the other lamenting his death at the hands of demons from the netherworld. During the third dynasty of Ur, which would have been approximately 2000 BC, in the city of Uma, which is modern Tel Jaka, the marriage of the God was dramatically celebrated in February, March, Uma's month of the festival of Temus. So Temus has his own festival. The celebrations in March, April, that mark the death of the God also seem to have been dramatically performed. Many of the laments for the occasion have as a setting a procession out in the desert to the fold of the slain God.

So what does the worship of Temus have to do with the sign of the cross? Well, this is from Alexander Hyslop, a historian who wrote the book, The Two Babylons, back in 1959. He says this, Temus was intimately associated with the Babylonian mystery religions begun by the worship of Nimrod, Cimaramas, and her illegitimate son Horace. The original form of the Babylonian letter T was the cross. That's very much like our lowercase English T. It was identical to the cross's youth today in this world's Christianity. Still quoting, this was the initial of Temus, the T. is the initial of Temus.

Again, referring to the sign of Temus, Hyslop writes the following here on page 198 and 199. That mystic Taw was marked in baptism on the foreheads of those that were initiated into these religions, into these mysteries. The Vestal versions of pagan Rome wore it suspended from their necklaces, as the nuns do now. There is hardly a pagan tribe where the cross has not been found, in which itself was not an unnatural symbol of Christ, the true Messiah, and which was once been regarded as such, was allowed to go entirely into disuse, and the Taw or the cross sign, the indisputable sign of Temus, the false Messiah, was everywhere substituted in its dead. So it eventually became adopted. It came into Christianity probably 400 years after Christ. A lot of history here. I hope I'm not boring at you with it.

There's something on the Internet that the Church has got on our website. It's in a question and answer section. It says, why doesn't your Church use the symbol of the cross? So I'm going to read from that. It comes right off of an article that we have on the Church Internet.

It says, what does the Bible say about the cross? The Greek word translated as cross is staros, which we've been talking about. It means the upright or stake portion of an instrument of execution that has been used in several cultures down through history. Sometimes executioners use a cross piece at the top or in different places on the stake. At other times, there was no cross piece. It's impossible to know exactly what type of that the Romans used in the crucifixion of the Messiah of Christ. It is clear, however, that the Romans did attach a sign over his head. And we can find that in Matthew chapter 27 and verse 37. Let's just go over there. Matthew 27 and verse 37.

We remember that part of the story.

It says, they put up over his head the accusation written against him. This is Jesus, the king of the Jews. So something was nailed above his head. We know that. And that could have been nailed on the stake itself, or it could have been nailed on a cross piece. Again, I'm back to the article. Because Christ's death is such a monumental significance to the Christian, some have mistakenly thought that the cross should be a part of Christian worship.

But we should remember that it was an instrument of torture. When we stop and realize that fact, it should be clear that it's grossly inappropriate to wear it as religious jewelry or as an object of worship. And some would argue that using a cross in this manner symbolizes, though, that the value of Christ's death. Some would argue that it shows the value of Christ's death. The article goes on. We disagree. We disagree. It's true that the Apostle Paul referred to the cross in a symbolic way, and they refer to 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 17, which we have already read.

It's true that the Apostle Paul referred to the cross in a symbolic way. But Paul also used the cup of wine as a Passover symbol. And we know also that John the Baptist referred to Jesus as the Lamb of God.

But that doesn't mean that we should use cups or figurines of lambs in our worship as religious ornaments or as objects of worship. Furthermore, the second of God's Ten Commandments strictly prohibits the use of objects in worship. So let's look at that in Exodus chapter 20. Let's go over there. Exodus chapter 20. Again, this is the Ten Commandments, where they're listed in their entirety, one of the two places. Exodus chapter 20. We'll pick it up here in verse number one. It says, God spoke all of these words, saying, I am the Lord your God.

I am your God. I am the one that brought you out of the land of Egypt. I'm the one that brought you out of this slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. No other God has done that for you. I brought you to freedom. Verse number four, Second Commandment.

You shall not make for yourself any carved image, no idol, any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them. You shall not serve them. I am the Lord your God. And I'm a jealous God. And I will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children of the third and fourth generations of those who hate me. But I will show mercy to the thousands of generations, to those who love me and keep my commandments.

You know, God commands in verse four. He gives clear instruction in verse four not to make for yourself an idol or any kind of an image of anything in the heavens above the earth or beneath the sea. You know, there are some who will bow down to the cross. There are some that do. There are some that worship it. There are some that kiss it, in a sense. They wear it around their neck. They look up to it in the church congregations while they pray. And God tells us, don't do that. He commands us not to do that. That's an object of worship. God doesn't want us to dishonor Him by using the cross in a supposed worship of Him.

Let's go over to John 4, verse 23. John 4, verse 23. If He really is God, then He has the right to tell us how to honor Him, how to respect Him, how to worship Him. If He really is God, then He knows from the beginning where false worship leads. Jesus said, why do you worship Me? You call Me, Lord, Lord, but you worship Me in vain. We can worship God in vain. We do our own thing. We can worship God in vain. God wants to be worshipped, but not in vain.

He wants to be worshipped in spirit and truth, as we'll read here in John 4, verse 23. John 4, verse 23. He's having a conversation here with the woman at the well.

Let's pick it up here in verse 21.

So when God called us, He told us to forsake all of our past false religions and practices and rituals and all of that. The pagan symbols, you know, whether it be a combination of Christmas or Easter or whether it comes to the worship of the cross as well. That we should come out of that and worship Him the way that He instructs and not add to it and not take away from it.

Going back to the article here that I was quoting, it says, It says, Brother, as we look at some of these things here, we see from the Bible that the Bible does not specifically state the image of the cross in worship services. Neither do the United Church of God members where crosses as symbols of devotion. We refer to the cross in the way that Scripture refers to it, that it is as the figure of speech to explain Christ's atoning death for us. Brother, as we look at some of these things here, we see from the Bible that the Bible does not specifically state the exact method that the Romans used in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on the tree. It doesn't tell us exactly what happened. We don't know. It can't be proven how He was crucified. The biblical account is insufficient evidence on its own. And so we don't know how to properly represent, in a sense, how Jesus died. We know He was hung on a tree. We know that much. He was nailed to it. But history, and even more recently, archaeology, show that the cross was used as a religious symbol a long time before Christianity and a long time before Christ. It's the shape of the two-beam cross has a pre-Christian origin in the ancient Egypt, Babylon, Chaldea, and other powerful nations in the past, long before. Tamuz is the deified Nimrod, the first man to lead the opposition against God after the flood. He founded the city of Babylon along with his wife and mother, Semiramis. He founded the Babylonian mystery religion, a pagan religion, the origin of much of false religion today. And there's absolutely no evidence at all that God's true Church ever used the cross for any purpose. There's nowhere in the Bible, no command that God has given about its use. You know, what an oversight that God gave to us if that's not what he wanted us to do. He's quiet on this topic. He doesn't command anything at all remotely. If it would have been important to God, don't you think he would have clearly let us know? I think he would have. So, brethren, before we accept any practice, I think God wants us to always inquire about its origins. We must assure ourselves that we don't transgress God's laws and follow the traditions and practices of false religions. Follow the example of the New Testament Church, which is given to us so we can learn from it in the first century.