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+--- Thread: Did the Greeks translate 'stauros and xulon' from Aramaic? (/showthread.php?tid=1655)
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Re: Did the Greeks translate 'stauros and xulon' from Aramaic? - gbausc - 06-30-2008
Livius the Greek historian of the 2nd century wrote:
Code:
Six thousand gladiators were captured alive. They were crucified along the Via Appia, the road between Rome and Capua. For years, travelers were forced to see the crosses: every thirty, forty meters, they saw how a body of a former slaves was rotting away, a prey for the vultures and dogs.Even the Greeks used crosses.
But the Greek is not going to decide the New Testament manner of crucifixion, as the NT was written in Aramaic. Greek can help, as Josephus illustrates in his 1st century writing. Even so, I see no unequivocal ancient Greek reference to "staking" a man in the first century, and given Josephus illustration of the word, "stauros", I see no evidence which mitigates the "cross" definition.
A cross is a symbol; a stake is not. The cross had been well known for centuries; it represented the most horrible death imaginable and utter rejection of a person by society; Jesus associated it with "laying down one's life" and following Him :
23. And he said before everyone, "Whoever is
willing to come after me, let him deny
himself, let him take up his cross everyday,
and let him come after me."
24.???For whoever wills to save his soul,
destroys it; but whoever will give up his soul
for my sake, this one saves it.???
25.???For how would a man benefit to gain the
whole world but destroy his soul or lose it?" Luke 9:23-25 (my Original Aramaic New Testament in Plain English)
A staff or a stick simply does not symbolize death; a cross does; Our Lord was not telling us to take literal crosses of wood every day; he was talking about accepting persecution and rejection for His sake in order to be His disciples. He was and is still rejected and persecuted by the world. (See Acts 9:4,5)
We who follow Him also will be:
9. And he said to me, "My grace is sufficient
for you, for my power is perfected in
weakness." I shall therefore joyfully boast in
my sufferings, that the power of The Messiah
may rest upon me.
10. Because of this, I am pleased with
suffering, with disgrace, with distress, with
persecution, with imprisonment, which is for
the person of The Messiah, for when I am
weak, then I am strong. 2 Cor 9:9,10
11.But if I still preach circumcision, my
brethren, why am I persecuted? Has the
stumbling block of the crucifixion been
eliminated?
4. For also when we were with you, we said
to you before that we would be persecuted,
just as you know it happened. 1 Thess 3:4
As we also will boast of you in the
Assemblies of God for your faith and for
your suffering which you endure in all your
persecutions and your afflictions,
5. For a demonstration of the just judgment
of God, that you may be worthy of his
Kingdom, for whose sake you suffer.
6. And truly it is just before God to reward
suffering to your tormentors,
7. And you who are tormented he shall save*
with us by the revelation of Our Lord Yeshua
The Messiah who is from Heaven, with the
armies of his Angels, -2 Thess 1
But also, all those who choose to live in
the worship of God in Yeshua The Messiah
are persecuted. -2 Tim. 3:12
Blessings in Him,
Dave