Friday, May 29, 2020

The Epistle to Barnabas Affirming Jesus Being Killed on a T-Shaped Cross, not a Torture Stake

In the Epistle to Barnabas (written between 70-132), we have an early affirmation of Jesus having been crucified, not on a torture stake, but a T-shaped cross:

 

For it says, "And Abraham circumcised from his household eighteen men and three hundred." What then was the knowledge that was given to him? Notice that he first mentions the eighteen, and after a pause the three hundred. The eighteen is I (= ten) and H (= 8)—you have Jesus—and because the cross was destined to have grace in the T he says "and three hundred." So he indicates Jesus in the two letters and the cross in the other. (Epistle to Barnabas, 9:8 [Kirsopp Lake])

 

While one can call into question the purported Old Testament typological evidence the author of this text points to, it does show that he labours under the a priori assumption that Jesus was crucified on a T-shaped cross, not a torture stake, contra Jehovah’s Witnesses who often dogmatically claim that σταυρὸς only means “torture stake.” Further evidence against the "torture stake" rendering of σταυρος can be seen in the use of plural nails, not the singular nail in John 20:25. On this, see:


Jehovah's Witnesses, the nature of Jesus' execution, and John 20:25