The True Meaning of *Stauros* and the Death of Jesus

The Cathars, a Gnostic group, rejected the symbol of the cross, viewing it as a representation of worldly power and evil. They believed the cross was a symbol of Rex Mundi, the Lord of the World, and considered it a pagan emblem tied to earthly dominion. For the Cathars, encountering the cross meant encountering a false symbol of authority, one that should be destroyed. They held that all the sacraments of the Church were tainted by this corrupt symbol, marking them as instruments of worldly deception.
It is widely believed in Christendom that Jesus Christ was killed on a cross. However, the Greek word *stauros*, which is normally translated as "cross" in English Bibles, really means a stake or pole. Indeed, the crucifix symbol probably has pagan origins. It is fitting that Christ died with hands and arms lifted up above His head nailed to the stake, rather than spread out in a crucifix form, seeing that uplifted hands are a symbol of God's promises being confirmed (Ezekiel 20:5, 6, 15; 36:7; 47:14), as well as intense prayer (Lamentations 2:19; First Timothy 2:8; Second Chronicles 6:12, 13; Psalm 28:2), which Christ was engaged in on the cross (Hebrews 5:7). He said that as the bronze serpent was lifted up on a pole when Israel was in the wilderness, so He would be publicly lifted up in His time of dying; thus, He associated the "cross" with the pole (John 3:14).
The Roman Catholic Church has attached great mystical significance to the cross. This is completely without biblical support and has resulted in the crucifix becoming a talisman-a physical token that God is with us. People have come to feel that by wearing a crucifix or regularly making the sign of the cross, God will be with them. This is mere tokenism; the real power of the cross is through our association with Christ's death by belief and baptism, rather than recalling the physical form of the cross. It is easier, of course, to do the latter than the former. There is no lack of evidence that the crucifix was a pagan symbol known and used well before the time of Christ. It is yet another piece of paganism, like Christmas trees, which has been mixed into "Christianity."
The True Meaning of Stauros and the Death of Jesus
The word stauros in classical Greek primarily denotes an upright stake or pole, not a cross. There is no evidence that the writers of the Greek New Testament used it to designate a stake with a crossbeam. As John Denham Parsons points out in his book The Non-Christian Cross (1896), there is no support in the New Testament for the idea that Jesus’ execution involved two pieces of timber nailed together in the form of a cross. The idea that the word stauros refers to a cross made of two beams became common much later, but this was not the primary meaning at the time of the Apostles.
The Bible uses the word stauros 27 times and stauroō 46 times to refer to the instrument of Jesus' execution, and they never imply the shape of a cross. It is important to distinguish the Greek stauros from other terms like xylon (wood), used synonymously to describe the pole or stake on which Jesus was impaled (Acts 5:30; 10:39; 13:29; Galatians 3:13; First Peter 2:24). The word stauros simply refers to an upright pole or stake, which is consistent with how criminals were executed in the ancient world.
In fact, impalement on a stake was a common form of punishment in the Roman Empire, and it was a shameful and humiliating death reserved for the most accursed criminals. Deuteronomy 21:23 and Galatians 3:13 confirm this by stating that anyone who is "hanged on a tree" is accursed. This is why Jesus' impalement on the stake was necessary to fulfill the Law. As Paul wrote, "Christ by purchase released us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse instead of us, because it is written: 'Accursed is every man hanged upon a stake'" (Galatians 3:13).
The Significance of Jesus' Death
The death of Jesus on the stake was not just a physical event but also had profound spiritual significance. Through His death, Jesus removed the curse of the Law and made reconciliation with God possible for both Jews and non-Jews (Ephesians 2:11-16; Colossians 1:20). His death opened the way for redemption and salvation. This is the true power of the stake-not the physical shape of the instrument but the spiritual meaning of His death.
Paul boldly declared, "Never may it occur that I should boast, except in the stake of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been impaled to me and I to the world" (Galatians 6:14). For Paul, Jesus' death on the stake was the only means of salvation, and to confess this truth often led to persecution. Those who turn away from this truth, however, demonstrate they have no appreciation for the power of Christ’s death, as seen in Philippians 3:18-19 and Hebrews 10:29.
The Pagan Origins of the Cross
It is important to note that the crucifix, as a symbol of Christia