CROSS or STAKE
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus Christ
was tortured on a stake as opposed to "christendom's" belief that Jesus Christ
was crucified upon a cross.
Quoting from "Mankind's Search for God", page 254, we read,
"After Jesus had been passed from one to another, the Roman govenor Pontius
Pilate, on the insistence of the religiously inspired mob, took the line of
least resistance and sentenced Jesus to death. As a consequence, Jesus died
in disgrace on a stake, and his body was placed in a tomb."
The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society goes to great pains
throughout many of it's publications, to show the diligent bible student that
it's translation to torture stake is the correct one. References to supporting
evidence is always given to show the societies correctness, and the evidence is
always impressive. It is not within the scope of this article to look at any
references but may I suggest that if you live near a good reference library it
would be a good exercise to check these references (most good libraries would
be able to source the books refered to). You might be shocked with regards to
the societies ability to correctly quote.
Has the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society always held that
Jesus Christ was tortured on
a stake? Apparently not!!
I have been given a book by judge Rutherford called "The Harp of God" written
in 1921 and published in 1928. The plate on the right is a scan of the inside
cover.
The following are quotes taken from this book.
"And Pilate, more righteous than the clerics, posted over his cross the
sign: 'Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.'" (page 136)
"When Jesus died upon the cross of Calvary............" (page 140)
"The ransom price was provided at the cross. The cross of Christ
is the great pivotal truth of the divine arrangement, from which radiates the
hopes of men." (page 142)
"In the cross of Christ I glory,
Tow'ring o'er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime."
(poem quoted on page 143)
There is not one mention of a torture stake to be found in
this book. It can only be taken that judge Rutherford, although denying many
biblical truths and doctrines, did believe in the cross of Christ. This is also
true of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society who supply the "preface" in the
book.
Finally, there is only one picture of the crucifiction in this book, found on
page 113. The following scan is of that picture.
Note: Judge Rutherford was the President of the Watchtower Society, the voice of the Jehovah's Witnesses, and his word is beyond despute to any Jehovah's Witness.