JW (Gerard Gertoux) Chokes on "Cross"

by [email protected] 5 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  [email protected]

  As serious as it is and as sad as it can be, sometimes you just have to laugh at JW idiosyncracies. Just now I was reading The Name of YeHoWaH by Gerard Gertoux and laughed out loud when I got to the part I will mention shortly.

  First, a brief disclaimer: Based on internal evidence that it was written very shortly after a Jewish rebellion, most scholars date the Epistle of Barnabas to either 70-79 C.E. or 119-132 C.E. (called -- what else? -- the early date and the late date!). As if you cared ... I lean to the early date. Gertoux prefers the late date. So, we disagree. So what?

  Now the quotation; then why I laughed.

  The author of a work written between 115 and 135 (Epistle of Barnabe 9:8) made a link between the number 318 of Genesis 14:14, written TIH in Greek, and the 'standard' (T) of Jesus (IH)! -- page 192.

  OK. Where are the big yuks? According to Barnabas, Jesus (IHsous) is 18 plus 300 (T) = TIH (318). So? Barnabas was not talking about the 'standard' of Jesus -- he was talking about the 'Cross' of Jesus (shaped like a T). Gertoux choked on the word "Cross." He could not bring himself to admit that first century Christians (less than 100 years after Jesus' death) thought the "torture stake" was shaped like the letter T. So rather than say "cross of Jesus" Gertoux says "standard of Jesus." (Yes, it is stauros in Greek.)

  ROTLF,

  [email protected]

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  Yerusalyim

  OK
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  Euphemism

  Funny you should mention that, Cutlip. I read the Epistle of Barnabas while I was a Witness, and I remember being struck by that.
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  peacefulpete

  Interesting thanks
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  Nathan Natas

  that sure is a knee-slapper.
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  Earnest

  Does this mean that the author of the Epistle of Barnabas believed Christ died on a crux commissa, or Tau cross ? Both archaeological and historical evidence indicates that the low Tau cross was preferred by the Romans in Palestine at the time of Christ, although crucifixion practices often varied according to the geographic region and the imagination of the executioners, and the Latin cross or the upright post may have been used.

  Earnest