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It appears fairly clear, although the matter is still debated by some,
that literal crucifixion was not known among the Hebrews, the term used in
the Old Testament Scriptures and in Rabbinical literature being the Hebrew
word talah, 'Pharaoh ... shall hang thee on a tree' (Gen. 40:19). 'He that
is hanged is accursed of God' (Deut. 21:23). It is of great significance
that the LXX uses the Greek word for crucifixion but once. This reference is
in Esther 7:9 where the king says of Haman, 'Let him be hanged thereon',
every other reference to this 'hanging' employs the Greek equivalent to the
Hebrew talah, this one passage uses the verb, stauroo, because this one
passage is spoken by a Gentile, the king. It also links the New Testament
cross with the Old Testament tree. In their epistles, neither Peter, James,
John, nor Jude ever use the word 'cross' and Peter only uses the Greek
stauroo, 'crucify' twice (Acts 2:36; 4:10). He employs a different word,
prospegnumi, in Acts 2:23, a word meaning to pitch or fasten a tent, or
arrange a trap (Matt. 22:15). For the doctrinal significance of the cross
and crucifixion we are shut up to the testimony of Paul the apostle of the
Gentiles. The doctrinal significance of the cross and crucifixion can be
surmmarized thus:
(1)
Weakness.
2 Cor. 13:4.
(2)
Foolishness.
1 Cor. 1:23.
(3)
Crucifixion transfixes and renders inoperative
(a) the flesh in the believer
Gal. 5:24 (heredity).
(b) the world outside the believer
Gal. 6:14(environment).
When used with the preposition, sun, 'together with', it signifies:
(4)(a)
the release of the believer from the 'dominion' of sin,
spoken of as 'the old man' (Rom. 6:6).
(b)
the release from the 'dominion' of the law (Gal. 2:19,20).
(5)
The disannulling of every obligation under the law of ceremonial
and rite (Col. 2:14).
(6)
The shame which precedes the crown (Heb. 12:2). 'No cross, no
crown' (Phil. 2:8).
(7)
An inconsistent walk 'crucifies afresh' the Son of God (Heb. 6:6;
Phil. 3:18).
Peter, the apostle of the Circumcision, employs the Hebrew equivalent,
'the Tree':
'Whom ye slew and hanged on a tree' (Acts 5:30).
'Whom they slew and hanged on a tree' (Acts 10:39).
'Who His own self bare our sins ... on the tree' (1 Pet. 2:24).
Paul in Galatians 3, purposely used the Hebrew symbol when he spoke of dying
to the law, by the law, and uses the Gentile symbol of the cross in the same
epistle when he speaks of the flesh and of the world. The reference in
Romans 6, goes deeper. It touches 'the old man':
'Knowing this, that our old man is (was) crucified with Him, that the
body of sin might be destroyed (rendered inoperative), that henceforth
we should not serve sin' (Rom. 6:6).
Nothing short of this can effectually deal with the old man, or with
the law of sin in our members; the believer can only deal with 'the former
conversation' or 'the deeds' of the old man (Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:9). This