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Esther 2: 23; 5: 14; 6: 4; 7: 9, 10; 8: 7; 9: 13, 14, 25, but in none of these
passages is stauroo employed. In every passage in the book of Esther where the word
"gallows" is found, that word is the translation of the Hebrew etz "tree". He therefore,
according to the testimony of Esther, who was "hanged on a tree" was "crucified", the
one form of speech being Hebrew, the other Gentile. Crucifixion was unknown among
the Hebrews until they came into contact with Persia. The Greek and the Roman
borrowed this form of punishment from the Phoenicians, and it was in force during the
time of Constantine.
The fact that crucifixion was essentially a Gentile form of punishment and is
employed alone by Paul among the apostles, makes any reference that he may make of
supreme importance to ourselves. The first thing that we must do is to collect together
the references found in the epistles of the words stauros and stauroo.
"THE CROSS" IN PAUL'S EPISTLES.
"Lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect" (I Cor. 1: 17).
"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness" (I Cor. 1: 18).
"Then is the offence of the cross ceased" (Gal. 5: 11).
"Lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ" (Gal. 6: 12).
"God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gal. 6: 14).
"That He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross" (Eph. 2: 16).
"Even the death of the cross" (Phil. 2: 8).
"The enemies of the cross of Christ" (Phil. 3: 18).
"Peace through the blood of His cross" (Col. 1: 20).
"Nailing it to His cross" (Col. 2: 14).
"He endured the cross despising the shame" (Heb. 12: 2).
"TO CRUCIFY" IN PAUL'S EPISTLES.
"Was Paul crucified for you?" (I Cor. 1: 13).
"But we preach Christ crucified" (I Cor. 1: 23).
"Save Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (I Cor. 2: 2).
"They would not have crucified the Lord of glory" (I Cor. 2: 8).
"He was crucified through weakness" (II Cor. 13: 4).
"Evidently set forth crucified among you" (Gal. 3: 1).
"They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh" (Gal. 5: 24).
"By whom the world is crucified unto me" (Gal. 6: 14).
An examination of the context, the purpose, and the people to whom these words were
addressed, reveal that the preaching of the cross has a much larger place in the ministry to
those already saved, than it has in the initial preaching of the gospel to the unsaved, and
this is markedly true of the two occurrences of sustauroo "to crucify with". The first
passage is Gal. 2: 20, where Paul makes his own point clear to Peter and the Church.
The point at issue was the doctrine of Justification by faith without the works of the law,
and Paul breaks off his expostulation with Peter to give his own personal testimony.
"For I through law, to law died, that I might live to God. With Christ I have been
crucified; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now
live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself
for me" (Gal. 2: 19, 20).