Cross

The cross was in the Greco-Roman world the instrument of capital punishment reserved for slaves and the worst criminals — a means of execution designed to maximize shame, pain, and public humiliation. In the New Testament it becomes the central symbol of Christian faith, the site of Christ's atoning death and the axis around which the entire gospel revolves. Paul makes the cross the deliberate center of his preaching: I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2). The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18).

The New Testament uses the cross as both historical event and theological symbol. Galatians 2:20 and 6:14 describe the believer as crucified with Christ and the world crucified to the believer through the cross. Ephesians 2:16 states that through the cross Christ reconciled both Jews and Gentiles to God in one body, having slain the enmity between them. Hebrews 12:2 presents Jesus who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, as the ultimate model for persevering faith. The self-denial Jesus calls disciples to — taking up one's cross daily — extends the cross metaphor from his death to the pattern of his followers' lives.