The history of the cross in Christianity and when it was introduced

The history of the cross in Christianity and when it was introduced

History of the Cross in Christianity : The cross

was not a symbol for the followers of the early church, but they used the fish as their symbol. See the link: http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_symb.htm

Christian symbols
Fish (Ichthus), cross and crucifix

The history of the Christian fish symbol

The fish outline is a logical symbol for the early Christian church to adopt. Fish are often mentioned in the gospels. This is what one would expect, if Jesus did most of his teaching in the Galilee. The synoptic gospels state this, although the Gospel of John Denies it. Fish were a staple in the diet of Galilee

The symbol was simple to draw and was often used among Christians as a type of password during times of persecution by the Roman government. If two strangers met and were unsure whether each other was a Christian, one would draw an arc in the earth like :). If the other were a Christian, they would complete the symbol with a reverse arc: (), forming the outline of a fish.

Translation:
The schematic outline of the fish was a logical symbol for the early church. Fish are mentioned many times in the Gospels, which is what one would expect if Jesus had given most of his teachings in Galilee. The syncretic Gospels (Mark, Matthew, and Luke) state this, although John's Gospel does not agree. Fish were a staple of the Galilean diet.

The symbol was simple in its drawing and was used as a secret code among Christians during the Roman persecution. If two strangers met and were unsure of each other's Christian identity, one would draw an arc on the ground like this "(", and if the other completed the arc like this "()", forming the outline
of a fish, the other was also a Christian.
____
History of the Cross in Christianity:

See previous link:

The history of the cross symbol in Christianity

Early depictions on Jesus usually showed Jesus in the form of a shepherd carrying a lamb.
Translation:
The early depiction of Christ was of him holding a lamb.

The use of the cross as a symbol was condemned by at least one church father of the 3rd century CE because of its Pagan origins. The first appearance of a cross in Christian art is on a Vatican sarcophagus from the mid-5th century. 11 It was a Greek cross with equal-length arms. Jesus' body was not shown. The first crucifixion scenes did not appear in Christian art until the 7th century CE. The original cross symbol was in the form of a Tau Cross. It was so named because it looked like the letter "tau", or our letter "T". One author speculates that the Church may have copied the symbol from the Pagan Druids who made crosses in this form to represent the Thau (god). 7 They joined two limbs from oak trees. The Tau cross became associated with St. Philip who was allegedly crucified on such a cross in Phrygia. May Day, a major Druidic seasonal day of celebration, became St. Philip's Day. Later in Christian history, the Tau Cross became the Roman Cross that we are familiar with today

The
use of the cross as a symbol was condemned by at least one third-century church father, for its pagan origins. The first appearance of the cross in Christian art was on a stone sarcophagus in the Vatican in the mid-fifth century. It was a Greek equilateral cross, and Jesus was not depicted on it. The first crucifixion scene to appear in Christian art did not appear before the seventh century. The original symbol of the cross was in the form of the Greek letter T (not a traditional cross). We can speculate that the church adopted the symbol of the cross from pagan priests who used similarly shaped crosses to symbolize their god Thau, using oak branches. This Tau cross was associated with Saint Philip because he was allegedly crucified on this cross in Phrygia. His saint's day is celebrated. Recently in Christian history, the Tau Cross was replaced by the Roman Cross that we know now. [LEFT]The shape of the original crucifixion device is a matter for speculation. Sometimes, the Romans executed people on a Tau cross, sometimes on a Roman cross and sometimes on a simple stake. The gospels, which were originally written in Greek, use the word "stauros" to refer to the execution structure. (see Mark 15:21, Mark 15:32, Matthew 27:32, Luke 23:26, John 19:17). This appears as the word "cross" in all but one of the English versions that we have examined. But in reality, the Greek word usually means a vertical pole without a crossbar. The New World Translation, sponsored by the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, translates the word as “torture stake.” 8 Hermann Fulda, author of "The Cross and Crucifixion" is commented that: bullet the description of Jesus' suffering during the last hours of life indicates that he was crucified on a stake rather than a cross. bullet that some of the writings of the early church fathers confirm the use of a pole. bullet that the very earliest depictions of Jesus' crucifixion in Christian art show him on a stake. Acts 5:30 refers to "hanging him on a tree." 1 Peter 2:24 says “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree.” "[Today's]...universal use of the sign of the cross makes more poignant the striking lack of crosses in early Christianity remains, especially any specific reference to the event on Golgotha. Most scholars now agree that the cross as an artistic reference to the passion event cannot be found prior to the time of Constantine." [/LEFT ] Translation: The original form of the crucifixion tool is a kind of guesswork. Sometimes the Romans used a cross and sometimes just a simple column. The Gospels that were originally written in Greek used

The word (stauros) refers to an execution device. (See Mark 21:15; Matthew 32:27; Luke 26:23; John 17:19).
This word has been translated in English as "cross" but in fact it means a vertical stick without a transverse end. Some translations have translated it as "torture pole."
Hermann Fulda, author of The Cross and Crucifixion, says that the description of Christ's suffering in the last hours of his life indicates that he was crucified on a stake rather than on a cross.
Some writings of the early church fathers confirm his crucifixion on a stake, as do some early works of art. The book of
Acts says that the crucifixion was on a stake:

Acts 5:30: The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.

The lack of a conspicuous presence of the cross in the early church makes its universal use today a bit of a sting. Most scholars today agree that the cross is merely an artistic reference to an emotional event, and was not common before the time of the Emperor Constantine. See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_cross

During the first two centuries of Christianity, the cross may have been rare in Christian iconography, as it depicts a purposely painful and gruesome method of public execution. The Ichthys, or fish symbol, was used by early Christians

by the fact that by the early 3rd century the cross had become so closely associated with Christ that Clement of Alexandria, who died between 211 and 216, could without fear of ambiguity use the phrase cross, when
the (Lord's sign) to mean the cross

Translation
:

During the first and second centuries, we rarely see the sign of the cross in Christian icons and images, as it depicts a painful means of public execution. The fish was the symbol of the early Christians. However, there are some indications of the beginning of the association of the sign of the cross with Christianity in the late second and early third centuries, as Clement of Alexandria referred to this sign in some of his writings as the sign of the Lord, which means the cross.

D'Alviella says in his book (Histoire de Dieu, 1843, p. 351, D'Alviella,)

http://www.ccg.org/english/s/p039.html

A

t all events they used it as a form of exorcism, a means of warding off unclean spirits

The argument is difficult to resist that the cross was introduced to the Christian system from the Mystery cults along with the other forms of worship which gradually took over Christianity and which had no part of the early church.

These forms, such as Sunday worship and the festivals of Easter and Christmas, came from the Sun cults (see Bacchiocchi From Sabbath to Sunday, Rome, 1977

)
Translation:

The historian Da Alvila says in his book History of God: On all occasions they (Christians) used it as a talisman to drive away unclean spirits. It is difficult to resist (the idea) that the cross was introduced into Christianity from other mystery religions, along with some other forms of worship that gradually entered Christianity and did not exist in the early Church. For example, the sanctification of Sunday and the festivals of Easter and Christmas came from sun worship . See also the following link: http://www.thercg.org/questions/p096.a.html#c

What is the origin of the cross

The cross was not widely used in mainstream Christianity until the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine—about 300 years after Christ established His Church.

The cross was not used in mainstream Christianity until the time of Emperor Constantine, 300 years after the first church (Christian community) of Christ.

According to the book Babylon Mystery Religion, the cross originated among the ancient Babylonians of Chaldea. From there, it spread to ancient China, India, Mexico, parts of Africa and other places, centuries before Christianity was born

According to the Mysterious Religion of Babylon, the cross originated among the ancient Babylonians and Chaldeans. From there it spread to China, India, Mexico and Africa centuries before Christianity.

Notice: “Ages ago in Italy, before the people knew anything of the arts of civilization, they believed in the cross as a religious symbol. It was regarded as a protector and was placed upon tombs. In 46 BC, Roman coins show Jupiter holding a long scepter terminating in a cross. The Vestal Virgins of pagan Rome wore the cross suspended from their necklaces, as the nuns of the Roman Catholic church do now.”

Since ancient times in Italy and before people knew the arts of civilizations, they believed in the cross as a religious symbol and a tool for protection and it was placed on graves.
In 46 BC, the god Jupiter was depicted on Roman coins holding a long scepter with a cross at the end. The virgins of the pagan religion of Rome wore a cross hanging
from their necklaces, as the nuns of the Catholic Church do today.

According to Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, the shape of the cross “had its origin in ancient Chaldea, and was used as the symbol of the god Tammuz (being in the shape of the mystic Tau, the initial of his name ) in that country and in adjacent lands, including Egypt.

According to the Fine Interpretive Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, we find that the shape of the cross has its origins in ancient Chaldea and is a symbol of the god Tammuz in this shape (T) known as the Tau Cross, as well as in Egypt .

By the middle of the third century AD the churches had either departed from, or had travestied, certain doctrines of the Christian. In order to increase the prestige of the apostate ecclesiastical system, pagans were received into the churches…and were largely permitted to retain their pagan signs and symbols. Hence, the Tau or T, in its most frequent form, with the cross-piece lowered, was adopted to stand for the cross of Christ”

In the middle of the 3rd century AD, the churches broke away from, or accepted certain doctrines of the Christian faith. To increase the influence of the ecclesiastical system, pagans began to be
accepted into the church and were allowed to restore their old pagan symbols. Thus, the Tau Cross was adopted as the symbol of Christ. Finally, Emperor Constantine I imposed the cross

as a symbol on the Christian religion : see the link: http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/onlinediscipleship/easter/the_traditions_of_easter.aspx?option=print

The Cross
The Cross is the symbol of the Crucifixion, as opposed to the Resurrection. However, at the Council of Nicaea, in AD 325, Constantine decreed that the Cross was the official symbol of Christianity. The Cross is not only a symbol of Easter, but it is more widely used, especially by the Catholic Church, as a year-round symbol of their faith

The link:

http://www.bibleufo.com/doctrine.htm

There is absolutely no evidence that God's true Church ever used the cross symbol for any purpose. Nowhere does the Bible command its use and archaeologists have not found any Christian use of the symbol before that time. The Christian use of the cross did not begin until the time of Constantine, over three centuries after Christ when, after claiming to have a vision of a cross in a dream, the cross was adopted by Constantine to be the prime Christian symbol. "Thus the Labarum (the cross) took its origin, and under this glorious banner Constantine overcame his adversary near the Milvian Bridge, on 28 October, 312" (The Catholic Encyclopedia) The cross therefore became an Easter icon at the Council of Nicaea, in AD 325, when Constantine decreed that the Cross was the symbol of the Crucifixion and the official symbol of Christianity

Translation

:

There is no evidence that the true Church of God ever used the cross for any purpose. The Bible did not command its use, and archaeologists have found no use of the cross before that date. The cross did not come into general use until the time of Constantine, and three centuries after Christ, after a supposed vision of the cross in a dream, the cross became accepted as the official symbol of Christianity. Thus the cross took its place, and under this symbol Constantine defeated his opponent near the Milvian Bridge on October 28, 312 AD. (According to the Catholic Encyclopedia) The cross became the symbol of Easter at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, when Constantine decided that the cross was the symbol of the crucifixion and the official symbol of the Christian religion. Conclusion: The cross was not a symbol of Christianity until the end of the second century. The fish was the common symbol. The cross was gradually adopted due to the entry of numbers of pagans into Christianity and they were allowed to use their old symbols. The cross was not used in the mainstream of Christianity until the time of Emperor Constantine, who officially imposed it. The first appearance of the cross in Christian art was in the middle of the fifth century.

Conclusion: Using the cross as a symbol of Christianity is an innovation that neither Christ nor the disciples did, and they never wore a cross in their lives . As for the worship of the cross in Christianity, which has been addressed in my discord server too

See also:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross

quote

The Catholic Encyclopedia acknowledges that the cross originated from the swastika symbol that was widespread in ancient civilizations.

This image is in another size. Click here to view the image in its correct form. The image dimensions are 727x448.

Brief translation:

The sign of the cross dates back to ancient times of human civilization.
It was not just for decoration but a religious symbol.
The original form of the cross was the swastika, which was a sacred symbol in India, the East, and among the Brahmins and Buddhists.
It symbolizes a tool for lighting fire by the fathers of mankind and therefore a symbol of the sacred fire. It also symbolizes the sun and its rotation.
While some saw it as a symbol of lightning or the storm god. It was also taken as a symbol of the ancient Aryan gods and the primitive Aryan civilization.
The linguistic meaning of the swastika includes granting blessings and good omen. It was found engraved in Buddhist caves, on the remains of the Hittite civilization, and on ancient coins in Gaza. It was also found in Cyprus on ceramic vessels and in the Greek civilization on jars and vases.

This image is in another size. Click here to view the image in its correct form. The image dimensions are 916x109.

The Catholic Encyclopedia explained the relationship between the cross and the symbol of the key of life found among the ancient Egyptians and found on many Pharaonic monuments.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04517a.htm

quote