- σταυρός
- σταυρός, οῦ, ὁ (Hom. et al. in the sense ‘upright, pointed stake’ or ‘pale’; s. Iren. 1, 2, 4 cj. [Harv. I, 18, 4]; as name of an aeon Hippol., Ref. 6, 31, 6)① a pole to be placed in the ground and used for capital punishment, cross (Diod S 2, 18, 1; Plut. et al.; Epict. 2, 2, 20; Diog. L. 6, 45; ApcEsdr 7:1 p. 32, 8 Tdf.; AscIs 3:18; Philo, In Flacc. 84; Jos., Ant. 11, 261; 266f.; Just.; s. also CSchneider, TW III 414, 4 and JCollins, The Archeology of the Crucifixion, CBQ 1, ’39, 154–59; JBlinzler, Der Prozess Jesu3, ’60, 278–81; EDinkler, Signum Crucis ’67; JFitzmyer, CBQ 40, ’78, 493–513), a stake sunk into the earth in an upright position; a cross-piece was oft. attached to its upper part (Artem. 2, 53), so that it was shaped like a T or thus: †—MHengel, Crucifixion ’77. Lit., w. other means of execution (Diogenes, Ep. 28, 3) IRo 5:3; Hv 3, 2, 1. Used in the case of Jesus Mt 27:40, 42; Mk 15:30, 32; J 19:25, 31; Phil 2:8 (Just., D. 134, 5); GPt 4:11; 10:39, 42. ὑπομένειν σταυρόν submit to the cross Hb 12:2. The condemned carried their crosses to the place of execution (Plut., Mor. 554a ἕκαστος κακούργων ἐκφέρει τὸν αὐτοῦ σταυρόν; Chariton 4, 2, 7 ἕκαστος τ. σταυρὸν ἔφερε; Artem. 2, 56.—Pauly-W. IV 1731) J 19:17; in the synoptics Simon of Cyrene was made to carry the cross for Jesus (Σίμων 4) Mt 27:32; Mk 15:21; Lk 23:26. An inscription on the cross indicated the reason for the execution J 19:19 (s. τίτλος).—WMichaelis, Zeichen, Siegel, Kreuz, TZ 12, ’56, 505–25. B seeks to show in several passages that acc. to the scriptures it was necessary for the Messiah to die on the cross: 8:1 (the ξύλον that plays a part in connection w. the red heifer, Num 19:6, is ὁ τύπος ὁ τοῦ σταυροῦ); 9:8 (in the case of the 318 servants of Abraham Gen 14:14 the number 300 [=Τ ´] points to the cross; cp. Lucian, Jud. Voc. 12: the letter tau has the form of the σταυρός); 11:1, 8a (the ξύλον of Ps 1:3); 12:1 (scripture quot. of uncertain origin), 2.② the cross, with focus on the fate of Jesus Christ, the cross. The cross of Christ is one of the most important elements in Christian cult and proclamation: w. death and resurrection IPhld 8:2 and other details of his life PtK 4 p. 15, 33. For Judeans a σκάνδαλον Gal 5:11 (cp. Dt 21:23); cp. IEph 18:1. Hence an occasion for persecution Gal 6:12 (τῷ σταυρῷ because of the cross; dat. of cause, s. ἀπιστία 1). But it was for Paul his only reason for boasting vs. 14. ὁ λόγος ὁ τοῦ σταυροῦ the message of the cross 1 Cor 1:18, w. its mysterious, paradoxical character, is necessarily foolishness to unbelievers. For this reason any attempt to present this message in the form of worldly wisdom would rob the σταυρὸς τοῦ Χριστοῦ of its true content vs. 17. τὸ μαρτύριον τοῦ σταυροῦ is the testimony rendered by the Passion to the fact of Christ’s bodily existence Pol 7:1 (cp. Just., D. 40, 3 πάθος τοῦ σταυροῦ).—Christ’s death on the cross brings salvation Eph 2:16; Col 2:14. εἰρηνοποιεῖν διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ σταυροῦ αὐτοῦ make peace through the shedding of his blood on the cross 1:20 (s. W-S. §30, 12c; Rob. 226). Hence we may ἐπὶ τὸν σταυρὸν ἐλπίζειν B 11:8b. Paul knows of baptized Christians whom he feels constrained to call ἐχθροὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ because of their manner of life Phil 3:18. On the other hand Ign. speaks of blameless Christians ὥσπερ καθηλωμένους ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χρ. σαρκί τε καὶ πνεύματι as if nailed to the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ both in the flesh and in the spirit ISm 1:1 (cp. MartAndr Prius 1, 14 [Aa II/1, 54–55]). In the imagery of Ign. the cross is called ἡ μηχανὴ Ἰησοῦ Χρ. IEph 9:1 (s. HSchlier, Relgesch. Untersuchungen zu d. Ign.-briefen 1929, 110–24), and the orthodox believers are the κλάδοι τοῦ σταυροῦ branches of the cross ITr 11:2. Such passages provide a link with the transf. sense③ the suffering/death which believers endure in following the crucified Lord, cross λαμβάνειν τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ Mt 10:38. ἆραι τὸν στ. αὐτοῦ 16:24; Mk 8:34; 10:21 t.r.; Lk 9:23. βαστάζειν τὸν στ. ἑαυτοῦ 14:27 (s. on these parallel passages AFridrichsen, Festskrift for Lyder Brun 1922, 17–34.—EDinkler, Jesu Wort v. Kreuztragen: Bultmann Festschr. ’54, 110–29).—DELG. M-M. EDNT. TW. Sv.
Ελληνικά-Αγγλικά παλαιοχριστιανική Λογοτεχνία. 2015.