I believe the scholars’ choice of the word “cross” to translate the Greek word stauros (G4716) into the English language (Mark 8:34) is lazy scholarship.[1] Moreover, I don’t think the excuse the translators offer is a valid one, namely, since there is no word for cross in the ancient Greek language, they are forced to use the term found in the Latin Vulgate to translate the Greek word into English. It is as though no logical thought was ever used in the translation. When they came to stauros in the text, they simply wrote down cross, automatically and without any forethought, even though the phrase take up one’s cross or bear one’s cross was never used by the ancients. It is a modern idea derived from the scholars choice to translate the Greek into cross in the English—wherever they find the word stauros (G4716) in the text.
Notice that Jesus is speaking to the people in Mark 8:34, and this implies that he is no longer in Caesarea Philippi, the place where he finally found the temporary rest he sought, a place far from religious Jews, far from the Jewish authorities, a place steeped in paganism. Only Jesus’ disciples were with him there. Therefore, the fact that he turned and spoke with the people implies he was no longer in Caesarea Philippi, but in an area populated by Jews. So, where was he?
Jesus said to the people, “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his stauros (G4716), and follow me” (Mark 8:34). So, whatever stauros (G4716) means,[2] taking it up concerns denying self in order to follow Jesus. The Greek word first appears in the New Covenant text at Matthew 10:38, which occurs sometime prior to when Jesus first began to tell his disciples about his death (Matthew 16:21). If he didn’t begin to teach his disciples about his coming death until after Peter’s great confession (Matthew 16:16), why assume Jesus spoke of his death at Matthew 10:38? Where’s the logic in that? Moreover, according to Vincent’s Word Studies, taking up one’s cross “…was no Jewish proverb, a crucifixion not being a Jewish punishment…” If this is so, how could Jesus’ disciples possibly be able to put the phrase in an understandable context, if Jesus was referring to his death? Forcing our already established understanding upon the phrase does no justice to the text, when the disciples in the first century AD wouldn’t have understood what we believe the phrase means.
According to the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (by Geoffrey W. Bromiley) outside the New Covenant text “The meaning of stauroo (the verb – G4717) is ‘to put up posts,’ ‘to protect by a stockade…” It is also used in the Septuagint at Esther 7:9 to indicate Haman hanging from the gallows (cp. 7:10). So, if the word was commonly used outside the Bible for putting up posts, how would that affect Jesus’ meaning in Mark 8:34, and how would the common Jews understand what he was telling them?
If we allow the stake (stauros – G4716) to indicate the post of a tent or temporary dwelling, then the whole matter becomes clear. Immediately following the feeding of the 5000 in the Gospel of John (John 6), Jesus went secretly to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:1-10). Mark, however, puts several other events between John 6 and 7.[3]
When he finally did come to Jerusalem, Jesus warned the people that, if they continued to ignore him, they would be judged (Mark 8:38; cp.9:1 and Matthew 16:27-28). So, Jesus’ wandering all over the countryside is placed in the context of Israel’s wandering in the wilderness and living in tents or tabernacles. When they moved from one place to another, they had to pull up stakes, and followed the Cloud. (cp. Mark 8:35-37). Thus, Jesus reminds the people they have no stake in this world. Our stake or security is in Christ alone, and we must be ready to pull up stakes at any time and follow him wherever he takes us, but how would “taking up one’s cross” show that?
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[1] Out of the 28 occurrences of the Greek word in the New Covenant text, they translate it into the word cross 28 times, regardless of context.
[2] According to Strong’s Greek Dictionary, “…stauros was a stake or post (as set upright), that is, (specifically) a pole or cross…” According to A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, it is “an upright pale or stake… According to the Companion Bible (E.W. Bullinger) ‘Appendix #162’ The Cross and the Crucifixion, the Greek word stauros “denotes an upright pale or stake, to which the criminals were nailed for execution… Homer used the word stauros of an ordinary pole or stake, or a single piece of timber, and this is the meaning and usage of the word throughout the Greek classics.”
[3] He fed the 5000 near Bethsaida (Luke 9:10; cp. Mark 6:45), and then sailed to Gennesaret (Mark 6:53), and from there back to Capernaum (Mark 7:1; cp. John 6:24-25). From Capernaum they went to the coasts of Tyre and Sidon (Mark 7:24) and then by land to the Decapolis (Mark 7:31) and from the Decapolis he sailed to Dalmanutha (Mark 8:10), and from there back to Bethsaida (Mark 8:22), from which Jesus and his disciples walked to Caesarea Philippi (Mark 8:27), before returning to Capernaum and then secretly going to Jerusalem (John 7:1-10).
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