The Crucifixion of Jesus
03-08-07
“That they said (in boast), “We
killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah.;- but they killed
him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who
differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only
conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:-“ (Quran 4:157)
1.0 Introduction:
The crucifixion of Jesus for the redemption of the sin of mankind has become
fundamental of Christian faith that, so much that it has become a symbol of
their religion The Nicene Creed makes it an article of faith to believe in the
crucifixion of Jesus:
“For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was
buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;”
[Nicene creed] Muslim belief is that Jesus did not get crucified but was made
appeared to them.
The purpose of this article is to reveals further insight concerning the
crucifixion professed by these two faiths.
To do this I am mainly going to rely on certain early scriptures of various
groups in early Christian History, while noting this is not an attempt to
formulate and central dogma of the Christian Orthodoxy but rather to show that
other beliefs that persisted in it’s Mainstream History.
For this I will be relying on works that are considered Apocrypha that is widely
known in the Gnostic realm and of which certainly not regarded as authorities
scripture by the Christian Church.
I will also try to offer the current dating on each scripture to give some idea
how prevalent these sects where, however it should be noted that the accuracy of
the dating may be something contested, and importantly this is not the objective
of the article.
2.0. Crucifixion of Jesus
according to the Bible
2.1. Leading up to the
crucifixion:
Leading before the arrest of Jesus, Judas betrays him for money and all the
disciples desert him and fled.
Gospel according to Luke describes Jesus being blasphemy by admitting He is the
son of God, when accused at the presence of the council of elders (Luke
22:70-71).
The next early morning the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the
law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led him away
and handed him over to Pilate. However in front of Pilate Jesus is accused of
subverting the nation and opposing the payment of taxes as well as calling
himself of Christ, King and stirring up the people of Judea (Luke 23: 1-2).
Although Pilate seems to acknowledge there is no basis for the charge brought on
nor did Herod thought so whom Jesus was sent onto. The narration goes onto say
Pilate opposed the crucifixion of Jesus but with the consent insistence of the
Jews present he finally releases him to their will. According Matthew narrates
that Pilate has Jesus flogged before handing him over to them.
2.2 The Crucifixion:
The scripture according to Luke describes as Jesus was led away to be crucified
with two other criminals and Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus
according to Mark 15:21) was made to carry the cross behind Jesus. They
crucified Jesus along with the two criminals one on his left and the other on
his right. The people cast lots to decide who will divide his clothes. The
people watched him and Rulers sneered at him. Soldiers mocked him to save
himself and offered him wine vinegar.
Jesus died when “It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the
whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining…” (Luke 23:44-45)
All the people who gathered there to watch left but the women who followed from
Galilee from a distance watch the spectacle. However according to Matthew Many
women where watching from the distance who had followed from Galilee, amongst
them Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of
Zebedee’s sons. (Mark adds “Salome” to the list)
However Gospel according to John that Jesus mother, and his mother’s sister,
Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene stood by the Cross of Jesus and
was indeed witness to the event. (John19:25)
The short account provided above, of the crucifixion, is according to the
gospels that Christiana generally believe in.
3.0 Jesus Crucifixion according
to the Quran:
According to the Quran Jesus did not get crucified but it was made to appear to
them. This is provided in the Yusuf Ali translation of the Quran:
“That they said (in boast), “We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the
Messenger of Allah.;- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was
made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no
(certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed
him not:-“ (Quran 4:157)
The Quran does not allude to how it was made to appear to them, i.e. whether it
was someone else, an illusion.
4.0 Jesus Crucifixion according to other early Christian writing:
We have seen the position of the bible teaching on the death of Jesus, which did
take place, and we have seen Islamic position on the Jesus Crucifixion according
to the Quran, which Jesus did not get crucified but it was made to appear to
them.
Coming away from the bible, and looking elsewhere we find interesting statements
in a collection of thirteen ancient codices containing over fifty texts that
seems to have survived, discovered in 1945 Egypt, when once thought to be
destroyed during early Christian struggle to define “Orthodoxy”
4.1. The Second Treaties of the
Great Seth:
According to “ The Second Treatise of the Great Seth” it describes Jesus not
succumbing to the plan they devised for him. That he did not die in reality but
appeared to them so, according to their sight and thought he was suffered and
succumbed to fear.
“…For my death, which they think happened, (happened) to them in their error and
blindness, since they nailed their man unto their death”[1]
It goes onto say that indeed they saw they where punishing him but it was
another, their own man they nailed onto the cross and who drank the Vinegar, it
also suggest the victim was Simon of Cyrene, (the one who bore the cross
according to Gospel of Luke). Quote:
“Yes, they saw me; they punished me. It was another, their father, who drank the
gall and the vinegar; it was not I. They struck me with the reed; it was
another, Simon, who bore the cross on his shoulder.”
And it goes on to say that they were deaf and blind and he, Jesus, was laughing
at their ignorance.
4.2. The Acts of John: (c.
150-200 C.E.)
The Act of John describes that John seeing that suffering of Jesus did not abide
but fled unto the Mount of Olives, where he went to weep. The narration goes on
to say that it was Jesus who put the thought into the John’s mind for him to
come up to this mountain so he can hear what man of God has to say to his
disciple where Jesus appears in the midst of the cave and says:
“…John, unto the multitude below in Jerusalem I am being crucified and pierced
with lances and reeds, and gall and vinegar is given me to drink….”[2]
Jesus goes unto say “…Nothing, therefore, of the things which they will say of
me have I suffered: nay, that suffering also which I showed unto thee and the
rest in the dance…”[2] That what you hear, did not happen to him, but was made
to appear so, to the people present there.
“… Thou hearest that I suffered, yet did I not suffer; that I suffered not, yet
did I suffer; that I was pierced, yet I was not smitten; hanged, and I was not
hanged; that blood flowed from me, and it flowed not; and, in a word, what they
say of me, that befell me not, but what they say not, that did I suffer…”[2]
Afterwards Jesus was taken up, and no one in the multitude beheld him.
4.3 Coptic The Apocalypse of
Peter: (Estimated Range of Dating: 200-255 C.E.)
The Coptic Apocalypse of Peter reveals an interesting conversation between Peter
and Jesus, where Peter sees they are taking Jesus, asks “who is the one glad and
laughing on the tree, and is it another whom the feet and hand they are
striking?”[3]Jesus replies that the one on the tree is the living Jesus, but the
one that peter sees is the substitute that came to being in his likeness.
“…He whom you saw on the tree, glad and laughing, this is the living Jesus. But
this one into whose hands and feet they drive the nails is his fleshly part,
which is the substitute being put to shame, the one who came into being in his
likeness. But look at him and me…”[3]
The narration goes onto say that Jesus, comes and tell that the one they
crucified is a stony vessel where the demon resides, but the one standing near
him is the real Jesus whom the arrested and released. Jesus laughs at their
perception, knowing they are born blind.
4.4 The (First) Apocalypse of
James: (Estimated Range of Dating: 180-250 C.E.)
According to the Apocalypse of James that when James heard of His suffering he
went to the mountain called Gaugelan with his disciples where he prayed and
waited for a sign of him. Jesus appears and John stops he’s prayer, embraces
Jesus and kisses him, and say’s:
“Rabbi, I have found you! I have heard of your sufferings, which you endured.
And I have been much distressed. My compassion you know. Therefore, on
reflection, I was wishing that I would not see this people. They must be judged
for these things that they have done. For these things that they have done are
contrary to what is fitting.”[4]
Jesus replied “…James, do not be concerned for me or for this people…” and that
he did not undergo any suffering contrary to what James heard. Jesus say’s:
“…Never have I suffered in any way, nor have I been distressed. And this people
has done me no harm…”[4]
5.0 Conclusion:
This studies reveals an interesting fact concerning Jesus crucifixion whether
was he crucified or not is contested before and still is now. It also sheds some
light that Jesus crucifixion was not so readily believed amongst the followers
and was not a common dogma during the period of early Christian faith as evident
in various Christian sects that existed.
What should be noted that all these scriptures reveals and agrees that it
appeared to the multitude (i.e. they saw) that Jesus did get crucified and was
killed on the stake (cross), with the exception of the bible it was not Jesus
who in reality got crucified.
Last parting final which I would like to stress that the analysis is based on
availability i.e. what has survived to us, and information I am limited to.
Whether there were other various groups other than the ones shown above who held
similar beliefs remains unknown to us in present time.
Reference:
[1] Translated by Roger A. Bullard and Joseph A. Gibbons, The Second Treatise of
the Great Seth, Selection made from James M. Robinson, ed., The Nag Hammadi
Library, revised edition. HarperCollins, San Francisco, 1990. [Net]
[2] M.R. James-Translation and Notes, The Acts of John (verse 97-103), The
Apocryphal New Testament, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1924 [Net]
[3] Translated by James Brashler and Roger A. Bullard, (Coptic) The Apocalypse
of Peter, Selection made from James M. Robinson, ed., The Nag Hammadi Library,
revised edition. HarperCollins, San Francisco, 1990. [Net]
[4] Translated by William R. Schoedel, The (First) Apocalypse of James,
Selection made from James M. Robinson, ed., The Nag Hammadi Library, revised
edition. HarperCollins, San Francisco, 1990. [Net]