The White Badger Inn

How Did Christ Die?
Tradition & Scripture

I walked into work this morning and was immediately presented with the question: "was Jesus crucified on a stake (a vertical post) or a cross (t-shape)?"
My co-workers and I were baffled.
Jehovah's Witnesses claim that Jesus died on a torture stake, and that the cross is a pagan symbol that was adopted later.
Ecclesiastical Tradition holds (through paintings, songs, etc.) that it was a t-shaped cross. However, it was not extremely rare for Romans to crucify on a stake.
We were stumped.
Thankfully, the Scriptures are not without an answer.
Three proofs at a minimum are supplied in Scripture:
First, if Jesus were crucified on a stake or post, His hands would be placed above His head and nailed with one nail (like His feet). However, the Bible indicates that Jesus had nails (plural) in His hands. Nails require that Jesus was crucified on a cross, not a stake:

"The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the LORD. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe." [Plural nails requires a cross, not a stake!]

Second, the Bible also indicates that the Romans placed a sign over Jesus' head, again indicating that He died on a cross and not a stake:

And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. (Matthew 27:37) [If on a stake, the sign would have been over His hands, not His head!]

Lastly, As John MacArthur points out:

"...look at an original Greek text. Say, of Colossians 2:14, 2:11-14. See what the word says there: 2:10 and following, and see if you see the word cross, see what the original Greek text says. And, I think you’ll see that it’s the word “cross”.

Many, however argue MacAruthur's point, claiming that the Greek word staurovß does not designate a t-shaped cross, but only a pointed stake.
However, all commentators of note are agreed that a t-shaped cross is here intended, including John Gill, Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, etc.

This position is especially true of the Early Church Fathers, who all held (universally) that either a t or an x shape was intended, although a good number seem to favour the x-shape.

Ultimate question: does any of this really matter?

Sure. All things pertaining to the Scriptures are important...but I think the real truth that matters is this one:

"Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace..."