The Church of God does not erect crosses inside the church or on top of it, in accordance with the teachings of the Second Coming Christ, Ahnsahnghong.
The cross is an idol, and God’s people must never adore the cross, or bow down to it.
Nowadays, nearly every church uses the cross to symbolize Christ; however, the cross had been utilized as a pagan religious symbol long before Christ’s crucifixion.
The Bible never condones the use of the cross, and not a single verse reads, "The cross is to be the symbol of the church," or, "The cross should be erected on top of the church," or even, "The cross should be treated as a sacred symbol because it represents the precious blood of Christ."
Historically, the cross was only used as an executioner’s tool. The apostles never believed or testified that the cross should be erected within the church and revered by God’s people.
The truth of the Early Church did not include any teachings about the cross. The Early Church did not use the cross to symbolize Christianity and they did not believe that the cross held any power to drive out evil spirits. The saints of the Early Church did, however, repeatedly stress that idol worshipers would never be able to enter the kingdom of heaven. We need to judge for ourselves whether it is right to set up the cross—following the customs of men—or whether we should refrain from using the cross, in accordance with God’s teachings. God commanded His people not to use or make idols, of any form.
Origin of the Use of Cross
History discloses that the ancient Babylonians were the first people to use the cross for the purpose of worship; the symbol was used to worship Tammuz, the Babylonian god.
The first letter of his name ("T") was inscribed on the official garments of the priests, and their amulets were molded into the same shape. Thus, the cross was a pagan religious symbol.
As the Babylonian culture spread to Egypt, the cross—the symbol of the Babylonian god—was also introduced into Egyptian religion.
The wall paintings within the ancient Egyptian temples, as well as their monuments, depict Egyptian kings and gods holding crosses in their hands. The relics of Amenophis IV are covered with crosses, hanging around the sun. Assyrian sculpted monuments show soldiers with crosses around their necks as they battle against Egypt, and the symbol adorned the necks of the Assyrian kings. Thus, the cross had been used as an ornament to decorate garments, beginning around 1400 B.C. The Romans also worshiped the cross before their culture had fully developed, placing it over their tombs as a charm. Cross-idolatry continued even after the Roman Empire was established. Roman coins, crafted in 46 B.C., hold Jupiter’s portrait, along with a scepter where a cross hangs. The cross, popularly known as the "Calvary Cross," is also found on the ancient gravestones in Thessaly, Greece. Considering such historical evidence, it is clear that the cross had been worshiped by pagans long before the Christian era. It had been widely used to inflict capital punishment after being chosen, in the age of the Roman Empire, as a tool of execution. In those days, the cross was an instrument used to crucify vicious criminals. Since Jesus was hung on the cross, we can guess how much the people had hated Him.Nowadays, most churches use the cross. We can clearly see how corrupted Christianity became after adopting pagan customs. To use the cross as a symbol of the church is an abominable thing, and the churches who erect the cross inadvertently participate in the scheme of the devil—who put Jesus to death.
The Use of Cross
Many Catholics—who consider the cross to be an object of worship, and Protestants—who use the cross as a symbol of Christ, believe that the cross has been used since the days of the Early Church. However, there is no record of the cross being erected on the Early Church, or of such a pattern being made into an ornament.
Historically, the cross first appeared in a church or chamber in 431 A.D., and it was first erected on the top of a steeple in 586 A.D. Thus, veneration of the cross was only a religious custom that appeared after Christianity had begun to absorb paganism. We have to understand the true meaning of the cross, as it was written in the New Testament. The Bible does not boast of the cross itself on which Christ was crucified, but instead, the Bible boasts of Christ, who was sacrificed on the cross, shedding His blood for our sins.
Gal. 6:14 『May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.』
1 Cor. 1:17-23 『...lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God....but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles...』
The cross itself has no power and it cannot grant us salvation. The instrument itself, on which Jesus was sacrificed, is not important. It is only through the precious blood of Jesus that we can receive the forgiveness of our sins.
Eph. 1:7 『In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace...』
Some who boast of the cross say, "If there had not been a cross, there would have been no blood-shedding, no atonement for our salvation, and the prophecy that Jesus would be sacrificed as the Passover lamb, shedding His blood, would not have been fulfilled. Therefore, the cross—on which Jesus shed His precious blood—is the boast of Christians, and a symbol of faith." If this argument were true, they would accept the following false logic as well: "If there had not been no Jews and no Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus and instigated His crucifixion, the prophecy about Jesus shedding His precious blood would not have been fulfilled. Therefore, even Pilate—who executed Jesus—should be respected because he was the person who fulfilled God’s prophecy. He should be venerated as a symbol of salvation in addition to the cross." However, Jesus spoke of Judas Iscariot as follows:
Mark 14:21 『"The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born."』
The cross is merely a cursed tree (Gal. 3:13), used by the Romans as a tool of execution. Those who hung Jesus on that tree will be tortured in everlasting hell.
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