Samfala Ask Olsem
Why Nao Olketa Jehovah’s Witness No Iusim Kros Long Worship?
Olketa Jehovah’s Witness bilivim hao dae bilong Jesus Christ hem peim ransom mekem evriwan wea showimaot faith long Jesus for kasem laef olowe. (Matthew 20:28; John 3:16) Bat olketa no bilivim hao Jesus hem dae long wanfala kros, olsem iumi savve lukim long samfala oldfala piksa. Olketa bilivim hao Jesus hem dae long wanfala post wea standap and wea no garem haf timba akrosim.
Tu thousand year bifor Christ hem stap long disfala earth, pipol long Mesopotamia iusim kros long worship. And staka handred year bifor Jesus hem born, pipol long Scandinavian karvem olketa kros long ston. Sven Tito Achen, wanfala savveman from Denmark raetem long buk Symbols Around Us hao olketa heathen hia iusim kros olsem “magic saen . . . for protection and for gud luck.” New Catholic Encyclopedia tu talem olsem: “Iu savve faendem olketa kros long ples bilong pipol bifor long taem olketa Christian start and long ples bilong heathen pipol, olketa iusim [kros] olsem saen long samting wea stap long skae.” Sapos olsem, why nao olketa church iusim kros olsem main saen long worship bilong olketa?
Savveman long England, W. E. Vine talem samfala idea olsem: “Kasem midolwan long mek 3 cent. A.D. . . . olketa church letem olketa heathen for joinim olketa . . . and olketa savve keepim nomoa staka long olketa heathen saen and mark bilong olketa. Dastawe nao olketa start for iusim Tau or T, . . . wea olketa daonem lelebet laen wea akrosim.”—Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words.
Datfala savveman gohed for talem hao “kros” and for “hangem long kros” hem minim “wanfala stik or post . . . wea datwan hem difren from kros wea olketa church iusim wea olketa wakem from tufala haf timba.” Companion Bible bilong Oxford University hem agree witim datwan taem hem sei olsem: “Pruv hem showaot . . . hao Lord hem dae long wanfala post wea standap, and no long tufala haf timba wea olketa joinim tugeta.” Diswan showimaot hao olketa church followim kastom wea no kam from Bible.
Achen, man for raetem history wea iumi storyim finis samfala toktok bilong hem talem olsem: “For tufala century bihaen Jesus hem dae, luk olsem olketa Christian nating iusim saen long kros.” Hem talem tu hao long olketa firstfala Christian, kros hem “piksarem dae and rabis wei.”
Bat nomata Jesus safa and dae long timba or post, samting wea important nao hem for olketa Christian mas no worshipim eni idol or image. Bible talem iumi for “ranawe from wei for worshipim idol.” (1 Corinthians 10:14) Jesus nao talemaot stretfala mark bilong olketa trufala follower bilong hem. Hem sei olsem: “Sapos iufala lovem narawan, evriwan bae luksavve iufala nao olketa disaepol bilong mi.”—John 13:35.
Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, olsem olketa firstfala Christian, trae for followim wanem Bible talem abaotem worship winim wei for followim eni kastom. (Romans 3:4; Colossians 2:8) Dastawe nao olketa no iusim kros long worship.
[Piksa long page 30]
Karving long wanfala heathen king from Assyria wea werem kros, samting olsem 800 B.C.E.
[Credit Line]
Photograph taken by courtesy of the British Museum