Every year there’s a story right before Easter that does its best to sow doubt in people’s hearts. Normally it’s from CNN or the History Channel (It’s aliens!!!) but this time it’s from Christianity Today.
The famous Christian publication which has gone off the rails in recent years writes “The Bible doesn’t describe Jesus being nailed to a cross.”
It continues:
Telling the story of Christ’s death, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John simply say that Roman soldiers crucified him. They don’t say how. Each of the Gospels include specific detail about the soldiers’ method of dividing Jesus’ clothes—a lottery—but none describe the way the soldiers put him on the cross. There are no nails mentioned in any of the four accounts of Christ’s death.
Jeffrey P. Arroyo García, an evangelical Bible scholar who teaches at Gordon College, thinks maybe there weren’t any nails.
“The word used there, stauroo, just means ‘to hang on a cross,’” García told Christianity Today. “But it doesn’t give the method of how they hang, right? Maybe the reticence is telling.”
Closely reading the Bible, looking at the long historical record of Roman crucifixion, and examining the archaeological evidence, García has come to the conclusion that the Crucifixion might have been done with ropes. While Christians from Emperor Constantine’s mother to documentary filmmakers today have searched for relics of the “true nails” and many have meditated on the iron piercing flesh, the nails might just be the stuff of legend.
García wrote about it for the spring issue of Biblical Archaeology Review in an article titled “Nails or Knots—How Was Jesus Crucified?”
“I don’t stand and say this, definitively, is how it happened,” García told CT. “I basically find it interesting. It could be there were nails, or it could be that there weren’t nails.”
Well, that would make St. Thomas’ request to touch his wounds rather interesting, wouldn’t it?
Now Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
The Christian publication ran an apology but offered no explanation for itself. That’s probably because there isn’t one.
April 24, 2025 at 5:43 pm
Either they used AI to write the article, or they hired a Jew or a Jehovah’s Witness who thinks Jesus was impaled on a “torture stick.” I can’t figure out which mistake they made.
April 25, 2025 at 5:57 am
Every year at times of great importance in the Christian world (Christmas, Good Friday and Easter etc.) these stories always creep up to mar or discredit our celebrations. It is the way of the world and has been since 2000 years of Christ. It just proves the authenticity of our Church for if it was not the True Church, Satan wouldn’t even bother with it.
April 25, 2025 at 12:56 pm
I’m a former Protestant, but even then I was only dimly aware that “Christianity Today” was a publication. I’ve always been suspicious that such publications have base motivations — a desire for worldly approval, a political agenda, or even a weird theological slant — that prevents them from being honest and faithful. “America Magazine” and “National Catholic Reporter” come to mind as Catholic examples. This, however, is pretty shocking. Matt gives the correct response, but once upon a time even an average 3rd-grader would be able to give the same response.
Ugh. This reminds me of an incident a few years ago when a colleague asked if James was an Apostle. I answered, “Yes and know: there were TWO Apostles named James, but that was also a very common name back in the day, just as it is now.” At least my colleague was not claiming to be some kind of academic expert on early Christianity, but it still shows how little much of the public knows about the basics of Christianity.
April 29, 2025 at 11:35 pm
If nails were used in the crucifixion, then Jesus’ body would have been pierced, by the nails.
However, John is very specific in 19:37 that He was stabbed in the side so that the prophecy in Zechariah 12:10 would be fulfilled; “They shall look on Him whom they have pierced”.
From John 19:34: But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness – his testimony is true and he knows that he tells the truth – that you may also believe. For these things took place that the scripture might be fulfilled “Not a bone of Him shall be broken”; and again another scripture says “They shall look on Him whom they have pierced”.
John was there. He would have known if Jesus had been pierced by nails – clearly he hadn’t been, hence the necessity for the spear.
I also do not believe it would be possible to nail through the feet and not break a bone – the wrists possibly, but not the feet.