THE FIVE CROSSES

Is this what you think of when you think of the crosses at Calvary when Jesus was crucified? How many people have thought that Jesus was crucified with two others, one on each side? Probably the vast majority of people throughout this age have been misled by the traditions of men into believing that there were only three crosses at Calvary or Golgotha. They see churches with paintings and statues with three crosses and this has become so widely accepted that it is hard for some to grasp the simple truth that the old tradition of there being only three crosses, or only two others crucified with the Lord Jesus, is merely a myth made by men who have failed to rightly divide the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:15
15   Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

If one studies to show themselves approved unto man then it is quite simple to be approved by them while believing such myths as the three cross tradition, but when you study "to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth;" then you will have to take God at His word over any traditions of men, regardless of how much persecution you may receive for rejecting man's Scripture denying traditions.

The saddest thing about this tradition is that it has caused people to wrest the Scriptures in vain attempts to reconcile the Bible's teachings with their traditions. This has caused the Bible to appear contradictory, when truthfully it only appears that way when people fail to believe what it actually says and add all manner of nonsense to its teachings. It also should make you wonder if your favorite minister cannot figure this basic truth out, how can you trust them on the major truths that have eternal significance?

As we will see the teaching of how many people were crucified with our Lord Jesus is quite plain and well laid out, it should cause people to be ashamed that they missed this simple teaching for so long. Once again, had they studied to show themselves approved unto God and not man, they would not need to be ashamed, but would be rightly dividing the word of truth.

Luke 23:32-34
32   And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.
33   And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
34   Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

John 19:18-24
18   Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
19   And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.
20   This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.
21   Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.
22   Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.
23   Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.
24   They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.

The two malefactors were led with Jesus and crucified with Him. Jesus was crucified on the center cross, and one malefactor was crucified on His right hand side and the other on His left hand side. The malefactors were crucified with Jesus before "they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take" (Mark 15:24). The thieves were crucified after the parting of His garments, this alone making it plain that the malefactors and the thieves are two separate sets of criminals that were crucified, the malefactors being led with Him and crucified, and the thieves being crucified later after the soldiers had parted Jesus' garments. Here is an example of how it would look before the thieves were crucified:

Matthew 27:35-38
35   And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
36   And sitting down they watched him there;
37   And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
38   Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.

Mark 15:24-27
24   And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.
25   And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.
26   And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
27   And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.

After Jesus was crucified and the malefactors were crucified and Jesus' garments were parted, the two thieves were crucified with Him. One on His right hand side and the other on His left hand side. This makes the total number of crosses to be five, with a malefactor on either side of Jesus on the crosses closest to the Lord's cross, and a thief on either side of Jesus on the outward most two crosses.

Matthew 27:41-44
41   Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
42   He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
43   He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
44   The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.

Mark 15:27-32
27   And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.
28   And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.
29   And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,
30   Save thyself, and come down from the cross.
31   Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.
32   Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.

From these Scriptures we see that both of the thieves reviled the Lord Jesus. The same cannot be said for the malefactors.

Luke 23:39-43
39   And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
40   But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41   And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42   And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43   And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

While one of the malefactors railed on the Lord Jesus, the other malefactor rebuked the railing malefactor and asked for the Lord to remember him when He comes into His kingdom. To which the Lord Jesus said, "Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." There is no indication that the thieves ever repented of their reviling the Lord Jesus, nor that the other malefactor ever repented of his railing on the Lord Jesus. Only one lone man among the four who were justly crucified had the fear of God in him enough to see the justice in his punishment and fear God in humble repentance. (Of course, to hear most ministers preach on this they almost universally talk about the "thief on the cross" and how he was to be with Jesus in paradise, even though the Scripture teaches it was another man, a malefactor!)

John 19:32-34
32   Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
33   But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:
34   But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

We also see that as the soldiers were going to break the crucified men's legs they went down the line and there must have been two others on the side of Jesus they started on for these verses of Scripture to make any sense, as they would not have went to one and then skipped Jesus and went to the other and then came back to Jesus. It plainly says, "But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs," thus they did not skip him and go to another, but broke the first two criminal's legs on one side of Him and when they came to Him they did not brake His legs. We know Jesus was in the middle of the crosses, thus the first two could only have been on one side of Jesus, otherwise the soldiers would have came to Jesus after the first one, but they had to go through two men before getting to that center cross Jesus hung on. So the soldiers would have went to one thief and brake his legs, then they proceeded to one of the malefactors and brake his legs. This led them to be at the middle cross where Jesus was. The graphic below shows how the five crosses would have been set up.

Even in the region of northwest France there is a monument at Ploubezere (near Lannion), in the Coes-du-Nord, Brittany, called Les Cinq Croix or translated The Five Crosses. There are scarce few pictures of this monument available, and the one I have included here is from 1880 or so, and is not of the best quality.


So this has been a known truth for many years, though it has been covered up, mainly by Roman Catholicism's insistence upon three crosses, though even they have used five crosses in the past before changing the meaning and making it three crosses as their art and literature reflect. Let us just stand firm in the most holy faith and not waver in it. Ignore the vain traditions of men that go against the plain teachings of the Scriptures. Study to show yourself approved unto God, and do not worry what man may think. You are accountable to God and God alone in this regard, and should do your utmost to be assured in your heart that you hold to the correct doctrine on any issue that you have a belief.

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