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Summary: Unpacking a Crucifixion Controversy

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Summary: Unpacking a Crucifixion Controversy

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In the article titled "Yes, Jesus Was Crucified With Nails," the author critiques a news article from Christianity Today titled "Was Jesus Crucified with Nails?" In the Christianity Today article, the author claims that early Roman accounts of crucifixions do not mention the use of nails and do not specify how Jesus was attached to the cross, suggesting that ropes may have been used instead. This argument is based on the observation that the Greek and Latin words for crucifixion often mean "attached" rather than specifically "nailed" (Manning 1).

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This article refutes the claim by pointing to eyewitness evidence in the Gospel of John, where Thomas sees Jesus’ nail marks after the resurrection. In John 20:25, 27, “Thomas wanted to see the nail marks, and Jesus showed him the nail marks” (Manning 1). This account supports the author's argument that Jesus was indeed crucified with nails, not tied with ropes. The article also strengthens its case by referencing historical sources like Josephus, Philo, and Herodotus, who mention the use of nails in crucifixions or executions well before AD 66, proving it was not a later development.

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The author explains that, although nails are not the most important part of Christian faith and do not prove salvation or Jesus’ identity as the Son of God, getting the historical details right still matters. The Gospel of John describes Thomas seeing the nail marks on the resurrected Jesus, supporting the account's truth. The author argues that this should be taken seriously as eyewitness testimony, not dismissed as symbolic. Therefore, the claims made in the Christianity Today article should not cause us to doubt the reliability of the Gospel.

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One of the course readings we explored was the Apostles’ Creed, which states that Jesus “suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried” (Wright 159). The article I summarized argues that Jesus was nailed to the cross, supporting the idea that his crucifixion was a real and brutal, historically documented event. This supports the Creed’s focus on Jesus’ suffering as something concrete and not just an idea or metaphor. The article and the Creed show how Christian beliefs are grounded in events that happened and carry deep meaning.

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At the end of the article, the author explains that whether Jesus was nailed or tied to the cross, what matters most in Christian faith is the reason he was there. In Religion Matters, we learn that Jesus “took all human sin on his own sinless frame” (Prothero 229), showing that his death is understood as a sacrifice for others. Both the article and our course highlight that the meaning behind Jesus’s crucifixion is more important than the exact method. This connects to what we are learning about the purpose of Jesus’s death and its central place in Christian beliefs.

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In Religion Matters, we learn that the four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—each tell the story of Jesus’s life from different perspectives, offering theological insight and historical detail (Prothero 289). The article directly relates to this by focusing on the Gospel of John, which includes the account of Thomas seeing the nail marks in Jesus’ hands after the resurrection. Since the Gospels are presented in our course as key sources for understanding Jesus’s identity and mission, this passage reinforces the importance of John’s account in affirming the physical reality of the crucifixion and resurrection. The article supports the Gospel’s historical credibility, a central theme in studying how the Gospels function within the Christian tradition.

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(News Article Link)

https://churchleaders.com/voices/exchange/510002-yes-jesus-was-crucified-with-nails.html

Manning, Gary. “Yes, Jesus Was Crucified With Nails.” Chruchleaders. 2025.

(In-Class Reading Material)

Wright, Beth. A Study Companion to Introduction to World Religions. Fortress Press. 2011.

(Class Book)

Prothero, Stephen. Religion Matters. W. W. Norton & Company. 2020.

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A recent article in Christianity Today titled "Was Jesus Crucified with Nails?" has been raising some animated discussion on social media-not surprising, since the opening sentence argues, "The Bible doesn't say Jesus was nailed to a cross."

The article, written by Daniel Silliman, is based mainly on an interview of Jeffrey P. Arroyo García, a professor at Gordon College. García also wrote an article on this topic, " Nails or Knots: How was Jesus Crucified? ," published in Biblical Archeology Review.

Jeffrey P. Arroyo García's Argument Against Nails

Here's the thrust of García's claims in the two articles: Early Roman accounts of crucifixions do not mention nails. The words related to crucifixion, in both Latin and Greek, do not necessarily imply nailing. The Latin verbs that are usually translated "nailed" in those accounts mean "attached," and do not specify how the victims were attached.

The first accounts to mention nailing during crucifixions, García says, are in Josephus. Josephus used the Greek verb προσηλόω ( ), "to nail," in some of his descriptions of crucifixions. From this, García concludes that nailing during crucifixion was not likely widespread until the Jewish War (AD 66-70). Before then, victims were usually tied with ropes; they would still die from suffocation.

Now, García says he is not certain of this interpretation of history. But he says that if his view is correct, then the Gospel of John is probably not being historically correct when it describes Thomas saying "unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger into the mark of the nails...I will not believe" ( John 20:25, 27).

Here is García's explanation:

John "was perhaps located in a region, such as Ephesus or elsewhere in Asia Minor, where nailing of the hands was well known."

"John might be creatively weaving together these elements" (from Luke 24:39).

"this account may have come from a time after the revolt or somewhere in the Diaspora where nailing was more common, while John's crucifixion story was adapted from his sources, likely the other Gospels."

"the point of the gospel passage, the Gordon professor points out, is that followers of the resurrected Christ shouldn't actually need nail holes to affirm their faith."

How does García deal with other New Testament passages about nailing during crucifixion? In Luke, Jesus tells his disciples to look at his hands and feet ( Luke 24:39). García responds that this was to prove Jesus' actual physical resurrection, not to show any wounds. Luke does not mention any nail holes.

, the criminal charges that are nailed to a cross ( Colossians 2:14 seems to describe nailing: God has canceled the "certificate of debt against us...having nailed it to the cross." García responds (correctly, I think) that this passage is using the metaphor of a John 19:19-20), not a person who is nailed to a cross.

There are several problems with García's claims. The most obvious is that the Bible indeed says that Jesus was crucified with nails. Thomas reasonably expected to see nail imprints on Jesus' hands and feet, and Jesus showed them to Thomas: "look at my hands" ( John 20:27). This scene is narrated in a gospel that claims to be based on an eyewitness account ( John 19:35, 21:24).

García's suggestion that the point of the passage is that "followers of the resurrected Christ shouldn't actually need nail holes to affirm their faith" misses the point. Thomas wanted to see the nail marks, and Jesus showed him the nail marks ( John 20:25, 27). Jesus' blessing on belief is for those who come later and therefore cannot see what Thomas could see ( John 20:29). The blessing is predicated on the actual events of the account being true.

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A recent article in Christianity Today titled "Was Jesus Crucified with Nails?" has been raising some animated discussion on social media-not surprising, since the opening sentence argues, "The Bible doesn't say Jesus was nailed to a cross."

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I did the first draft of my work, but then I used AI to make suggestions. I used AI to help me generate ideas for the titles of each of my slides. I also used AI for grammar.