THE "OTHERS" CRUCIFIED WITH THE LORD
(Matt. 27:38 and Luke 23:32)[Appendix 164, from The Companion Bible]
Misled by tradition and the ignorance of Scripture on the
part of medieval painters, it is the general belief that only two were
crucified with the Lord.
But Scripture does not say so. It states that
there were two "thieves" (Gr. lestai = robbers, Matt. 27:38, Mark 15:27); and
that there were two "malefactors" (Gr. kakourgoi, Luke 23:32).
It is
also recorded that both the robbers reviled Him (Matt. 27:44. Mark 15:32);
while in Luke 23.39 only one of the malefactors "railed on Him," and "the other
rebuked him" for so doing (v. 40). If there were only two, this is a real
discrepancy; and there is another, for the two malefactors were "led with Him
to be put to death" (Luke 23:32), and when they were come to Calvary, "they"
then and there "crucified Him and the malefactors, one on the right hand and
the other on the left" (v.33).
But the other discrepancy is, according
to Matthew, that after the parting of the garments, and after "sitting down
they watched Him there," that "THEN were there two robbers crucified with Him,
one on the right hand and the other on the left" (Matt. 27:38; Mark 15:27). The
two malefactors had already been "led with Him" and were therefore crucified
"with Him", before the dividing of the garments, and before the two robbers
were brought.
The first two (malefactors) who were "led with Him" were
placed one on either side. When the other two (robbers) were brought, much
later, they were also similarly placed; so that there were two (one of each) on
either side, and the Lord in the midst. The malefactors were therefore the
nearer, and being on the inside they could speak to each other better, and the
one with the Lord, as recorded (Luke 23:39-43).
John's record confirms
this for he speaks only of place, and not of time. He speaks, generally of the
fact: "where they crucified Him and with Him others, two on this side, and that
side, and Jesus in the midst" (John 19:9). In Rev. 22:2 we have the same
expression in the Greek (enteuthen kai enleuthen), which is accurately rendered
"on either side." So it should be rendered here: "and with Him others, on
either side."
But John further states (19:32,33): "then came the
soldiers and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified
with Him. Put when they came (Gr.= having come) to Jesus, and saw that He was
dead already, they brake not His legs." Had there been only two (one on either
side) the soldiers would not have come to the Lord, but would have passed Him,
and then turned back again. But they came to Him after they had broken the legs
of the first two.
There are two words used of the "other" and "others"
in John 19:32 and Luke 23:32. In the former passage we read, "they brake the
legs of the first and of the other." Here the Greek is allos, which is
the other (the second) of two when there are more (see Matt. 10:23,
25:16,17,20, 27:61, 28:1; John 18:15,16; 20:2,4,8, and Rev. 17:10). In the
latter passage (Luke 23:32} the word is heteros = different: "and others
also, two, were being led with Him." These were different (1) from Him with
Whom they were led, not different from one another; for they were "in the same
condemnation," and "justly," while He had "done nothing amiss" (vv.40,41).
From this evidence, therefore, it is clear that there were four
"others" crucified with the Lord; and thus, on the one hand, there are no
"discrepancies," as alleged; while, on the other hand, every word and every
expression, in the Greek, gets (and gives) its own exact value, and its full
significance.
To show that we are not without evidence, even from
tradition, we may state that there is a "Calvary" to be seen at Ploubezere near
Lannion, in the Cotes-du-Nord, Brittany, known as Les Cinq Croix ("The Five
Crosses"). There is a high cross in the centre, with four lower ones, two on
either side. There may be other instances of which we have not heard.
"In the Roman Catholic church . . . the altar-slab or 'table' alone is
consecrated, and in sign of this are cut in its upper surface five Greek
crosses, one in the centre and one in each corner... but the history of the
origin and development of this practice is not fully worked out" (Encycl.
Brittanica, 11th (Cambridge) ed., vol. i, pp. 762,763). This practice may
possibly be explained by the subject of this Appendix.
(1) Cp. Matt.
6:21,24, 8:21, 11:3; Luke 5:7, 6:6, 7:41, 9:56, 14:31, 16:13,18, 17:34,35,
18:10, 23:40.