Page 163 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

CRUSE - CULT

the depression at the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, Hezekiah’s Tunnel that the standard Jewish cubit was 18
square, wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the inches. The tunnel is 1800 feet long, and the dedication
wood. Quickly he moves to the other side and repeats the inscription, which was found in 1880, says it is 1200
action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to cubits long. That means the standard Hebrew cubit of
allow some flex and movement. The cross is then lifted into Hezekiah’s day was 18 inches. [See also Weights and
place. The left foot is pressed backward against the right foot, Measures.]
and with both feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven
through the arch of each, leaving the knees flexed. The victim CUD. The food which ruminating animals chew at
is now crucified. As he slowly sags down with more weight on leisure, when not grazing or eating; or that portion of it
the nails in the wrists, excruciating, fiery pain shoots along the which is brought from the first stomach and chewed at
fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain—the nails in once (Le. 11:3-26; De. 14:6-8).
the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves. As he CULT. The term “cult” is from the Latin word cultus,
pushes himself upward to avoid his stretching torment, he which refers to worship and religious devotion. It is
places the full weight on the nail through his feet. Again he
feels the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves most commonly used today of a religious sect,
between the bones of the feet. As the arms fatigue, cramps particularly those sects which seriously deviate from
sweep through the muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless, traditional Bible Christianity. Since the term “cult” is not
throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push a Bible one, there is no absolute definition of it. Websters
himself upward to breathe. Air can be drawn into the lungs but College Dictionary gives three basic definitions of a cult:
not exhaled. He fights to raise in order to get even one small “a particular system of religious worship, especially with
breath. Finally carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the reference to its rites and ceremonies; a group that
blood stream, and the cramps partially subside. Spasmodically devotes itself to or venerates a person, ideal, fad, etc.; a
he is able to push himself upward to exhale and bring in life- religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or
giving oxygen. Hours of this limitless pain, cycles of twisting, extremist.” According to the Dictionary of Cults, Sects,
joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing
pain as tissue is torn from his lacerated back as he moves up Religions and the Occult, a cult is “a relatively small,
and down against the rough timber. Then another agony often transitory religious group that commonly follows a
begins: a deep, crushing pain deep in the chest as the radical leader. In recent times, orthodox Christians have
pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the used the term to describe those religious groups that
heart. It is now almost over—the loss of tissue fluids has deny the Trinity and specifically the deity of Jesus
reached a critical level—the compressed heart is struggling to Christ. Their teachings are contrary to historic Christian
pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the tissues—the orthodoxy.” Walter Martin, in The Kingdom of the Cults,
tortured lungs are making a frantic effort to gasp in small gulps defined a cult as “any religious group which differs
of air. He can feel the chill of death creeping through his significantly in some one or more respects as to belief or
tissues. … Finally, he can allow his body to die. [Editor: We practice, from those religious groups which are regarded
know that the Lord Jesus Christ dismissed His spirit from His
body; He was in complete control even of the time of His death as the normative expressions of religion in our total
(Jn. 19:30).] All this the Bible records with the simple words, culture.”
‘And when they had crucified him …’” (Mk. 15:24). What a Because of this variation and uncertainty in the
wondrous love is this! (The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. definition of the term “cult,” it should be employed
8). [See Crown for “Crown of Thorns.”] [See also cautiously and should be plainly defined by the user.
Atonement, Blood, Cross, Death, Gall, Golgotha, Gospel, This editor believes Bible terms describing error are
Jesus Christ, Judas, Myrrh.] much more helpful. These are terms such as “false
CRUSE. A small, earthen vessel for holding liquids (1 prophets” (Mt. 7:15; 24:24); “heresies” (2 Pe. 2:1);
Sa. 26:11, 12, 16; 1 Ki. 19:6). “heretic” (Tit. 3:10); “false teacher” (2 Pe. 2:1); “false
CRYSTAL. A transparent, colorless quartz (Job 28:17; apostles, deceitful workers” (2 Co. 11:13); “doctrines of
Re. 4:6; 21:11; 22:1). devils” (1 Ti. 4:1); “tradition of men” (Col. 2:8); “evil
CUBIT. The standard cubit in Israel was measured workers” (Ph. 3:2); “another gospel” (2 Co. 11:4; Ga.
from the tip of a man’s fingers to the tip of the elbow, 1:6), “antichrists” (1 Jn. 3:18); “evil men and
which was about 18 inches. The larger cubit (Eze. 40:5) seducers” (2 Ti. 3:13); “deceivers” (2 Ti. 3:13); “every
added a “handbreadth” of three inches to equal about wind of doctrine” (Ep. 4:14); “them which cause
21 inches. “The Babylonians had a ‘royal’ cubit of about divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye
19.8 inches, the Egyptians had a longer and a shorter have learned” (Ro. 16:17).
cubit of about 20.65 inches and 17.6 inches One of the chief errors relating to the use of the term
respectively” (R.B.Y. Scott, “Weights and Measures of “cult” today is in limiting biblical separation to the basis
the Bible,” The Biblical Archaeologist, May 1959, pp. of only a few “cardinal” doctrines. A book published in
22-27, summarized by Whitcomb and Morris, The 1976 entitled Whom Then Can We Believe? (Maurice
Genesis Flood). In 1880 evidence was found in Burrell and J. Stafford Wright, Moody Press) dealt with

Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity 163