The editor of Christianity Today apologized for a controversial article during Holy Week that undermined the biblical account of the crucifixion.
The article theorized that Romans soldiers might have affixed Jesus Christ to the cross not with nails but with rope. The suggestion was vehemently opposed by Christians online who pointed out that the theory would go against biblical inerrancy.
‘In my eagerness to explore the historical context of Christ’s death, I missed that, and I’m sorry.’
The article was based on a paper by Bible scholar Jeffrey P. Arroyo García published in an academic journal. The theory depends on the account in the Gospel of John being written in the late first century, and more importantly, being falsified.
After outrage from many corners of Christendom, news editor Daniel Silliman apologized and explained what led to the article.
“Like so many Christians, I spent a lot of time before Easter thinking about the Crucifixion: how it must have felt for Jesus to die that way, how God chose this particular device of Roman terror to accomplish our salvation, and how it worked practically to kill someone on a cross,” wrote Silliman.
He went on to admit that he missed the importance of the account from the Gospel of John.
“My article implicitly called into question the inerrancy of Scripture. In my eagerness to explore the historical context of Christ’s death, I missed that, and I’m sorry,” Silliman concluded.
The article was also updated with a correction that linked to the apology.
“This article has been revised to clarify that Scripture, including the Gospel of John, indicates that Jesus was crucified with nails and that Christianity Today, along with Christian scholars and theologians throughout church history, affirms that account,” the correction stated.
Some praised Silliman for admitting the error and publishing an apology.
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