Was Jesus Nailed to the Cross? A Summary of the Controversy and Defense of the Traditional View

Was Jesus Nailed to the Cross? A Summary of the Controversy and Defense of the Traditional View

J. Neil Daniels 

The recent article by Daniel Silliman in Christianity Today raises the question of whether Jesus was actually nailed to the cross, suggesting that He may have instead been tied with ropes. This thesis, based on the work of Jeffrey P. Arroyo García, rests on the observation that the Gospels do not explicitly describe nails in the crucifixion narratives, and that Roman sources rarely mention nails in their depictions of crucifixion. García argues that while the use of nails is not impossible, it is not certain, and that exploring the ambiguity in the historical and archaeological record may deepen our understanding of the text. He suggests that Jesus may have been crucified by ropes, with nails being a later embellishment or symbol.

In response, Benjamin L. Gladd offers a robust rebuttal in The Gospel Coalition, arguing that the biblical, prophetic, archaeological, patristic, and theological evidence overwhelmingly supports the traditional view that Jesus was indeed nailed to the cross. Others, including Bill Roach and Robert A. J. Gagnon, have also critiqued Silliman.This matter is not one of idle speculation or curiosity—it touches on the very reality and suffering of Christ's atoning death and the fulfillment of prophetic Scripture.

The Biblical and Historical Case for Nails

The most direct biblical evidence comes from John 20:25, where Thomas demands to see “the mark of the nails” (týpon tón ílon) in Jesus’s hands. Jesus then invites him, “Put your finger here, and see my hands” (v. 27), plainly indicating visible and tactile wounds. Luke 24:39 similarly refers to Christ showing His “hands and feet,” which implicitly corroborates nail wounds, especially since such wounds would be the distinguishing marks of crucifixion, not mere rope bindings. These visible signs in the risen Lord’s glorified body serve as both proof of identity and theological symbol of sacrificial atonement.

Paul’s symbolic reference in Colossians 2:14—“nailing it to the cross”—derives its rhetorical and theological power from the historical reality of crucifixion by nails. The metaphor only works because the physical nailing of Christ was known and assumed by Paul and his readers.

Archaeological evidence, while sparse, is decisive. The remains of a crucified man from Jerusalem (ca. 1st century) discovered in 1968 revealed a seven-inch nail piercing the heel bone—a rare but unmistakable confirmation of the use of nails. A second example from Roman Britain confirms the practice in other provinces. While not every crucifixion used nails, these finds demonstrate that nailing was practiced and available, particularly in especially brutal executions.

Early Church Testimony

The view that Jesus was crucified with nails was not a later ecclesiastical embellishment, but the consistent witness of the early church. Ignatius of Antioch, writing around A.D. 110, refers to Christ as “truly nailed in the flesh” (Letter to the Smyrnaeans, 1). Justin Martyr, in his Dialogue with Trypho (ca. A.D. 160), connects the shape of the cross and the piercing of Christ’s hands and feet to messianic prophecy (cf. Dial. 97). Tertullian (ca. A.D. 200) also confirms this tradition: “The very extremities of the cross are parts of His body—His hands and His feet; and the tree is the means of His death” (Adversus Marcionem 3.18). Origen likewise speaks of “His hands and feet being fastened with nails” (Contra Celsum 2.33). These statements are not poetic or speculative—they are doctrinal affirmations grounded in the church's understanding of Christ’s sufferings.

Such references predate later Christological controversies and are found across different regions of the early Christian world. The universality and early attestation of this belief underscore its rootedness in apostolic tradition rather than theological imagination. Importantly, in his magisterial The Death of the Messiah, Raymond E. Brown argues that none of the early references appear to be motivated by Psalm 22:16 (LXX), which says, “they pierced my hands and my feet,” thus suggesting they stem from tradition rather than scriptural retrojection.

Theological and Prophetic Significance

Crucifixion by piercing is not a peripheral detail; it is central to the biblical witness and redemptive history. Isaiah 53:5 states, “He was pierced for our transgressions,” a prophecy fulfilled in Christ. Psalm 22:16 (LXX) reads, “They pierced my hands and my feet,” a text cited by the early church and echoed in the Passion narratives. Zechariah 12:10 foretells a future recognition: “They shall look on Me whom they have pierced.” These texts find their fulfillment not merely in the spear wound (John 19:34) but also, as the early church affirmed, in the physical nailing of Christ’s hands and feet.

To argue that Jesus may not have been nailed undercuts the typological and prophetic coherence of the biblical narrative. Moreover, it diminishes the concreteness of the wounds by which the risen Christ was recognized—a detail emphasized in the Gospels not to create spectacle, but to ground the reality of the Incarnation, crucifixion, and bodily resurrection.

Conclusion: Why Nails Matter

The question of whether Jesus was nailed is not an academic triviality. It touches on the historical integrity of the Gospel accounts, the fulfillment of Scripture, the continuity of apostolic tradition, and the visible marks that bear witness to the cost of our redemption. That Jesus was pierced—by nails, not ropes—is not just a tradition; it is a fact attested in Scripture, affirmed in early Christian testimony, and central to theology. The wounds in Christ’s hands and feet are not poetic flourishes—they are the marks of God’s love etched into flesh and lifted on wood. They testify that the price has been paid not abstractly, but viscerally, in blood and iron.

For Further Study 

Brown, Raymond E. The Death of the Messiah: From Gethsemane to the Grave—A Commentary on the Passion Narratives in the Four Gospels. 2 vols. New York: Doubleday, 1994.

Cook, John Granger. Crucifixion in the Mediterranean World. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2014.

Gladd, Benjamin L. “Pierced for Our Transgressions: Why Nails Matter.” The Gospel Coalition, April 18, 2025. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/pierced-transgressions-nails/.

Ignatius of Antioch. Letter to the Smyrnaeans. In The Apostolic Fathers, edited and translated by Bart D. Ehrman, 2 vols. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2003.

Josephus, Flavius. The Jewish War. Translated by G. A. Williamson. Revised edition. New York: Penguin, 1981.

Justin Martyr. Dialogue with Trypho. In The Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1, edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1981.

Marshall, I. Howard. The Gospel of Luke: A Commentary on the Greek Text. NIGTC. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1978.

Origen. Against Celsus. Translated by Henry Chadwick. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1953.

Roach, Bill. "Was Jesus Really Nailed to the Cross? Debunking Christianity Today." https://youtu.be/1kdwF5D5cxw?feature=shared

Rutledge, Fleming. The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2015.

Silliman, Daniel. “Was Jesus Crucified with Nails?” Christianity Today, April 14, 2025. https://www.christianitytoday.com.

Tertullian. Adversus Marcionem (Against Marcion). In The Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 3, edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1981.

Tzaferis, Vassilios. “Crucifixion—The Archaeological Evidence.” Biblical Archaeology Review 11.1 (1985): 44–53.