Scripture

The integrity of the upright will lead them, But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.

~Proverbs 11:3, LSB

Quote

Dishonesty, cowardice and duplicity are never impulsive: they are premeditated.

~George Knight

The term ‘double-cross’ has been used in various contexts for many centuries, usually as a straightforward reference to the shape of two crosses, as in the architectural design of cathedrals for example. That meaning is unrelated to the current figurative ‘cheating’ usage of ‘double cross’, which dates only from the late 18th century. To find the origin of the expression ‘double cross’ as it is now used, we need to look first at one of the many meanings of the noun ‘cross’. From the mid 1700s, a ‘cross’ was a transaction that wasn’t ‘square’, that is, not honest and fair. The term was most often used in a sporting context, where a cross was a match that was lost as a result of a corrupt arrangement between the principals involved. You might expect that a ‘double cross’ was a deceit in which two parties collude in a swindle and one of them later goes back on the arrangement, crossing both the original plan and his erstwhile partner in crime. Although that is the case, the term ‘double’ doesn’t here mean simply ‘two times’. ‘To double’ had long been used to mean ‘to make evasive turns or shifts; to act deceitfully’. This derives from the imagery of someone doubling back over a previous route. This ‘doubling’ gave rise to the term ‘double dealing’, which has been used since the early 1500s to refer to someone duplicitously saying one thing and doing another, for example, a ‘double agent’.

Arthur Bennett has another example of a double cross. He says, “When someone crosses me, sudden anger arises in me and I respond in the flesh which means I have crossed Christ who desires that I respond in a loving Christian manner.” This is a very interesting concept: some one crosses us and we cross Christ by not responding at He would. This means I am guilty of the despicable double cross which of course I loathe. It amazes me how many ways we find to sin. Had I not read Arthur Bennett’s prayer of confession, I would have never thought about this sin. How many more sins have I not thought about. It is something to ponder.

Extra

This is the Friday blog which I did not get to post. I’m not sure what happened myself. My domain name cost me and my carrier also bills me. I had paid one for three years but up pops someone else that bills me for $41 more for two years. We will see what happens. There were about six of you who called or texted so I know I have a half dozen faithful readers.

In the process of remodeling the office at the Eastern Gate Headquarters so I am on the house computer today. I hope to get my office restored some time today. I worked on it all day yesterday but by 5:00 pm, I was totally exhausted. I hope you have a great weekend and thanks for reading the blog.