Bronze Serpent and Christ
Early Christians often said the bronze serpent pointed to Christ on the cross. Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Ignatius, Barnabas, and Tertullian all link Moses’ serpent with Jesus being lifted up for salvation. The core idea is typology: a healing sign in Numbers 21 that points ahead to Christ’s saving death. A few other passages are indirect, but the main teaching is broad and early.
109 early-church witnesses · 155 source quotations · compared with Scripture
What did early Christians believe about the Bronze Serpent and Christ?
Early Christian writers commonly treated the bronze serpent as a sign that pointed to Christ, and they tied it directly to John 3:14. Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Ignatius, Barnabas, and Tertullian all connect Moses’ serpent to Jesus being lifted up on the cross for salvation. The widest agreement is on typology: the serpent was a healing sign in Moses’ day and a picture of Christ’s saving death later. A few texts are more indirect or mixed, but the main witness is clear and early.
Many more early Christian quotations, Bible passages, and source links are gathered below so you can study the evidence for yourself.
Key Takeaways
- Early Christian writers often read the bronze serpent as a sign of Christ crucified.
- Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Ignatius, Barnabas, and Tertullian all use this connection.
- The main Bible texts are Numbers 21:8-9 and John 3:14.
Questions Answered by the Sources
Did the early Christians say the bronze serpent pointed to Christ?
Several early writers explicitly say the bronze serpent was a sign or type of Christ, connecting Moses’ lifting up of the serpent with Jesus being lifted up for salvation. This is the strongest and most consistent theme in the source set.
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Barnabas, The Epistle of Barnabas Direct teaching
...ved they had destroyed Him on the cross when Israel was falling. Because Eve had sinned through the serpent, the Lord allowed serpents of every kind to bite them, and they died, to show them that their transgression led them to death. Moreover, when Moses commanded, “You shall not have any graven or molten image for your God,” he was revealing a type of Jesus. Moses then made a bronze serpent and placed it upon a pole, calling the people together. When they gathered, they asked Moses to offer sacrifices and pray for their healing. Moses told them, “If any of you is bitten, come to the serpent on the pole, and believe that even when dead, it can give him life, and immediately he will be restored.” And they did so. You see here also the glory of Jesus, for all things are in Him and to Him. What does Moses say to Joshua, son of Nun, when he gave him this name as a prophet? It was so that all the people would hear that the Father would reveal everything about His Son Jesus to the son of Nun. This name was given when he was sent to explore the land, and he said, “Take a book in your hands and write what the Lord declares, that the Son of God will, in the last days, cut off all the ho
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Ignatius of Antioch, Connection to John 3:14 Direct teaching
The Word raised up again His own temple on the third day, when it had been destroyed by the Jews fighting against Christ. The Word, when His flesh was lifted up, after the manner of the brazen serpent in the wilderness, drew all men to Himself for their eternal salvation.
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Tertullian, Against Marcion Direct teaching
The form, however, of the brazen serpent which the Lord afterwards commanded Moses to make, afforded no pretext for idolatry, but was meant for the cure of those who were plagued with the fiery serpents.
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Justin Martyr, The First Apology Direct teaching
and that Moses, by the inspiration and influence of God, took brass, and made it into the figure of a cross, and set it in the holy tabernacle, and said to the people, “If ye look to this figure, and believe, ye shall be saved thereby.” And when this was done, it is recorded that the serpents died, and it is handed down that the people thus escaped death.
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Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book IV Direct teaching
nay, but it even exhorted them so to do, saying that men can be saved in no other way from the old wound of the serpent than by believing in Him who, in the likeness of sinful flesh, is lifted up from the earth upon the tree of martyrdom, and draws all things to Himself, and vivifies the dead.
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Tertullian, Against All Heresies Supporting witness
and whoever gazed upon him obtained health. Christ Himself (they say further) in His gospel imitates Moses' serpent's sacred power, in saying: And as Moses upreared the serpent in the desert, so it behooves the Son of man to be upreared.
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Tertullian, On Idolatry Direct teaching
But if any feigns ignorance of the fact that that effigy of the serpent of bronze, after the manner of one uphung, denoted the shape of the Lord's cross, which was to free us from serpents — that is, from the devil's angels— while, through itself, it hanged up the devil slain;
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Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Direct teaching
According to the likeness of this was made in the desert the brazen serpent which Moses set up.
More related quotations from this section 5 shown
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Tertullian, On Idolatry Supporting witness
...nue in sins. For there is not one of us who was not found as a sinner, since no other cause brought Christ down except to set sinners free. Again, they say that the same apostle left a command, according to his own example, that each one should work with his own hands for a living. If this command is held to apply to all hands, then I suppose even bath-thieves live by their hands, and robbers themselves get the means to live by their hands. Forgers also carry out their evil writings, not with their feet, of course, but with their hands. Actors too earn a living not with their hands alone, but with their whole limbs. Therefore let the Church stand open to all who are supported by their hands and by their own work, if there is no exception for crafts that the Discipline of God does not receive. But someone says, against our position that making a likeness is forbidden, "Why then did Moses in the desert make a likeness of a serpent out of bronze?" Those figures, which used to be laid down as a foundation for some hidden future divine arrangement, stand in a class by themselves. They were not intended to repeal the law, but to serve as a type of their own final purpose. Otherwise, i
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Barnabas, The Epistle of Barnabas Supporting witness
Moses then makes a brazen serpent, and places it upon a beam, and by proclamation assembles the people.
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Tertullian, Against All Heresies Supporting witness
His power and majesty (they say) Moses perceiving, set up the brazen serpent;
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Barnabas, The Epistle of Barnabas Supporting witness
And in another prophet He declares, “All day long I have stretched forth My hands to an unbelieving people, and one that gainsays My righteous way.” And again Moses makes a type of Jesus, [signifying] that it was necessary for Him to suffer, [and also] that He would be the author of life [to others], whom they believed to have destroyed on the cross when Israel was falling.
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Barnabas, The Epistle of Barnabas Supporting witness
Moreover Moses, when he commanded, “Ye shall not have any graven or molten [image] for your God,” did so that he might reveal a type of Jesus.
Did Christians say the bronze serpent was meant to be worshiped?
The sources describe the bronze serpent as a divinely given sign for healing, not an idol. One Bible text shows that it was later destroyed when Israel burned incense to it, supporting the distinction between the original sign and later misuse.
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John 3:14 Direct teaching
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
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Tatian, The Diatessaron Direct teaching
... that descended from heaven, the Son of man, who is in heaven. John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so is the Son of man to be lifted up; John 3:15 so that every man who may believe in him may not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 God so loved the world, that he should give his only Son; and so every one that believes in him should not perish, but should have eternal life. John 3:17 God sent not his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him. John 3:18 He that believes in him shall not be judged. But he that believes not is condemned beforehand, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son, the Son of God. John 3:19 This is the judgement, that the light came into the world, and men loved the darkness more than the light, because their deeds were evil. John 3:20 Whosoever does evil deeds hates the light, and comes not to the light, lest his deeds be reproved. John 3:21 But he that does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be known, that they have been done in God.”
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Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Direct teaching
This, he says, is that which has been declared: In the same manner as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so also must the Son of man be lifted up.
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Tatian, The Diatessaron Direct teaching
40 John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so is the Son of man to be 41 lifted up;
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Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Supporting witness
...above or on earth should be made, yet He also instructed Moses in the wilderness to make the bronze serpent as a sign for those bitten by serpents to be saved? Yet He remains free from unrighteousness. Through this, as I mentioned before, He revealed the mystery, showing that He would break the power of the serpent that led to Adam's transgression and would bring salvation to those who believe in Him, who was foreshadowed by this sign—the one who was to be crucified—from the fangs of the serpent, which are wicked deeds, idolatries, and other unrighteous acts. If this is not the case, then give me a reason why Moses made the bronze serpent as a sign and instructed those who were bitten to look at it, and they were healed; even though he had been commanded not to make any likeness of anything."
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Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Supporting witness
It was shown through symbolism, even in the time of Moses, that there would be two comings of this Christ, as I have mentioned before, this is evident from the symbol of the goats offered for sacrifice during the fast. Moreover, what Moses and Joshua did also symbolically announced and foretold the same event. For one of them, holding out his hands, stayed until evening on the hill, his hands being supported; this reveals a symbol of nothing other than the cross: and the other, whose name was changed to Jesus (Joshua), led the battle, and Israel was victorious. This happened with both these holy men and prophets of God, so you can understand how one of them could not bear both mysteries: meaning, the symbol of the cross and the symbol of the name. For this has been and always will be the strength of Him alone, whose name every power fears, being greatly tormented because they will be destroyed by Him. Therefore, our suffering and crucified Christ was not cursed by the law, but He showed that He alone would save those who do not turn away from His faith. And the blood of the Passover, sprinkled on each man’s doorposts and lintel, saved those who were rescued in Egypt, when the first
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Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Supporting witness
And it seems that the type and sign, which was erected to counteract the serpents which bit Israel, was intended for the salvation of those who believe that death was declared to come thereafter on the serpent through Him that would be crucified, but salvation to those who had been bitten by him and had betaken themselves to Him that sent His Son into the world to be crucified.
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Ignatius, Epistle to the Smyrnaeans (Long Version) Supporting witness
The Word, when His flesh was lifted up, after the manner of the brazen serpent in the wilderness, drew all men to Himself for their eternal salvation.
What did the Bible say happened with the bronze serpent in the wilderness?
Numbers says Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole so that whoever looked at it would live. John 3:14 then uses that event as the direct comparison for the Son of Man being lifted up.
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Numbers 21:9 Direct teaching
So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
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Numbers 21:8 Direct teaching
And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
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Numbers 21:7 Supporting witness
Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
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Numbers 21:6 Supporting witness
So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.
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Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Supporting witness
Unless the matter be so understood, give me a reason why Moses set up the brazen serpent for a sign, and bade those that were bitten gaze at it, and the wounded were healed;
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Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Supporting witness
and then he himself made a brazen serpent and set it on a standard, and bade those who were bitten look at it: and they were saved when they looked at it.
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Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Supporting witness
To those, then, he says, who of the children of Israel were bitten in the wilderness, Moses exhibited the real and perfect serpent;
More related quotations from this section 2 shown
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Barnabas, The Epistle of Barnabas Supporting witness
And Moses spake unto them, saying, “When any one of you is bitten, let him come to the serpent placed on the pole;
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Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Supporting witness
Then I replied, “Just as God commanded the sign to be made by the brazen serpent, and yet He is blameless;
Common Questions
Did early Christians see the bronze serpent as a picture of Christ?
Yes. Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Ignatius, Barnabas, and Tertullian connect the bronze serpent with Christ being lifted up for salvation.
Which Bible passage links the bronze serpent to Jesus?
John 3:14 does: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.”
Was the bronze serpent itself worshiped by Christians?
No. Tertullian says the bronze serpent was for healing, not idolatry.
Source Index for the Bronze Serpent and Christ
The guided sections above show the strongest quotations. This compact index highlights 126 ranked source links from 155 compiled sources for deeper study.
Source index 126 ranked links shown
Early Christian Writings 80 shown of 109
Primary-source quotations from early Christian writers and church documents.
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Ignatius of Antioch, Connection to Romans 8:17
Bible Passages 46 included
Related Bible passages saved for comparison with the early Christian quotations.