Post by Jim Pate on Apr 28, 2015 3:59:52 GMT -5
Christ in the Bible χριστος
Christ, or christos is not really a name but an appellative, or even a title. It describes an appointment; a function in the theocratic structure of Israel. But Matthew mentions that Jesus of Nazareth was called Christ (1:16) and that makes this noun a valid member of the Abarim Publications Name Vault.
Etymology and meaning of the name Christ
The noun χριστος (christos), meaning anointed, comes from the Greek verb χριω (chrio), meaning to smear or anoint:
χριω
The verb χριω (chrio) means to smear or anoint. The Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament) uses this verb to describe any kind of smearing, pouring or anointing, ranging from regular armory maintenance (2 Samuel 1:21, Isaiah 21:5) to basic medical routines (Isaiah 1:6).
In Israel, the ritualistic act of anointing was performed to inaugurate people into certain specific offices, and only offices that had no earthly superior and were subject only to God. Thus only a High Priest (Leviticus 4:3) and a prophet and a king would be anointed into office (1 Kings 19:16). Regular priests and certain venerable objects would be consecrated by receiving a mere sprinkling of the oil (Exodus 30:26, Leviticus 8:30).
The derivations of this verb are:
The noun χρισμα (chrisma), meaning an anointing or the anointed. This noun is used to indicate the anointing oil (Exodus 29:7) and the Anointed One (Daniel 9:26) and in 1 John 2:20 it indicates the state of being anointed (in the Holy Spirit).
The noun χριστος (christos), denoting anyone anointed with the holy oil (high priests, prophets and kings). See our article on the name Christ.
The noun χριστιανος (christianos), which is a name given to the followers of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28, 1 Peter 4:16).
Compound derivations that contain our verb χριω (chrio):
The verb εγχριω (egchrio), from the preposition εν (en), meaning in, on, at or by, and our verb χριω (chrio). The verb εγχριω (egchrio) also means to anoint but with a rather mundane reflection, largely indicating a smearing in a medical or perhaps even recreational sense; eyes with salve (Revelation 3:18).
The verb επιχριω (epichrio), from the preposition επι (epi) meaning on or upon, and our verb χριω (chrio). The verb επιχριω (epichrio) means a smearing over. This verb occurs only in John 9:6 and 9:11, where Jesus over-smears the eyes of the blind man.
Associated Biblical names
♂Ø≣ Antichrist: αντιχριστος
♂♕☼
Ø
Christ: Χριστος
So yes, the literal meaning of the name Christ is Anointed, but practically it means much rather Inaugurated or even Highest Earthly Rank. Politically speaking, it describes the Individual's Autonomy, as opposed to a political system in which one person or a few people exert absolute power over the rest (read our article on the name Antichrist).
There were many more phrases and names from the Old Testament to label the Son of God with (Branch, Prince of Peace, Corner Stone), but the label Christ became such a hit probably because of its political implications.
In their wonderful book In Search Of Paul, authors Crossan and Reed argue that much of Paul's signature theological phraseology was in fact a direct response (and insurrectionary response) to Roman imperial theology. Since in Rome, politics and theology were the same, calling Jesus the Christ (or the Hebrew equivalent Messiah — John 1:41) was not so much an act of worship to God but much more an act of high treason against Roman imperial theology. Subsequently, the proclaimed Christ died a political death: on the cross.
To modern readers the name Christ doesn't mean anything other than it being the surname of Jesus, but in the time that the Bible was written it was a commonly understood title of the rightful king of Israel. The phrases "Son Of God," Redeemer, and "Savior of the World" came straight from the Romans and were originally applied to Caesar Augustus, son of the deified Julius Caesar.
Even the title "son of God" and the word monogenes, meaning only-begotten, a word made famous by John 3:16, is applied in the Bible to quite a few others (see below). And to make matters worse: even the name Jesus was quite common in the time of the Bible and there are five separate individuals named Jesus mentioned in the Bible (see our article on the name Jesus).
It seems that there are not many titles of Christ that are exclusively His. After His death and resurrection, the apostle Paul depicted Him mostly as the Crucified Christ (where the English word crucify is also a misnomer, since the Greek word that Paul uses means "lifted up" — Paul speaks of the Elevated Christ).
When under emperor Constantine Christianity became the empire's main religion, Christ quickly became known as Pantocrator, or All-Ruler, a phrase drawn from the Septuagint (and please read our article on the name Nazarene for a closer look at this). During the time of the great plague, Christ became the Man of Sorrows. The Reformation brought the Bible into the common home, and Jesus became mostly depicted as one of us, a sympathetic teacher with his friends and followers.
In our day and age of individual freedom, Christ is depicted in all possible ways, with all available skin colors and attire, even up to Catholicism Wow's nice tried but still wholly atrocious Buddy Christ.
Since Paul says that the Spirit searches all things (1 Corinthians 2:10), perhaps we should start calling Him the Great Search Engine. Or since in Him and by Him everything was made, and in Him all things hold together (Colossians 1:17), perhaps The Great Server would apply. Perhaps not. But all these various depictions show that no matter how intimate Christ is experienced, or how much reverence we feel for Him, His ultimate personality or even most fundamental function is utterly difficult to grasp.
The great unicity of Jesus Christ is not that He is the Christ, or that He is a teacher or even a son of God; His ultimate unicity is that He died like we will all die, but that He wouldn't stay dead. And that not just because he rose (because even that has a few Biblical precedents in Lazarus and the widow's son of Luke 7:11-16, the boy whom Elijah the Tishbite raised in 1 Kings 17:17-24 and the Shunammite's son whom Elisha raised in 2 Kings 4:35) but because there was nothing in this world that could keep Him dead. His victory over death at Golgotha, by the sheer merit of His identity, is big enough for us all to enjoy. In Christ, all of us are immortal.
So yes, the name Christ means Anointed, but with a very big footnote.
Sons of God mentioned in the Bible:
Adam: Luke 3:38
The Pre-flood Pack: Genesis 6:2
Israel: Exodus 4:22
Angelic Earth Patrol: Job 1:6
Peace makers: Matthew 5:9
The resurrected: Luke 20:36
Those led by the Spirit of God: Romans 8:14, 19
Those who have faith in Christ Jesus: Galatians 3:26
Those led by the Spirit of God: Romans 8:14, 19
Jesus: Luke 22:70
Occurrences of the word monogenes that don't apply to Jesus Christ:
...the only son of his mother... Luke 7:12
...for he [Jairus] had an only daughter... Luke 8:42
...for he is my only boy... Luke 9:38
...offering up his only begotten son (i.e. Isaac; Abraham already was the father of Ishmael.) Hebrews 11:17
Christ, or christos is not really a name but an appellative, or even a title. It describes an appointment; a function in the theocratic structure of Israel. But Matthew mentions that Jesus of Nazareth was called Christ (1:16) and that makes this noun a valid member of the Abarim Publications Name Vault.
Etymology and meaning of the name Christ
The noun χριστος (christos), meaning anointed, comes from the Greek verb χριω (chrio), meaning to smear or anoint:
χριω
The verb χριω (chrio) means to smear or anoint. The Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament) uses this verb to describe any kind of smearing, pouring or anointing, ranging from regular armory maintenance (2 Samuel 1:21, Isaiah 21:5) to basic medical routines (Isaiah 1:6).
In Israel, the ritualistic act of anointing was performed to inaugurate people into certain specific offices, and only offices that had no earthly superior and were subject only to God. Thus only a High Priest (Leviticus 4:3) and a prophet and a king would be anointed into office (1 Kings 19:16). Regular priests and certain venerable objects would be consecrated by receiving a mere sprinkling of the oil (Exodus 30:26, Leviticus 8:30).
The derivations of this verb are:
The noun χρισμα (chrisma), meaning an anointing or the anointed. This noun is used to indicate the anointing oil (Exodus 29:7) and the Anointed One (Daniel 9:26) and in 1 John 2:20 it indicates the state of being anointed (in the Holy Spirit).
The noun χριστος (christos), denoting anyone anointed with the holy oil (high priests, prophets and kings). See our article on the name Christ.
The noun χριστιανος (christianos), which is a name given to the followers of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28, 1 Peter 4:16).
Compound derivations that contain our verb χριω (chrio):
The verb εγχριω (egchrio), from the preposition εν (en), meaning in, on, at or by, and our verb χριω (chrio). The verb εγχριω (egchrio) also means to anoint but with a rather mundane reflection, largely indicating a smearing in a medical or perhaps even recreational sense; eyes with salve (Revelation 3:18).
The verb επιχριω (epichrio), from the preposition επι (epi) meaning on or upon, and our verb χριω (chrio). The verb επιχριω (epichrio) means a smearing over. This verb occurs only in John 9:6 and 9:11, where Jesus over-smears the eyes of the blind man.
Associated Biblical names
♂Ø≣ Antichrist: αντιχριστος
♂♕☼
Ø
Christ: Χριστος
So yes, the literal meaning of the name Christ is Anointed, but practically it means much rather Inaugurated or even Highest Earthly Rank. Politically speaking, it describes the Individual's Autonomy, as opposed to a political system in which one person or a few people exert absolute power over the rest (read our article on the name Antichrist).
There were many more phrases and names from the Old Testament to label the Son of God with (Branch, Prince of Peace, Corner Stone), but the label Christ became such a hit probably because of its political implications.
In their wonderful book In Search Of Paul, authors Crossan and Reed argue that much of Paul's signature theological phraseology was in fact a direct response (and insurrectionary response) to Roman imperial theology. Since in Rome, politics and theology were the same, calling Jesus the Christ (or the Hebrew equivalent Messiah — John 1:41) was not so much an act of worship to God but much more an act of high treason against Roman imperial theology. Subsequently, the proclaimed Christ died a political death: on the cross.
To modern readers the name Christ doesn't mean anything other than it being the surname of Jesus, but in the time that the Bible was written it was a commonly understood title of the rightful king of Israel. The phrases "Son Of God," Redeemer, and "Savior of the World" came straight from the Romans and were originally applied to Caesar Augustus, son of the deified Julius Caesar.
Even the title "son of God" and the word monogenes, meaning only-begotten, a word made famous by John 3:16, is applied in the Bible to quite a few others (see below). And to make matters worse: even the name Jesus was quite common in the time of the Bible and there are five separate individuals named Jesus mentioned in the Bible (see our article on the name Jesus).
It seems that there are not many titles of Christ that are exclusively His. After His death and resurrection, the apostle Paul depicted Him mostly as the Crucified Christ (where the English word crucify is also a misnomer, since the Greek word that Paul uses means "lifted up" — Paul speaks of the Elevated Christ).
When under emperor Constantine Christianity became the empire's main religion, Christ quickly became known as Pantocrator, or All-Ruler, a phrase drawn from the Septuagint (and please read our article on the name Nazarene for a closer look at this). During the time of the great plague, Christ became the Man of Sorrows. The Reformation brought the Bible into the common home, and Jesus became mostly depicted as one of us, a sympathetic teacher with his friends and followers.
In our day and age of individual freedom, Christ is depicted in all possible ways, with all available skin colors and attire, even up to Catholicism Wow's nice tried but still wholly atrocious Buddy Christ.
Since Paul says that the Spirit searches all things (1 Corinthians 2:10), perhaps we should start calling Him the Great Search Engine. Or since in Him and by Him everything was made, and in Him all things hold together (Colossians 1:17), perhaps The Great Server would apply. Perhaps not. But all these various depictions show that no matter how intimate Christ is experienced, or how much reverence we feel for Him, His ultimate personality or even most fundamental function is utterly difficult to grasp.
The great unicity of Jesus Christ is not that He is the Christ, or that He is a teacher or even a son of God; His ultimate unicity is that He died like we will all die, but that He wouldn't stay dead. And that not just because he rose (because even that has a few Biblical precedents in Lazarus and the widow's son of Luke 7:11-16, the boy whom Elijah the Tishbite raised in 1 Kings 17:17-24 and the Shunammite's son whom Elisha raised in 2 Kings 4:35) but because there was nothing in this world that could keep Him dead. His victory over death at Golgotha, by the sheer merit of His identity, is big enough for us all to enjoy. In Christ, all of us are immortal.
So yes, the name Christ means Anointed, but with a very big footnote.
Sons of God mentioned in the Bible:
Adam: Luke 3:38
The Pre-flood Pack: Genesis 6:2
Israel: Exodus 4:22
Angelic Earth Patrol: Job 1:6
Peace makers: Matthew 5:9
The resurrected: Luke 20:36
Those led by the Spirit of God: Romans 8:14, 19
Those who have faith in Christ Jesus: Galatians 3:26
Those led by the Spirit of God: Romans 8:14, 19
Jesus: Luke 22:70
Occurrences of the word monogenes that don't apply to Jesus Christ:
...the only son of his mother... Luke 7:12
...for he [Jairus] had an only daughter... Luke 8:42
...for he is my only boy... Luke 9:38
...offering up his only begotten son (i.e. Isaac; Abraham already was the father of Ishmael.) Hebrews 11:17