Also: Did the saints call themselves 'Christians' – christianos or christianoi?
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Many believers use words, without really knowing what they mean. When it comes to
the Bible, it is important to know the actual meaning of the words that appear in
that book, or in translations of it. That is one of the elementary things on the
way to a better understanding of the Bible. This essay explains the meaning of the
words Christ, Christian, Messiah, Messias and Jesus, and their origin and etymology.
And also: Did the saints call themselves "Christians" – christianos or
christianoi? That is an important question, because many believers use the word
"Christian" and talk about "Christianity". Even that matter will be studied in this
treatise. Also the origin and meaning of name Jesus (in the Greek text of the New
Testament Iêsous) will be explained.
(Regarding the root and actual meaning of the word "saint", see the essay eg03c.htm. The essay eg01c.htm considers such words as "gentiles", "pagans" and "heathen or "heathens". The essay eg06b.htm sorts out the origin and meaning of the word "church".)
The words Messiah, Messias and Christ have all the same meaning. Their original-language forms are ha-Mashiyach (Hebrew) and ho Christos (Greek), which both signify "the Anointed [one]". "Messiah", which the 1769 KJ version has in Daniel 9:25 and 26, is merely a transliteration of the Hebrew adjective mashiyach. "Messias" of John 1:41 and 4:25 (in the Greek text Μεσσιας) is just a Greek spelling of the Hebrew Mashiyach which meant "Anointed".
The LXX – the Septuagint, an ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament – used the adjective christos (χριστος) as a translation of the Hebrew mashiyach, in Daniel 9:25 and in around 40 other passages.
Below, there are some more details on the Hebrew adjective mashiyach and its Greek translation christos. Also the meaning and use of the Greek word christianos (anglicised, "Christian"), will be explained.
A note: The word christianos (χριστιανος) appears in only 3 passages in the Greek text of the NT, Acts 11:26 and 26:28 and 1 Peter 4:16.
The word "Christ" is a corrupted form of the Greek adjective christos which meant "anointed" and was related to the verb chriô, "to anoint", and the noun chrisma, "anointing". The Greek phrase ho Christos was a translation of the Hebrew ha-Mashiyach (whence "Messiah") which likewise meant "the Anointed".
Unfortunately, most bible-translators have left christos ("anointed") untranslated, using instead that Greek word, in the form "Christ". Only a few versions properly render it as "anointed", or, when it refers to Jesus, as "the Anointed [one]". The un-translation "Christ" began to appear in the English language some time before the 1100s, and came into regular use circa year 1500.
Please note that the phrase ho Christos (in most English bible-translations as "Christ") was not a name but more like a title. Thus, "Jesus Christ", in the Greek text Iêsous ho Christos, simply means "Jesus the Anointed [one]". (Many times, the word order in the Greek NT text is instead ho Christos Iêsous, "the Anointed Jesus".)
The name Iêsous, as the spelling is in the Greek NT text, will be discussed later in this treatise.
Regarding what that title "the Anointed" referred to – perhaps the meaning was that Jesus was the anointed King of Israel, and possibly also that he was anointed as a "high priest". Anyway, Jesus is God's Anointed – a Ruler in the Reign of God.
The essay eo01b.htm has more on the Reign of God, also called Kingdom of God.
The essay eo02d.htm explains the meaning of the words antichristos and pseudochristos, and shows that the antichristoi and pseudochristoi (both in plural) that the New Testament talks about, existed back in those days, in the first century when the apostle John wrote his letters.
The word "Messiah" is a transliteration of the Hebrew ha-mashiyach which meant "the Anointed". The adjective mashiyach was related to the verb mashach which meant "to smear", "to anoint", and the noun mishchah which meant "anointing".
In the Greek text of the New Testament, the Hebrew ha-Mashiyach was translated as ho Christos which likewise meant "the Anointed". Related words in the Greek text of the NT: The noun chrisma, "anointing", and the verb chriô, "to anoint". (The Greek NT text contains even other anointing-related words, but they refer to anointings of a slightly different kind.)
Many English bible-translations contain the word "Messiah" only in 2 Old Testament passages, Daniel 9:25 and 26. But: The Hebrew word in question, mashiyach, occurs in numerous OT passages – Leviticus 4:3, 5, 16 and 6:22, 1 Samuel 2:10, 2:35, 12:3 and 5, 16:6, 24:6 and 10, 26:9, 11, 16 and 23, 2 Samuel 1:14, 16 and 21, 19:21, 22:51 and 23:1, 1 Chronicles 16:22, 2 Chronicles 6:42, Psalms 2:2, 18:50, 20:6, 28:8, 84:9, 89:38 and 51, 105:15, 132:10 and 17, Isaiah 45:1, Lamentations 4:20, Daniel 9:25 and 26, and Habakkuk 3:13.
In almost all of the above-mentioned scriptures, most bible-versions translate mashiyach properly as "anointed" or "anointed one", but for some reason many of them fail to do that in Daniel 9:25 and 26 and put in the un-translation "Messiah", instead. Again: "Messiah" is merely a corrupted form of the Hebrew adjective mashiyach which meant "anointed".
A note: The LXX (the Septuagint, an ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament) rendered mashiyach in about 40 passages as christos, which likewise meant "anointed" – so also in Daniel 9:25, but in Daniel 9:26 the LXX has for some reason the word chrisma which meant "anointing".
Two passages in the Greek text of the NT, John 1:41 and 4:25, contain the word Messias. That is a transliterated form of the Hebrew mashiyach, "anointed". That Greek transliteration was used for the purpose of explaining the Hebrew word's meaning – here are the verses in question:
John 1:41 [...] eurêkamen ton Messian ho estin methermêneuomenon ho Christos (WH)
A translation of that verse in its entirety:
John 1:41 He first finds his brother Simon and says to him, We have found the Messiah (which by translation means "Anointed"). (Author's tr.)
The other New Testament passage verse where the Greek text contains the word Messias:
John 4:25 [...] oida hoti Messias erchetai ho legomenos Christos [...] (WH)
A translation of the whole verse:
John 4:25 The woman said to him, I know that the Messiah is coming (the one who is called "Anointed"). When he comes, he will tell us all things. (Author's tr.)
Again, in those two passages the reason for mentioning the Hebrew word [ha-] Mashiyach (the Greek text has it in the transliterated form Messias), was to explain that Mashiyach meant the same as Christos in the Greek language – "Anointed" in English translation. Elsewhere in the New Testament, the Greek word [ho] Christos is used instead, around 569 times.
In the Greek text of the New Testament, the spelling is Iêsous (Ιησους), pronounced something like ee-ay-sooce'.
There is no mention of a Hebrew or Aramaic form of Jesus' name in the Bible. The Scriptures give us only the spelling Iêsous. In fact, we do not even know whether he ever had a Hebrew or Aramaic name. (Palestine had been under Greek rule and influence for centuries. In New Testament times, the common languages among the Jews in that land were Aramaic and Greek. Some knew even Latin; Hebrew was spoken in some few local areas.) But, if there was an Aramaic or Hebrew form of Jesus' name, then it might have been something like Yehowshuwa ("Joshua", "Jehoshua"). Read on:
In the LXX (the Septuagint, an ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament), the name of Joshua the son of Nun, Yehowshuwa in the Hebrew text, is spelled (transliterated as) Iêsous. It is the same in the New Testament: In the Greek text of Acts 7:45 and Hebrews 4:8, Joshua's name is written as Iêsous (Iêsou). So, it is possible (but not at all certain) that if Jesus had a Hebrew or Aramaic name, then it might have been something like Yehowshuwa.
The exact meaning of the name Yehowshuwa is not known with certainty. It is thought to have been combined of the name Yehovah and the verb yasha which had to do with saving and deliverance. On those grounds, some have thought that Yehowshuwa might have meant something like "Jehovah is salvation". ("Yehowshuwa" is a commonly used English transliteration of the Hebrew letters in Joshua's name, but there are many other views and suggestions as to how that name should be transliterated and pronounced. The same goes for the name Yehovah.)
In other words: In the apostles' day, who used the word "Christian" (christianos), and in what way and for what purpose? Below, it will be shown what the New Testament has to say about that.
But first – what is the literal, linguistic meaning of the word "Christian"? Its root or etymological background is this: It comes from the Greek noun christianos which was derived from Christos (see above). The practical meaning of the word christianos, plural christianoi, was "a follower of the Christos".
The Greek word christianos appears only 3 times in the Bible. Some "modern" bible-versions have put the word "Christian" in numerous passages, but again, the Greek text has christianos only in 3 passages – these ones:
Acts 11:26 And having found [him], he brought him to Antioch. And so it was with them that for a whole year they were gathered together in the assembly and taught a large crowd: and the disciples were first called [A] Christians [christianous] in Antioch. (DBY, comment added)
[A] Please note that this verse does not say that the disciples used the name christianous of themselves, but instead that they were called by that name (that is, by outsiders).
Acts 26:28 And Agrippa said unto Paul, ‘In a little thou dost persuade me to become a Christian!’ [christianon] (YLT, comment added)
1 Peter 4:14 if ye be reproached in the name of Christ—happy are ye, because the Spirit of glory and of God upon you doth rest; in regard, indeed, to them, he is evil-spoken of, and in regard to you, he is glorified; 15 for let none of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evil-doer, or as an inspector into other men’s matters; 16 and if as a Christian, [christianos] let him not be ashamed; and let him glorify God in this respect (YLT, comment added)
So, did the saints use the name christianos of themselves? The answer is that there is no indication of that. If you carefully read those passages with their context, you will note that it was outsiders, the ridiculing non-believers, who used the word christianos of the saints and believers. Those outsiders used christianos as a byword, in a reviling and a derogatory manner.
So, what did the saints then call themselves? What we know is that the New Testament writers addressed the saints (as the Greek NT text records it) by such words and names as adelphoi ("brothers"), pistoi ("faithful ones"), eklektoi ("chosen ones"), hagioi ("separated ones"), and so on, including mathêtai ("disciples") as in Acts 11:26 and numerous other passages. But not christianos; that was a by-word which was used by outsiders.
Understanding that, also helps one to better understand this passage in the apostle Peter's letter to certain saints:
1 Peter 4:14 If you are reviled for the name of the Anointed [Greek, Christos], blessed are you, for the Spirit of praise and of God rests upon you. They speak evil of him, but you honour him. 15 But let none of you undergo punishment as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a meddler in other people's matters. 16 Yet, if anyone undergoes punishment for being a christianos, let him not be ashamed but rather praise God because of that. (Author's tr.)
It seems that in the Roman (and Jewish) world of New Testament times, the word christianos was used as an accusation. Apparently, being a christianos was about as bad a crime as being a murderer or a thief or the like. Being a christianos was something that one was persecuted for, and put in jail and killed for.
Again: As far as we can see, the saints did not use the word christianos of themselves; that was an epithet that outsiders used of them.
Later, when Constantine founded his deceiving religion, the word christianos began to be used in a different way, but that has nothing to do with the saints or Jesus or with how that word was used in the apostles' day. (For some more information on emperor Constantine, look under the heading "Constantine" on the index-page keyw-c3.htm.)
Some have claimed, on the basis of the word Christian (christianos), that the saints supposedly were "anointed ones". But, it would not be correct to say that. Again, the phrase ho Christos meant "the Anointed [one]". Its Hebrew equivalent was ha-Mashiyach. Point: Jesus is ha-Mashiyach, ho Christos, the Anointed. That title belongs to him. The saints were not "anointed ones"; they were followers of Ιηεους Χριστος, Jesus the Anointed.
It is true that even the saints had an "anointing" – Greek chrisma – which was the Holy Spirit, see 1 John 2:20 and 27. But again, such titles as "the Anointed" (ho Christos) and "God's Anointed" (ton Christon tou Theou, Luke 9:20) belong to Jesus alone.
A note: 1 John 2:20, the 1769 KJ version renders chrisma as "unction", and in 1 John 2:27 as "anointing". Both words have the same meaning – in this context, "unction" is a synonym for "anointing".
The essay ea08b.htm has more on religious titles, including "the Anointed" and "God's Anointed". And again, the essay eo02d.htm explains the meaning of the words antichristos and pseudochristos, and shows that the antichristoi or pseudochristoi (plural) that the New Testament talks about, existed back in those days, and that they had already come on the scene when the apostle John wrote his letters, in the first century.
The epithet ho Christos ("Christ", meaning "the Anointed") was not a name but more like a title. "Jesus Christ", in the Greek text Iêsous ho Christos, simply meant "Jesus the Anointed [one]". Often, the word-order was ho Christos Iêsous, "the Anointed Jesus". Jesus has a special anointing (chrisma) from his Father; the Bible does not explain the details, but we can expect that that may refer to the fact that the Father has made ("anointed") Jesus a Ruler in his Kingdom. Possibly it also refers to his role as an (anointed) High Priest.
"Messiah" and "Messias" are transliterations of the Hebrew word mashiyach with the same meaning, "anointed". Thus, "Messias" = Messiah = Hebrew Mashiyach = Greek Christos = "Christ" = "the Anointed".
The word "Christian" – Greek christianos, plural christianoi – was something that the outsiders used of the disciples, saints and believers, as a by-word. It was a ridiculing name that non-believers used of those who followed Jesus the Anointed (Iêsous ho Christos, alternatively ho Christos Iêsous).
The adjective christos was related to the noun chrisma, "anointing", and the verb chriô which meant "to touch", "to smear", "to anoint".
The saints had a chrisma, "anointing", because they had received the Holy Spirit (which in the Bible sometimes is likened to oil). But, that did not make "anointed ones" of the saints; the title ho Christos belongs to Jesus.
There is no mention or example in the Bible of the saints calling themselves christianoi ("Christians"). That was a by-word that outsiders used of the saints and believers.
(Later, when the saints were no longer on the scene, there arose a new religion with an organisation connected to it – the Catholic Church. It began applying the word christianos in a new way, using it of its own members.)
The meaning of the words antichristos and pseudochristos is explained in the essay eo02d.htm which also shows that the antichristoi or pseudochristoi (plural) that the New Testament talks about, had already come on the scene when the apostle John wrote his letters.
The essay eg06b.htm explains the actual origin and meaning of the word "church", and the essays ea01d.htm, ea02d.htm and ea03d.htm have more on churches. The essay ea04c.htm sorts out the word and concept "worship". The essay eg04b.htm shows what happened to the saints, in the first century.
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Additional reading at the Bible Pages, on related as well as other issues:
A clarifying explanation of the short names for the bible-versions quoted or mentioned at this site, such as that NKJV stands for New King James Version, YLT for Young's Literal translation, HCSB for Holman Christian Standard Bible, NRSV for the New Revised Standard Version, and so on. → es09c.htm
What is the Reign or Kingdom of God (or of Heaven)? Also: Where is it located, and does it exist or is it only going to be established in the future? Also: Some notes on Luke 17:21 and the translation "within you" and the claim that the Kingdom of God supposedly is "in the hearts of men". → eo01b.htm
What does the Bible say about the antichrist or antichrists? The meaning of the Greek word antichristos. Also: The apostle John spoke about multiple antichristoi, plural, not a singular one only. → eo02d.htm
Jesus warned his disciples about false prophets, teachers of falsehood, deceivers and deception. He said that many would be deceived. → eo09e.htm
Check your bible knowledge. A basic self-test with 15 biblical questions (with answers and commentary). → es04b.htm
The concepts "saint" and "sainthood" analysed. Does the Bible define or clarify who is a saint and what sainthood consists of? Also: Are there saints here on Earth, in our day? What do the Scriptures say concerning these things? Further: What is the etymology of the word "saint", and what does it really mean? → eg03c.htm
Matthew 16:18, "I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it". What was Jesus talking about? What is the immortal assembly or ekklêsia which he said he would form, and where is it located? Is it an earthly religious organisation in this world – a church – or is it a heavenly assembly that has as its members the saints who have become immortals? → ea01d.htm
The origin and meaning of the word "church". → eg06b.htm
What does Galatians 4:26 mean? It talks about the heavenly Jerusalem and is a part of an allegory regarding the two covenants. Why have some preachers then claimed that it refers to some church? This essay finds the facts regarding the allegory of Galatians 4:21-31, and shows what the different things named in it pictured and symbolised. → ea02d.htm
Church eras – do they exist? Are there seven "eras of the Church", as some have claimed – "Sardis era", "Philadelphian era", "Laodicean era" and so on? Is there any biblical basis for that dogma? The question in a nutshell: The seven assemblies mentioned in Revelation 2 and 3 – were they contemporary assemblies of saints in the days of John (as the book of Revelation describes them), or are they, as some have claimed, successive "eras of the Church of God" that exist in later times and continue to our day? → ea03d.htm
What the Bible says about titles of men in the religious context. A few comments regarding certain ecclesiastical titles, such as apostle, bishop, deacon, doctor of theology, evangelist, father, minister, pastor, priest, prophet, reverend, and so on. → ea08b.htm
Worshipping God. What does the Bible say about worship, when it comes to New Covenant times? Serving God is something important, for many believers. There is a custom to gather for worship services. Indeed, for many people, worship is the same as going to church or attending church. But, where does the word "worship" really come from, and what does it mean? And, what about praise and giving thanks and "offerings", and so on? In what way and when and where should believers be serving and worshipping God? → ea04c.htm
What happened to the saints, in the first century? Also, some notes on the "early church". → eg04b.htm
Gentiles, pagans and heathen or heathens – what do those words mean? This exposition makes it plain and clear what the concepts "gentile", "pagan" and "heathen" actually refer to, in the Bible. → eg01c.htm
Rapture and parousia – are they biblical concepts? → eg05b.htm
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