Referring to Jesus as "Jesus Christ".

Post Reply New Topic

It's common even for nonChristians to refer to Jesus as "Jesus Christ". "Christ" is analyzed as being like a last name.

Yep....because he was referred to as "The Christ" in his own time.

It was Greek for "Messiah." It was used both straightforwardly and facetiously.

Jesus was the guy's name (the Latinized version of "Joshua"). . "Christ" was not his last name, but was his title. "Jesus the Christ". Christ meaning "messiah".

Yeah. But it's common even for people who don't believe Jesus was the messiah to refer to him as "Jesus Christ". They treat "Christ" as though it were his last name, even though it wasn't.

Look, its Jesussaurus



or is it Jesussaurus Christ...

How about Jesus H. Christ?

The "H" actually is from the abbreviated Greek for 'the'. 'Jesus ho Christus', occasionally written as 'Ic h Xc' translates/transliterates into 'Jesus the Christ', which distinguishes him from the many other anointed figures (christoi) at the time (kings, generals, priests of any god, etc.).

How very interesting. I bet 99% of those who Jesus H Christ have no idea.

Christ is added so as not to confuse with Jesus Barabbas, the criminal who was set free in exchange for Jesus Christ.

Yep...that is quite interesting.

It goes to show how "Western" thought is still influenced by the Greeks (and Romans in a practical sense).

And also to distinguish him from all of the other Joshua's of the time who were not anointed. He was "Jesus the Christ" as opposed to other guys named "Joshua" who were not "anointed".

I've often heard the term 'christ' means anointed by God. To that extent Saul was, probably David and Solomon as well.

Christ is the Greek word, messiah is the Hebrew word, for the same thing: "the anointed one". Obviously God would be doing the anointing.

Saul/Paul would describe himself as an agent of his Messiah, not a messiah himself.

But for Centuries prior to Jesus the Jews of Judea had a concept of a future "messiah" who would lead them up from foreign bondage, and one the characteristics of this messiah would be that he would be a descendant of King David. So I suppose that you could claim King David would be considered anointed according to ancient Jewish theology.

Actually I meant Saul as in the first king of the Hebrews (1 Samuel) who was trying to kill David for several years. He was the first case, at least as I remember, in the old testament of a figure ceremonially christened with oil albeit it seems like the judges had a similar kind of temporary office, perhaps a sort of prototype without the ceremony? Before that the only other thing I can think of is Abraham's gifts to Melchizedek.

I take it as a sign of respect, the same way Siddhartha Gautama is universally called the Buddha, which I believe means "the Enlightened One (correct me if I'm wrong)," even by non-believers.

I think people are just used to Jesus being called Jesus Christ. I used to think Christ was his last name too.