|
Why is the Fish a Christian Symbol? |
|
|
|
Written by eric francke
|
|
Friday, 18 July 2008 |
|
I recently asked a student why they thought the fish was a symbol for Christianity, and they promptly replied because it was "Jesus' favorite meal". Well, I am not going to dispute the speculation about what Jesus liked to eat, however, it is a little disconcerting to think that if such reasoning was true, and Jesus was around today, that we all might have little Dominoes Pizzas on our bumper stickers instead of the little fish symbols. The real reason is a little more complex.
The Greek word for fish is "ixthus" or "icthus." The Christian fish symbol that many Christians place on their car or wear as a pendant is known as the “ixthus.” Five Greek letters form the word “ixthus,” and those letters inside the fish form an acrostic which is a message that Christians clearly identified with.
The first letter represented the word Jesus. The second letter represented the word Christ, the next two, God Son, and the final letter represented the word Savior. This adds up to “Jesus Christ is God’s Son, the Savior.”
During early Christianity, Christians were often put to death for practicing their faith, so they worshiped in secret places. A fish painted on the outside door of a house let other Christians know that they would be safe and welcome inside. The Christian fish symbol is now often used to identify Christians and/or Christian businesses. |
|
Last Updated ( Thursday, 31 July 2008 )
|
