Christ

Christ is the English representation of the Greek word ??????? (transliterated as Khristós), which means anointed. In the Christian religion it is a title given to Jesus of Nazareth, in which case "Christ" is capitalized, as a singularly descriptive title (The anointed). In English translations of the New Testament, the Greek ?????? ???????, and related phrases, are almost invariably translated Jesus Christ and Christ Jesus, leading the uninformed to mistake this title for the last name of Jesus of Nazareth. The part of Christian theology which focuses on the identity, life, teachings and works of Jesus, is known as Christology.

Distinctions between "Jesus", "Christ", and "God"

The term "Christ" is often used synonymously with "Jesus". A difference in usage is sometimes for variety of speech, and sometimes a subtlety intended to emphasize the totality of His person and function in Salvation. For example, Ott refers to "Jesus" when emphasizing an event in the New Testament, while he refers to "Christ" in discussing the nature of God.

Related Topics:
Salvation - God

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There is a temporal distinction between "Jesus" and "Christ". not to mention "God". God, in the Christian belief system, exists outside of the time continuum and is not restricted by the confines of time (e.g., limitations, aging, development, evolution, etc.).

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"Jesus", on the other hand, is the temporal manifestation of the "Logos" -- the divine "Word" of God, and, in Christian Trinitarian parlance, the second person of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). "Jesus" was born, lived, suffered, and died. However, for the Christian believer, the story of "Jesus" does not end there. With the Resurrection, there is the fulness of recognition within the Christian community of the interconnectedness of the Logos and the person of "Jesus" -- the human person now intensely glorified and beyond the confines of the temporal sphere of events and effects.

Related Topics:
Logos - Holy Trinity

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"Christ" is an appelation in Greek (???????), corresponding to the Hebrew word "Messiah" -- the Savior or Anointed One. This term pertains more to the role to be performed by the "chosen one of God" (another possible translation of the term "Christ"). The problem with this word for the person of Jesus is that the term means different things to different people. Most especially, the term "Messiah" refers most often in Jewish beliefs of the Roman era to the hoped-for leader who would not only be a spiritual leader but a political one as well. Hence, we have grounds for why this term might cause consternation and skepticism -- if not downright hostility -- not only for Romans, but also for the Jewish leadership of the Temple at the time of Jesus.

Related Topics:
Messiah - Savior

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