In the early decades, and in most places for the first
couple of centuries, when the prophet from Galilee known as Jesus the Nazorean
had a title or epithet affixed as a surname, it was not ‘Christos’ but
‘Chrestos’, and the followers of his teachings and those of his disciples were
not called ‘Christians’ but ‘Chrestians’.
Jesus the Nazorean, or at least his later adherents, may
have borrowed more from Serapis than the long hair and beard which replaced the
short-haired, clean-shaven look with which he was portrayed as the Good
Shepherd, or Kriophoros (‘Sheep-bearer’), also in the image of a Greek deity,
or rather deities, Apollo, Hermes, and Orpheus.
Admirers of the caring pastoral figure little realize than in firs
conception the sheep-bearer was carrying a sacrifice. The image of Serapis dominated until the late fifteenth century when it changed to that of Cesare Borgia, son of Pope Alexander VI.
Jesus as Chrestos rather than Christos
There is every reason to suspect that in the beginning,
Jesus was usually surnamed Chrestos rather than Christos, and that disciples of
the many variants of the religion founded in his name were much more often
called Chrestianoi rather than Christianoi.
Evidence from several sources demonstrates that outsiders
and even some insiders (such as, for example, Clement of Alexandria) in the
first few centuries of the Common Era used the terms Chrestos (Χρηστός) and Christos (Χριστός) interchangeably, or else used
Chrestos and Chrestianoi exclusively.
The word ‘Chrestos’ literally means ‘good’, and depending on
the context can mean ‘the good’ or ‘good one’, or simply ‘good’ as an adjective,
even, in certain contexts, ‘righteous one’ (one of the appellations of the
Messiah in 1 Enoch). The feminine form is ‘Chreste’. The appellation ‘Christos’, on the other hand,
is a literal translation of the Hebrew ‘Messiah’, meaning ‘Anointed’, but was
never used as a title prior to the translation of the Septuagint.
Two more Greek words closely resemble those two: ‘chrestes’
means a prophet or soothsayer, or one who explains oracles, while ‘christes’
simply means white-washer. Neither of
these were ever used for Jesus the Nazorean that we know of, however.
Chrestos was frequently used as both a title and a name, as
in Mithidates Chrestos, co-King of Pontus, and Socrates Chrestos, King of
Bithynia. The chief pupil (Plato) of the
even more famous philosopher of that same name referred to his master as
Socrates Chrestos. It also came in the
forms ‘Chreistos’ and ‘Christos’, particularly if used as a title, and was often
used on tombs of dead humans.
There was no Latin counterpart for ‘Christos’ until the
advent of the Christian era brought about ‘Christus’, but the loan-word ‘Chrestus’
had long been used as a name for slaves.
Latin-speakers often employed the Latin version ‘Chrestiani’ as a slur,
implying Christians were of no more worth than slaves.
In the Hellenistic Mysteries, presumably the Eleusinian
Mysteries but perhaps others as well, a ‘chrestos’ was a neophyte and a
‘christos’ an initiate.
Other deities called Chrestos/Christos
Long before a wandering prophet in Galilee drafted into
deity decades after his life on earth was saddled with the epithet, several
Hellenistic deities were bestowed with the title, such as Osiris Chreistos, Isis
Chreste, Helios Christos, Apollo Chrestos, Serapis Chrestos, Hades Chrestos,
Persephone Chreste, Hermes Chrestos, Eileithyia Chreste, and Chrestos Mithras.
1 Enoch, 2nd century
This second century BCE pseudepigraphic, apocalyptic work
introduces the title ‘Son of man’ as a designation for the coming messianic
figure. Along with the title Eklektos
(‘Chosen One’), it uses both terms with which this essay is concerned, Chrestos
(‘Righteous One’) and Christos (‘Anointed One’).
Apocalypse of Elijah, 100 CE
This originally Jewish apocalypse, made Christian by copious
interpolation, refers to the coming of the Chrestos, or Righteous One.
Tacitus, 116 CE
In Book 15, Chapter 44 of his Annales, Tacitus tells of emperor Nero blaming the ‘Chrestiani’ of
Rome for the Great Fire, for which suspicion had fallen (almost certainly
inaccurately) on him. He describes their
namesake, ‘Chrestus’, as having suffered crucifixion under Pontius Pilatus. Later copies have the words ‘Christiani’ and
‘Christos’, but textual critics agree these are not original and were
“corrected” by some pious scribe. In
fact, manuscripts exist with copyists’ notes about this very thing.
Suetonius, 121 CE
In his Lives of the
Twelve Caesars, Suetonius reports in Claudius
25 that the Jews were expelled from Rome because of rioting stirred up by
‘Chrestus’. In Nero 16, he echoes Tacitus’ report about the aftermath of the Great
Fire, saying it was blamed on the ‘Christiani’, although this was probably a
scribal “correction” for ‘Chrestiani’.
The Acts of the
Apostles 18:2-3 reflects the first of these entries in describing Paul’s
meeting of Aquila and Priscilla who had left Rome for Corinth after Claudius
expelled all the Jews of Rome, though the passage in Acts does not give the cause.
The Roman writers Cassius Dio and Paulus Orosius also speak of the
expulsion.
At the time of the expulsion, Jews made up some ten percent of
the city’s populace of about 850,000. The
population of Alexandria then was about 500,000, of which Jews (and probably
Samaritans) made up at least two-fifths.
Hadrian’s letter to Servianus, 134
Probably altered by
a “well-meaning” Christian copyist as has been proven the case with Tacitus and
likely with Suetonius, the extant text here uses the word ‘Christiani’, but we
know from other sources that the surname epithet of Serapis was Chrestos rather
than Christos, so the original form was probably Chrestiani.
From Hadrian
Augustus to Servianus the consul, greeting.
The land of Egypt, the praises of which you have been
recounting to me, my dear Servianus, I have found to be wholly light-minded,
unstable, and blown about by every breath of rumor. There, those who worship
Serapis are, in fact, Christians, and those who call themselves bishops of
Christ are, in fact, devotees of Serapis.
There is no chief of the Jewish synagogue, no Samaritan,
no Christian presbyter, who is not an astrologer, a soothsayer, or an
anointer. Even the Patriarch* himself,
when he comes to Egypt, is forced by some to worship Serapis, by others to
worship Christ…
…Their only god is money, and this the Christians, the
Jews, and, in fact, all nations adore. And would that this city had a better
character, for indeed it is worthy by reason of its richness and by reason of
its size to hold the chief place in the whole of Egypt.
* “Patriarch” here refers
to the Patriarch of Tiberias in Galilee, head of the Jewish religion and
ethnarch of all Jews in the Empire since the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE. The Patriarch was also Nasi, or Prince, of
the Great Sanhedrin in Palestine, probably Eleazar ben Azariah. None of the Christian prelates later known as
patriarchs (Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, for example) were so called at this time
(that did not happen until the reign of Justinian in the sixth century).
Marcion of Sinope, 138 CE
Marcion was a presbyter of the church in Sinope in Anatolia,
and founder, or at least best known figure, of one of the first major schools
of Christianity called heresy by the ecclesiastic powers-that-be. The Latin version of the Evangelikon (originally in Greek) which he brought to Rome in 138
CE refers not “Iesu Christus” but to “Isu Chrestos”. The same is true for the ten epistles of Paul
in Marcion’s Apostolikon.
Justin Martyr, 151 CE
In his Chapter IV of First
Apologia, Justin wrote, ‘For we are accused of being “Chrestianoi”, and to
hate what is good (‘chrestos’) is unjust’.
Theophilos of Antioch, 180 CE
In his Apologia ad Autolycum, the bishop refers to the discrepancy between the two words when he
wrote, ‘And about your laughing at me and calling me Christian, you know not
what you are saying. First, because that which is anointed is sweet and
serviceable, and far from contemptible. For
what ship can be serviceable and seaworthy, unless it be first anointed? Or what castle or house is beautiful and
serviceable when it has not been anointed? And what man, when he enters into this life or
into the gymnasium, is not anointed with oil? And what work has either ornament or beauty
unless it be anointed and burnished? Then the air and all that is under heaven
is in a certain sort anointed by light and spirit; and are you unwilling to be
anointed with the oil of God? Wherefore
we are called Christians on this account, because we are anointed with the oil
of God.’
Tertullian, 197 CE
In Chapter III of his Ad
Nationes, Tertullian, of Carthage wrote, ‘“Christianos”, so far as the
meaning of the word is concerned, is derived from “anointing”. Even when by a faulty pronunciation you call
us “Chrestianoi”. (for you are not certain about even the
sound of this noted name), it comes from “goodness” You do not even know the proper name of that
which you hate’.
Clement of Alexandria, 201 CE
In Book II of his Stromata,
Clement of Alexandria wrote “All who believe in Chrestos (a
good man) both are, and are called, Chrestianoi, that is, good men (Chrestoi).”
Phrygia, 3rd century
Several tombs having been discovered in the region bearing
inscriptions of dedication to the deceased including the phrase “Chrestianoi to
Chrestianoi”.
Sibylline Oracles, 3rd century CE
In the famous acrostic in Book VIII (third century CE) of the
Sibylline Oracles of which the
initials spell Icthus, or “fish”, the title is spelled “Chreistos” as in Iesous Chreistos Theoi Uios Soter Stauros
(“Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior, Cross”).
Here, Chreistos could correctly be translated either way, as “Jesus the
Anointed” or “Jesus the Good”.
Lactantius, 309 CE
In Book IV, Chapter 7 of The
Divine Institutes, Lactantius of Cirda in Numidia, wrote, ‘“Christos” is
not a proper name, but a title of power and dominion; for by this the Jews were
accustomed to call their kings. But the meaning of this name must be set forth,
on account of the error of the ignorant, who by the change of a letter are
accustomed to call him “Chrestus”’.
Deir Ali, Syria, 318
Formerly known as Lebaba, the town contains the remains of a
Marcionite meeting-house with an inscription to “the Lord and Savior Isu
Chrestos”, the oldest known inscription to him.
Codex Sinaiticus, 4th century
The Codex Sinaiticus, one of the earliest almost complete
collections of the books of the New Testament, belongs to the Alexandrian test-type
family; where the three places in the New Testament have the word
‘Christianoi’, translated into English as ‘Christians’, (Acts 11:26, Acts
26:28, 1 Peter 4:16), the Codex Sinaiticus has the word ‘Chrestianoi’. Also, the references to ‘Jesus Christ’ and
‘Christ Jesus’ are instead to ‘Jesus
Chrestos’ and ‘Chrestos Jesus’ (‘Iesous’ rather than ‘Jesus’, actually, but
that’s another essay)
Codex Vaticanus, 4th century
This collection, also fourth century, uses the spelling
‘Chreistianoi’ in those same three New Testament passages listed above, as well
as ‘Chrestos’. While the test-type of
its Old Testament varies, that of its New Testament is also Alexandrian. It and its cousin above are considered the
two best and most authoritative collections of Christian/Chrestian scriptures.
Papyrus Graecae Magicae IV, 4th century
A papyrus in Greek dating to this century but with its
written material probably originating in the second century, this documents of
magical formulas and incantations offers the following formula for expelling ‘daimons’: Hail,
God of Abraham; hail, God of Isaac; hail, God of Jacob; Jesus Chrestos, the Holy Spirit, the Son of the Father, who
is above the Seven, who is within the Seven. Bring Iao Sabaoth; may your power
issue forth from him, NN, until you drive away this unclean daimon satan, who
is in him.
There's more, but that is the sentence topical to our subject. Being a document of Jewish magical instructions, this does
not, of course, prove anything about the Church at the time, except to shows
its central figure was known by the surnam ‘Chrestos’.
Codex Bezae, 5th century
The word used here is ‘Chreistianoi’ in those three passages
in this collection, and ‘Chreistos’ for the central figure in question. It is the principle example in Greek of the
Western text-type.
Codex Alexandrinus, 450
Dating to about 450 CE, this is the earliest surviving codex
to use the word ‘Christianoi’ in the three New Testament passages instead of
‘Chrestianoi’. The codex is another
example of the Alexandrian test-type.
Other codices, 6th-14th centuries
Several subsequent codices use ‘Chrestianoi’ rather than
‘Christianoi’ in those three passages ranging across the above centuries, as
well as ‘Chresto’ instead of ‘Christos’.
11 comments:
Chrestos+Paul+Marcion=Victory
Ok, I didn't make it past first paragraph..
Yes there is a history and etymology in both spellings 'e' or 'i'..
most of us are unfamiliar with..
but the main point is that christos is not a literal translation... I think Messias is..
I will do my own research as I like to do..
Anonymous: I suggest you consult a dictionary.
You shuold listen to Tertullian. He clearly says that the right term would be Christianos, but that many erroneously used Chrestianos, and that even without knowing the meaning of it.
I really cannot see you have any point. Just a mess of citations about others who called themselves or other people good. (Chrestos)
Don't you really see when reading the New Testament that the point is not what pagans called them, but what they themselves believed about this man who they had come to believe was the Messiah, and their own connection to him through faith in him.
In Christ, in the Lord. Through him holy. etc. When they by and by started calling themselves christians, it was clearly meaning as belonging to Christ, and believing that Jesus Christ was the promised Messiah, the anointed one (Chistos), and surely not as boasting about themselves beeing good people, or just follow a(nother) good fellow.
Tertullian the heretic?
Witam serdecznie
Chrestos nie odnosi się do konkretnej osoby,ale do boskiego pierwiastka tkwiącego w każdym człowieku oznacza osobę która przebyła już ścieżkę i osiągnęła swój cel Istotę która zdobyła zjednoczenie znikomej,z prochu i gliny powstałej osobowości z
niezniszczalną i wieczną indywidualnością,i przetworzyła ją dzięki temu w nieśmiertelną jaźń.Dopiero zjednoczenie z tym pierwiastkiem indywidualnego ego tworzy Wyższe Ja lub żywego Chrystusa.Na końcu drogi stoi Christos-ten który się oczyszcza,a gdy się dokona zjednoczenie,Chrestos,człowiek boleści staje się Christosem. Oznacza to że każdy człowiek może obudzić Chrystusa w swej wewnętrznej istocie.
Pozdrawiam serdecznie idzie drogą O.R.M.E to ukryta manna ukryty chleb apk.Ś J r2 w.7i17 znana dzisiaj jako biały proszek złota to jego pierwiastki rod irid
@Christian as trusting Christ
The issue is that all early artifacts mention Jesus Chrestos and Chrestians. There is not a Christ to be found, and the first artifact we have that mentions Christians is the 6-8th century Codex Alexandrinus.
All earlier artifacts including Codex Sinaiticus mention Chrestians with the eta and not the iota. eg Oxxy Papyri, Greek Magical Papyri. Even the medieval copies of Tacitus and Suetonius use the terms Chrestos and Chrestians.
Justin Martyr also appears to be defending this name.
The evidence indicates the original religion was actually Marcionite gnostic.
@David Frisken Quite:,,The issue is that all early artifacts mention Jesus Chrestos and Chrestians. There is not a Christ to be found, and the first artifact we have that mentions Christians is the 6-8th century Codex Alexandrinus." Actually the earliest artifact that contains the base of ,,Christus'' is the graffito in Pompeii which says ,,Christianos'' (Christians). The town was destoyed in 79 CE. This is a book about the Christian artifacts in Pompeii: http://www.jjmjs.org/uploads/1/1/9/0/11908749/wayment_and_grey_jesus_followers_in_pompeii.pdf
Yahushua(YaHUaH is salvation) was the real name of the Messiah. Chrestos or Chistos are both fraudulent names. "HalleluYah" means praise YaHUaH.
Early "Chrestians" - The sources of "Chrestian" [χρηστιανος] and "Christian" [χριστιανος] in Antiquity
http://mountainman.com.au/essenes/chrestians%20christians.htm
Unknown: Actually the name was Isho.
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