If my title is “all Greek to you,” you’re on the right track. The word “ichthus” is the Greek word for fish. I recently heard an excellent message at church explaining the hidden meaning of this word.
Early Christian believers were often persecuted in the Roman Empire. Ironically, they were considered “atheists” since they did not worship the multiple Roman gods (including the emperor himself). So, they needed to be careful when meeting new people. If they thought a person might be a fellow believer, they would casually etch a semi-circle in the dirt or on a rock. An unbeliever would not understand and ignore it. But a believer would respond by adding another semi-circle which would form the simple image of a fish. So, where did the fish symbol come from?
One answer is that several of Jesus’ first disciples were fishermen. Secondly, it reminded believers that Jesus had commissioned Peter to be a “fisher of men” (see Matthew 4:19). And lastly, the Greek word “ichthus” formed a clever acronym or acrostic revealing the identity of Jesus. Let’s take a closer look at each of these five Greek letters.
Jesus Christ
The first letter is the “I” (called “iota” in Greek). It stands for “Iesous” (Jesus). The word means “Savior” and describes Jesus’ purpose in coming to earth in the first place. He came to die on the cross to save mankind (including me and you) from sin.
The next two letters in English are “CH” (this is the single letter “chi” in Greek). It stands for “Christos” or Christ and means “the anointed or chosen one.” The Hebrew equivalent is the word “Messiah” which refers to a very special person God had promised to send to deliver his people. So, Christ is not Jesus’ last name (as often assumed) but rather a kind of title. The English translation of “Jesus Christ” is therefore “Savior, the Messiah.”
God’s son
The next two letters in English are “TH” (again a single letter called “theta” in Greek). It represents the word “Theos” (God) indicating that this special person is divine.
The next letter is “U” and is called “upsalon” in Greek (I knew there was a reason I had to study Greek at seminary). It’s the first letter of the word “uios” meaning “son.” Together these letters meant “God’s Son.”
Saviour
The final letter is “S” (called “sigma” in Greek). It stands for the word “soter” meaning “Savior.” So, now we’ve come full circle. The first word “Jesus” (in Hebrew) meant Savior and now the word is repeated in Greek.
Altogether, these letters form an acronym which concisely describes the true identity of the One these early believers followed — “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior.” These believers were willing to risk their welfare and their very lives in his service. They provide us with an inspiring model of what a true believer should be. They understood and lived out the words of Jesus who said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)
So, what is the enigma of “ICHTHUS”? Now you know. The more important question is — “Do you know Him?”
Rob Weatherby is a retired pastor.
