What does the Christian fish symbol mean (ixthus / icthus)? | GotQuestions.org
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Have you ever seen a fish symbol on the back of a car? What does it mean? Where did the Christian fish symbol come from? In this video, we answer the question: What does the Christian fish symbol mean (ixthus / icthus)?
Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-fish-symbol.html
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- What does the Christian fish symbol mean? The Christian fish symbol is one of the most ubiquitous symbols of Christianity.
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- Apart from the cross, the fish symbol is probably the most recognizable symbol of faith. It is found on cars,
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- Bible covers, tattoos and more. The link between Christ and a simple line drawing of a fish is not readily apparent and requires a little explanation.
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- Briefly, the fish symbol is based on the Greek acronym for the phrase Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior.
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- In Greek, the phrase is this. When we take the first letter from each word in that phrase, we have ikthus, which happens to be the
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- Greek word for fish. Some versions of the Christian fish symbol contain the Greek letters inside or underneath the symbol itself.
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- The Christian fish symbol also brings to mind several events in Jesus' ministry. Twice, Jesus provided a miraculous draught of fish for his disciples.
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- He ate fish with his disciples on at least two occasions after his resurrection. The miracle of the temple coin involved a fish.
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- And of course, the feeding of 5 ,000 and the feeding of 4 ,000 started with a lunch that included fish.
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- During the early days of Christianity, Christians were often put to death for practicing their faith, so they worshipped in secret places.
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- A fish painted or etched on the outside door of the house let other Christians know that they would be safe and welcome inside.
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- The ancient catacombs in Rome are filled with images of fish carved there by Christians hiding from persecution.
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- Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior is a wonderful summary of biblical truth regarding the
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- Lord and the Christian fish symbol is a beautiful way to express faith in him. But following Christ involves much more than sporting an ichthys on the back of one's car.
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- Jesus spoke often of the necessity of inward truth as opposed to outward shows of religion.
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- Those who use a Christian fish symbol should make sure they actually know Christ, trust him as Savior, and obey him as Lord.