Talk:Christ
Add topicRemoval of recently inserted idiosyncratic assertions from the article introduction
[edit]Such has been the long-standing introduction of the article, which I just restored:
- Christ (/kraɪst/; Ancient Greek: Χριστός, Christós, meaning "anointed") is a translation of the Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ (Māšîaḥ) and the Syriac M'shiha, words for a "Messiah", which is used as a title for Jesus of Nazareth in the New Testament; among most Christians the words "Jesus" and "Christ" are often treated as synonyms. It is also used to indicate the presence of a Divine Essence or Holy Spirit of Christ manifest within all human beings, especially so in those of great saintliness. Most Christians believe that in the Second Coming of Christ, Jesus will personally return to Earth. In Judaism Jesus is not accepted as a Messiah, and notions equating him and God are rejected as idolatry. Islam does accept Jesus as the messiah Isa al-Masih and that he will return to Earth in a great and final apocolypse, but both Jews and Muslims reject assertions that he is a deity, should be worshiped as God, or called Son of God.
I just removed some recent insertions of very idiosyncratic assertions as to word origins and evolutions of meanings from the article introduction — I am putting these on the talk page as a record of the views of perhaps a very small minority of interpreters — but certainly not indicative of anything approaching the general consensus of scholars. I have also here removed "ref" marks to these two references to footnotes, which infused the introduction, as non-standard practices on Wikiquote:
- Christ (/kraɪst/; Ancient Greek: Χριστός, Christós, meaning "One who applies a medicated salve") is commonly translated into the Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ (Māšîaḥ) and the Syriac M'shiha, both words for a "Messiah", which is used as a title meaning "One who applies a medicated salve" for Jesus of Nazareth in the New Testament, however he is not the first "Christ"; but among most Christians the words "Jesus" and "Christ" are often treated as synonyms. A christ (χρῖσμα) is always a medicated salve, or (χριστός) is one who applies those In the Greek, a highly complex language of 1.6 million words which designed ancient Hebrew containing 6-8000 words, Jesus was both referred to as "One who applies a medicated salve" and specifically did not use the word "μεσσιας" (messiah).
- It did NOT mean unguent until the later Latin reframing (0-100 CE)
- It did NOT mean inungo until the later Late Latin reframing (~50-200CE) into Christianized lens
- It did NOT mean anointed until English reframing (1300CE) into Christianized lens
However valid or invalid some of these assertions may or may not be, they are certainly not recognized as primary, certain, or even widely accepted assessments by current scholarship. ~ ♞☤☮♌︎Kalki ⚚⚓︎⊙☳☶⚡ 13:14, 6 September 2025 (UTC) + tweaks