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Ichthys, The
Christian Fish Symbol: 5 Origin and History Facts
be reminded of Jesus and His desire for all of us to
be “fishers of men.”
Blair Parke
You
can spot it anywhere: on someone’s shirt, in a newspaper advertisement, even on
the back side of the car in front of you in traffic.
It
is the recognizable Christian Fish symbol or the Jesus Fish, which resembles a
hand-drawn fish that sometimes includes a cross for the eye or the name Jesus
in its middle.
Although
the Christian fish symbol re-emerged in popularity during the 1960s, the
symbol, also known as Ichthys, has historical characteristics that attributed
to the spread and unity of Christianity long before it was popular in society
today.
These
five origin facts will encourage you to look differently when you see the
Christian fish while out and about in your day.
It
may cause you to beam with appreciation for the longevity of the fish in our
lives for generations or be in amazement that such a simple figure could have
impacted the Christian faith as much as it has.
1. The symbolism of the fish emerged from the Greeks -
Ichthys.
The
fish, which many may have seen in this form <><, originates from the
Greek word for fish, “ichthys/ichthus.”
This
word is further defined in the acrostic IXNYy (with the N flipped) that
translates to:
I
– Iota or Iesous (which means Jesus)
X
– Chi or Christos (which means Christ)
N
– Theta or Theou (which means God)
Y
– Upsilon or Yidos/Huios (which means Son)
Y
– Sigma or Soter (which means Savior).
Basically,
the fish represents the phrase of “Jesus Christ God’s Son is Savior.”
Some
research has suggested that the fish symbol emerged in the first century or
even before Jesus died on the cross, but nothing has been confirmed as to when
the symbol and its meaning first began.
2. The fish (ichthys) was used as code for persecuted
Christians to meet.
During
the times of persecution by the Romans in the first centuries, the fish symbol
was used among Christians in hiding to display meeting places for everyone to
meet and worship.
They
could be spotted on trees or doorways or even tombs and at the same time, the
fish symbol was also used by several pagan religions so they wouldn’t bring
about suspicion from anyone about what it could be.
3. The fish (Ichthys) could be used in determining who
was a Christian and who was an enemy.
One
story passed down about the fish symbol states that the fish was used as a way
of communicating whether someone was a Christian or whether he/she was someone
looking to persecute Christians.
When
two people encountered each other, the Christian would draw the first half of
the fish in the sand.
If
the other person drew the remaining half of the fish, correctly, then the
Christian knew he/she was with a fellow Christian.
If
it was drawn and the other person didn’t finish the fish, it would look as
though an innocent person was just drawing in the sand.
It
also depicted a way for Christians to stand up against sinning through idol
worship that was very prevalent among the Roman empire and other cultures at
the time.
4. The Christian fish relates to several Scripture
references of fish in the Bible.
Several
may be able to recall references in the Bible to fish, such as Jesus feeding
the five thousand with five loaves and two fish (Matthew 14:15-21; Mark 6:34-44; Luke 9:11-17; John 6:5-13).
There
is also Jesus calling His disciples to be “fishers of men,” where Jesus
called these men to present the Great Commission to others so they know Jesus
is their Savior (Matthew 4:19).
The
kingdom of heaven is described as a “dragnet” to gather those of all kind to
the kingdom, conveying the example of fishing as well (Matthew 13:47).
Who
could also forget that Jesus, after His resurrection from the grave, cooked
fish for His disciples and proved He was their Lord and freed from the grave (John 21:9-14).
What
all of these scripture verses relay is the notion that fish represents a
meaningful element of the Bible, where it was not only used to bring fellowship
and the love of Jesus to all but also present God’s kingdom in a visual,
powerful way to believers.
The
verses encompass the belief that when we display the love and grace of Jesus to
others (like a net), we will draw lost people to us who need to know the Savior
loves them.
5. There are several other forms of the fish used
today.
So
maybe you have seen the fish on car bumpers but they seem to be ones that say
evolve inside it or have feet underneath it.
Just
as the Christian fish symbol became popular again in the 1960s and onward,
those who believe differently from the Christian faith have made their own
beliefs clear through alternative displays of the Christian fish.
Evolutionists
(those who believe we evolved from the earth, not God), fans of Star Trek
(Trekkies), and even those who worship pasta (pastafarians) have altered the
Christian fish to represent their beliefs instead of what the Christian fish
symbol truly stands for.
When
you come across someone who is sporting these “unique” symbols on their cars,
bodies, or another way, make the choice to pray for those people that they will
recognize what God is trying to tell them and will find the peace they need in
the Savior.
It’s
an iconic representation of the faith that we hold dear to our lives; the
belief that God sent Jesus to earth to show God’s love and died for our sins so
that we could be reunited with God through acceptance of Jesus and the Holy
Spirit.
Just
having the Christian fish on a shirt, on your business card, or at the end of
your email is not enough to take the place of a relationship with Jesus that
you can have through faith.
What
is hoped is that by seeing this Christian fish symbol somewhere, you will be
reminded of Jesus and His desire for all of us to be “fishers of men.”
Take
this knowledge of the Christian fish to heart and let it influence your life
and daily choices.
Read
the scripture references; remind yourself of those who used this symbol to
still worship their Lord when it was punishable with death; be amazing in
knowing that the simple design of a fish kept Christianity alive and well
during dark times in history.
As
you learn more of the truth behind this memorable symbol, <><, the
hope is that you will find yourself drawn to be fisherman leading others to
Christ and to the love of God that never waivers or disappoints.
Blair Parke is a freelance writer for BibleStudyTools.com and
editor for Xulon Press. A graduate of Stetson University with a Bachelor's in
Communications, Blair previously worked as a writer/editor for several local
magazines in the Central Florida area, including Celebration Independent and
Lake Magazine in Leesburg, Florida and currently freelances for the Southwest
Orlando Bulletin.
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