King James Bible Dictionary

Anointed, the Greek translation of the Hebrew word rendered "Messiah" (q.v.), the official title of our Lord, occurring five hundred and fourteen times in the New Testament. It denotes that he was anointed or consecrated to his great redemptive work as Prophet, Priest, and King of his people. He is Jesus the Christ (Acts 17:3; 18:5; Matthew 22:42), the Anointed One. He is thus spoken of by Isaiah (61:1), and by Daniel (9:24-26), who styles him "Messiah the Prince."

The Messiah is the same person as "the seed of the woman" (Genesis 3:15), "the seed of Abraham" (Genesis 22:18), the "Prophet like unto Moses" (Deuteronomy 18:15), "the priest after the order of Melchizedek" (Psalms 110:4), "the rod out of the stem of Jesse" (Isaiah 11:1, 10), the "Immanuel," the virgin's son (Isaiah 7:14), "the branch of Jehovah" (Isaiah 4:2), and "the messenger of the covenant" (Malachi 3:1). This is he "of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write." The Old Testament Scripture is full of prophetic declarations regarding the Great Deliverer and the work he was to accomplish. Jesus the Christ is Jesus the Great Deliverer, the Anointed One, the Saviour of men. This name denotes that Jesus was divinely appointed, commissioned, and accredited as the Saviour of men (Hebrews 5:4; Isaiah 11:2-4; 49:6; John 5:37; Acts 2:22).

To believe that "Jesus is the Christ" is to believe that he is the Anointed, the Messiah of the prophets, the Saviour sent of God, that he was, in a word, what he claimed to be. This is to believe the gospel, by the faith of which alone men can be brought unto God. That Jesus is the Christ is the testimony of God, and the faith of this constitutes a Christian (1 Corinthians 12:3; 1 John 5:1).

anointed

See Jesus, The Christ
Jesus, The Christ

[Jesus]

CHRIST, noun THE ANOINTED; an appellation given to the Savior of the World, and synonymous with the Hebrew Messiah. It was a custom of antiquity to consecrate persons to the sacerdotal and regal offices by anointing them with oil.

CHRISTANIZE, verb transitive To make Christian; to convert to Christianity; as, to Christianize pagans.

CHRISTEN, verb transitive

1. To baptize, or rather to baptize and name; to initiate into the visible church of Christ by the application of water; applied to persons. And as a name is given to the person in the ceremony, hence,

2. To name; to denominate; applied to things.

CHRISTENDOM, noun

1. The territories, countries or regions inhabited by Christians, or those who profess to believe in the Christian religion.

2. The whole body of Christians.

3. Christianity; the Christian religion; as, while christendom prevailed.

CHRISTENED, participle passive Baptized and named; initiated into Christianity.

CHRISTENING, participle present tense The act or ceremony of baptizing and naming; initiation into the Christian religion.

The name given by the Greeks or Romans, probably in reproach, to the followers of Jesus. It was first used at Antioch. The names by which the disciples were known among themselves were "brethren," "the faithful," "elect," "saints," "believers." But as distinguishing them from the multitude without, the name "Christian" came into use, and was universally accepted. This name occurs but three times in the New Testament (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16).

Believers called
Acts 11:26; Acts 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16
Righteous

The disciples, we are told, (Acts 11:26) were first called Christians at Antioch on the Orontes, somewhere about A.D. 43. They were known to each other as, and were among themselves called, brethren, (Acts 15:1,23; 1 Corinthians 7:12) disciples , (Acts 9:26; 11:29) believers , (Acts 5:14) saints , (Romans 8:27; 15:25) The name "Christian," which, in the only other cases where it appears in the New Testament, (Acts 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16) is used contemptuously, could not have been applied by the early disciples to themselves, but was imposed upon them by the Gentile world. There is no reason to suppose that the name "Christian" of itself was intended as a term of scurrility or abuse, though it would naturally be used with contempt.

CHRISTIAN, noun

1. A believer in the religion of Christ.

2. A professor of his belief in the religion of Christ.

3. A real disciple of Christ; one who believes in the truth of the christian religion, and studies to follow the example, and obey the precepts, of Christ; a believer in Christ who is characterized by real piety.

4. In a general sense, the word Christians includes all who are born in a christian country or of christian parents.

CHRISTIAN, adjective [See the Noun.]

1. Pertaining to Christ, taught by him, or received from him; as the christian religion; christian doctrines.

2. Professing the religion of Christ; as a christian friend.

3. Belonging to the religion of Christ; relating to Christ, or to his doctrines, precepts and example; as christian profession and practice.

4. Pertaining to the church; ecclesiastical; as courts christian

CHRISTIAN, verb transitive To baptize.

CHRISTIANISM, noun

1. The Christian religion.

2. The nations professing Christianity.

CHRISTIANITE, noun A newly discovered Vesuvian mineral; its primitive form is that of an oblique rectangular prism; its colors brown, yellow or reddish.

CHRISTIANLIKE, adjective Becoming a Christian.

CHRISTIANLY, adverb In a Christian manner; in a manner becoming the principles of the Christian religion, or the profession of that religion.

CHRISTIAN-NAME, noun The name given in baptism, as distinct from the gentilitious or surname.

CHRISTIANOGRAPHY, noun A description of Christian nations.

CHRISTMAS, noun

1. The festival of the Christian church observed annually on the 25th day of December, in memory of the birth of Christ, and celebrated by a particular church service. The festival includes twelve days

2. Christmas-day.

CHRISTMAS-BOX, noun A box in which little presents are deposited at Christmas.

CHRISTMAS-DAY, noun The twenty fifth day of December, when Christmas is celebrated.

CHRISTMAS-FLOWER, noun Hellebore.

CHRISTMAS-ROSE, noun A plant of the genus Helleborus, producing beautiful white flowers about Christmas.

Our Lord warned his disciples that they would arise (Matthew 24:24). It is said that no fewer than twenty-four persons have at different times appeared (the last in 1682) pretending to be the Messiah of the prophets.

CHRISTS-THORN, noun The Rhamnus paliurus, a deciduous shrub, a native of Palestine and the South of Europe. It has two thorns at each joint, and is supposed to have been the sort of which the crown of thorns for our Savior was made.