What is the Jesus fish symbolic of?

Question

And why a fish as opposed to something else?

Answer 1

Ichthys is the Ancient and Classical Greek word for "fish." In English it refers to a symbol consisting of two intersecting arcs resembling the profile of a fish, used by early Christians as a secret symbol and is now known colloquially as the "Jesus fish." Ichthus (ΙΧΘΥΣ, Greek for fish) is an acronym, which is a word formed from the initial letters of the several words in the name. It expands to "Jesus Christ God's Son is Saviour."

There is more information in the following link.

Answer 2

Fishers of men, and also the story of the bread and the fish. Jesus blessed two fish and 6 loaves of bread for 60 men, they broke it and passed it around, everyone ate until they were full and when they collected the left overs there were 12 baskets full. Basically a symbol to be thankful and generous.

Back in the day people would be hurt for being christian so if one person came up to the other and made an arc, if the other guy finished the arc they knew they both believed. The result made the fish.

There are many examples to why fish is connected to christianity and jesus because it is a symbol that is used over and over again for various reasons.

Answer 3

The "jesus fish" symbol is a pagan symbol known as the Vesica Pisces that early Christians brought with them.

The Vesica Pisces was a mystical symbol used by Pythagoreans (yes, the same Pythagorus anyone who has taken trig is familiar with also was a religious cult leader). The number "153" was known as "the number of the fish" to Pythagoreans (it's related to the geometry of the fish symbol). In the story where Jesus tells the disciples to cast the net on the other side of the boat, the number of fish caught was 153.

All this is significant, because Christianity originated as a new age religion of the previous astrological age, which was Pisces. This is why fish symbolism is so embedded within Christianity.

Answer 4

The Greek letters for fish, Ichthus, actually create an acronym. The acronym says, "Jesus Christ God's Son is Savior". So, the fish symbol took on a bigger definition to early Christians.

Also, Fisherman was a common trade in the time and area in which Jesus ministered, and some of his disciples, including Peter, were fishermen. In context, when Jesus called Peter and his brother Andrew to be his disciples he said, "Follow me and I will make you fisher of men." So, it was a play on words based on their trade. It was also a word-picture, saying that they would brings souls to the Lord as they bring fish in during their daily catch.

As Christianity was illegal in the Roman empire, early Christians adopted the symbol to show gatherings or to help identify eachother without speaking.

Answer 5

The fish was a symbol for two Christians to identify each other. One
Christian would draw half of the fish (one line), and the other Christan would draw the other half (the second line). Christians had
to do that because Christianity was forbidden by the Roman empire. The empire did not know about this secret symbol.

Answer 6

In the early days of Christianity, the Romans were putting christians to death whenever they found them. The fish was a sort of code among christians, because Jesus asked the apostles to become Fishers of Men. When two christians met, one would draw a fish on the ground, and the other would write the roman word for fish "Icthus" inside it, and then they knew they were both christians.

In modern times, the fish means that driver of the car in front of you will drive very slowly, talk on the cellphone, and give you the finger if you pass him.

Answer 7

The Fish was used to identify Christians(During their persecution) If you drew a Fish in the sand ,and it was acknowledged-then You were amongst fellow Brothers & Sisters of the faith!
Avoided unpleasant persecution as Only believers knew what the symbol was!
The Greek for the word 'FISH" was ICTHUS, the Individual Components of this word mean:

Jesus
Christ
Son of God
Saviour

Bless You too!!!

Answer 8

He told his disciples that He would make them "fishers of men". The early Christians adopted the fish symbol as one means to identify themselves to one another, because being a Christian was against the law. If you saw the fish symbol on someone's person or property, you knew that person was a fellow believer.

Answer 9

It's called Ichthys.

Ichthys (Greek: ἰχθύς; also transliterated and latinized as ichthys, icthus, ichthus or ikhthus; ichthus, spelled: Iota Chi Theta Upsilon Sigma), is the Ancient and Classical Greek word for "fish." In English it refers to a symbol consisting of two intersecting arcs resembling the profile of a fish, used by early Christians as a secret symbol and is now known colloquially as the "Jesus fish." Ichthus (ΙΧΘΥΣ, Greek for fish) is an acronym, which is a word formed from the initial letters of the several words in the name. It expands to "Jesus Christ God's Son is Saviour."

Answer 10

Chrisianity, because in time of persecution christians used this as a way to identify themselves with other christians...the symbol had to be one officials would not consider unusual in that time... the fish also is symbolic of Christ miracle of taking 5 loaves of bread and two fish and multiplying them to feed thousands.