The Names Jesus and Christ

Next comes, “And in Christ Jesus, his only Son, our Lord.” “Jesus” is a Hebrew word meaning “Savior.” “Christ” is so called from “chrism,” that is, anointing. For we read in the books of Moses that when Auses the son of Nave was chosen to lead the people, his name was changed from “Auses” to “Jesus.” This was to show that it was a name fitting for princes and generals, that is, for those who would “save” the people who followed them. So both were called “Jesus”: the one who led the people, brought out of the land of Egypt and freed from wandering in the wilderness, into the land of promise; and the other who led the people, brought out of the darkness of ignorance and called back from the errors of the world, into the kingdom of heaven. [a]

“Christ” is a name belonging either to high priests or to kings. For in former times both high priests and kings were consecrated with the ointment of chrism; but they, being mortal and perishable, were consecrated with a material and perishable ointment. Jesus is made Christ by being anointed with the Holy Spirit, as Scripture says of him, “whom the Father anointed with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven.” And Isaiah had foreshadowed the same, speaking in the person of the Son: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me; he has sent me to preach good news to the poor.”

Having shown them what “Jesus” is, who saves his people, and what “Christ” is, who is made a high priest forever, let us now see in what follows of whom these things are said: “his only Son, our Lord.” Here we are taught that this Jesus of whom we have spoken, and this Christ, the meaning of whose name we have explained, is “the only Son of God” and “our Lord.” In case you should think that these human names have an earthly meaning, it is added that he is “the only Son of God, our Lord.” For he is born One of One, because there is one brightness of light, and there is one word of the understanding. Nor does a bodiless begetting sink into the plural number or undergo division, since he who is born is in no way separated from him who begets. He is “only,” that is, unique, as thought is to the mind, as wisdom is to the wise, as a word is to the understanding, as courage is to the brave. For just as the Father is called by the apostle “alone wise,” so likewise the Son alone is called Wisdom. He is, then, the “only Son.” And although in glory, everlastingness, strength, dominion and power he is what the Father is, yet he does not have all these without an origin, as the Father does, but from the Father, as the Son, without beginning and equal. And although he is the Head of all things, yet the Father is his Head. For so it is written, “The head of Christ is God.”