CRISTO. — Greek equivalent (χριστός “anointed,” verbal adjective of χρῶ “I anoint”) of the Hebrew māšīah, or “messiah.”
Māšīah, a passive participle, like māšīah, of the verb mīh “to anoint” (generally with the sense of consecrating someone for a high religious-social function: priest [Ex. 28, 41 and 30, 23-32; Lev. 8, 12], prophet [I Reg. 10, 16], or king [I Sam. 10, 1; etc.]), occurs 35 times in the Hebrew Bible. It is translated by the Septuagint as χριστός (only in Lev. 4, 3 as κεχρισμένος), but by Aquila as Ἀλεμμένος (cf. s. Cirillo Gerosol., Cat., XV, 11; PG 33, 885). In the Hebrew Bible it is used 5 times as an adjective (Dan. 9, 25 “the anointed Ruler”; Lev. 4, 3, 5, 16 and 6, 22 “the anointed priest,”
or high priest, cf. II Mach. 1, 10; Lev. 21, 10, of the Septuagint), but usually (30 times) as a noun. The substantivized māfiah always means the “king” or “sovereign” elected and established by God (cf. I Sam. 16, 6-7), and is always (except Dan. 9, 26 and Eccl. gr. 46, 19) followed by the genitive of Jahweh (or of an equivalent pronoun): “the anointed of Jahweh” (ὁ χριστὸς Κυρίου); 15 times in I-II Sam.; Ps. (Hebr.) 2, 2; 18, 51; 20, 7; 28, 8; 84, 10; 89, 39, 52; 132, 10, 17 (the plural, in Ps. 105, 15 and I Par. 16, 22, is a unique instance); Is. 45, 1; Hab. 3, 13. This royal name māfiah χριστός is used 2 times for Saul, 1 time for Solomon (II Par. 6, 42), 1 time for Sedecias (Lam. 4, 20), 1 time (analogically) for Cyrus (Is. 45, 1), but almost always for David, idealized from I Sam. 2, 10, 35 onward as an instrument of God’s salvation. The Anointed par excellence, the ideal King indissolubly united to Jahweh (Ps. 2, 2; Dan. 9, 25 ff.; cf. Is. 61, 1), appears 2 times; in him the flowering of the Davidic line will reach its culmination (cf. Is. 11, 1). His kingdom will imply the priesthood (cf. Ex. 19, 6); his kingship will have a charismatic-prophetic character, as did that of the first “anointed,” Saul (I Sam. 10, 6-13). Later, out of reverence, the divine name being omitted, māfiah Jahweh becomes ham-māfiah (Aram. māfiah), “the Messiah,” ὁ Χριστός, indicating the King promised by God, awaited as the founder of the “kingdom of God” on earth. After Dan. 9, 26, the oldest examples of this absolute use of māfiah χριστός in a transcendent sense are found in the apocrypha (11th-1st cent. B.C.): Enoch etio., 48, 10; 52, 4 and Ps. Salom. 17, 32 c (cf. 18, 5-7).
In the writings of the New Testament the term C. has capital importance, since it characterizes Jesus and his mission. The New Testament, in which χριστός occurs at least 560 times, proclaims and demonstrates the message: Jesus is the C. or Messiah (Io. 1, 41 and 4, 25 interprets ὁ Μεσσίας = Χριστός). From the Nativity (Mt. 2, 4) to the confession of Peter (Mt. 16, 16, 20; Mc. 8, 29; Io. 6, 69) and of Nathanael (with the synonym “King of Israel”: Io. 1, 49), of Martha (Io. 11, 27), of the demons (Lc. 4, 41), and to the revelations of the Risen One (Lc. 24, 26, 46; Act. 26, 23), the announcement resounds. Apostolic preaching has as its central theme that Jesus is the C., from Peter (Act. 2, 36) and Paul (Act. 9, 22; 17, 3; 18, 5, 28) to John (Io. 20, 31; I Io. 2, 22; 5, 1; II Io. 7, 9). Polemic on the subject rages against the Jews, who were awaiting the C. (Io. 1, 20, 25, 41; 3, 28; Lc. 3, 15), suspected that he was Jesus (Io. 4, 29; 7, 26 ff. 31, 41; 10, 24; 12, 34), and questioned him in the Sanhedrin (Mt. 26, 63; Mc. 14, 61; Lc. 22, 67), then demanded his condemnation, accusing him of having proclaimed himself C. King (Lc. 23, 2, 35, 39; Io. 18, 33, 37; 19, 14 ff. 19-21). In the Gospels, Jesus does not insist publicly on his title of C. before his Passion, but warns against the antichrists (v.) who will usurp that name (Mt. 25, 5, 23 ff.; cf. Io. 5, 43b), and, with a clear allusion, claims for himself the appellation ὁ Χριστός (Mt. 24, 42; 23, 10; 24, 5; Mc. 9, 41 [without the article, as in s. Paolo I Cor. 1, 12; 3, 23; II Cor. 16, 7]; 12, 35; 13, 21).
Χριστός explicitly equals “king (of the Jews)” in Mt. 2, 2 and 4; 27, 11 and 22; Lc. 23, 2 and 37, 39; Mc. 15, 32. This original meaning remains implicit elsewhere. Alongside the traditional complete form ὁ χριστός Κυρίου (Θεοῦ), which survives only in the Lucan writings (Lc. 2, 26; 9, 20 [cf. Mt. 16, 16]; Act. 3, 18; 4, 26 ff.), there appears in the Gospels (as already in Ps. Salom. 17, 32; cf. Eccl. gr. 46, 19) Χριστός Κύριος (Lc. 2, 11), a title in which messiahship culminates in the divinity that Jesus claimed (Mt. 22, 42-45), and of which s. Paolo was the herald. But even by itself, ὁ Χριστός expresses the whole faith in Jesus’ nature and mission (Mc. 8, 29b). The appellation ὁ Χριστός designates Jesus on the lips of believers in his transcendent messiahship (Mt. 1, 17; 11, 2; Act. 8, 5; s. Paolo) or of unbelievers who mock him (Mt. 26, 68; 27, 17 and 22 with ὁ λεγόμενος). Moreover, it is equivalent to “Lord” (Κύριος):
Lc. 2, 11; Act. 2, 36; 4, 26 ff.; twice it is joined to “the Son of God” (Mt. 16, 16; more solemnly 26, 63 and Mc. 14, 61; Lc. 22, 67-71).
Having become Jesus’ customary attribute (Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστός; ὁ Χριστός Ἰησοῦς; Act. 5, 42), the appellation “C.” was transformed into a second proper name of Jesus. The absence of the article (even in the Babylonian Talmud māfiah occurs without the article), although not decisive, usually indicates that Χριστός is used as Jesus’ simple name or nickname (Mt. 1, 16; Ἰησοῦς ὁ λεγόμενος Χριστός). The compound name Ἰησοῦς Χριστός occurs only 4 times in the Gospels (Mt. 1, 1; Mc. 1, 1; Io. 1, 17; 17, 3), and is rare elsewhere (Act. 3, 6; 4, 10; 9, 34; Apoc. 1, 1, 2, 3), whereas it is extremely frequent in the epistles of Paul and Peter.
S. Paolo disseminated the attributive name Χριστός by using it incessantly. While he uses the name Ἰησοῦς alone only 33 times, he uses Χριστός 137 times without the article, 88 times with the article, 82 times in the compound Ἰησοῦς χριστός (always without the article), and 82 times in the compound Χριστός Ἰησοῦς (without the article, except twice). No fewer than 61 times Paul adds ὁ Κύριος, ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν.
Since messianism occupies little place in the Christology of s. Paolo, because messianic discussions do not concern the Gentiles of whom he is the apostle, Χριστός (with or without the article) is never in his writings an appellation with the distinct meaning of “Messiah”; nevertheless, in more than 60 cases it seeks to affirm, even if only incidentally, Jesus’ messiahship (E. D. Burton, p. 306); the use of the article is inconsistent, as with Θεός and Ἰησοῦς. C. is Jesus’ proper name in the typically Pauline formula ἐν Χριστῷ (34 times) or ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ (48 times), equivalent to ἐν Κυρίῳ (50 times) or ἐν αὐτοῦ-ἐν ᾧ (29 times); s. Paolo readily uses the name Χριστός when emphasizing Jesus’ divine influence in the soul (Rom. 8, 10; II Cor. 13, 5; Eph. 3, 17; etc.), which is itself “anointed” (II Cor. 1, 21), and in which He “takes form” (Gal. 4, 19).
Nella mente della prima generazione cristiana, il titolo ὁ Χριστός esprimeva, al di là del tradizionale concetto di «Re d'Israele», quello di «Salvatore» universale, come risulta in s. Paolo nelle cui maggiori epistole σωτήρ non ricorre (ma solo Eph. 5, 23; Phil. 3, 20, e 10 volte nelle Pastorali). L'Apostolo usa costantemente τοῦ Χριστοῦ (con l'articolo) dopo i termini di portata soteriologica: Ἰεσσαγγέλων (8 volte), «la croce» (I Cor. 1, 17; Gal. 6, 12; Phil. 3, 18), «i patimenti» (II Cor. 1, 5 e Col. 1, 24; cf. Act. 3, 18; 17, 3; 26, 23), Ἰάγιπτη (Rom. 8, 35; II Cor. 5, 14; Eph. 3, 19), «il Sangue» e «il Corpo» del suo sacrificio (I Cor. 10, 16; Rom. 7, 4; Eph. 2, 13; τοῦ Κυρίου in I Cor. 11, 27). L'equivalenza Σωτήρ = Χριστός è apertamente affermata in Lc. 2, 11. Anche il «C.» di Io. 4, 29 equivale a «il salvatore del mondo» di Io. 4, 42. Il termine antico di Messia = Χριστός, ricevuto dalla millenaria fede giudaica, è stato purificato da ogni significato etnico-politico o magico-apocalittico. Pietro (Act. 2, 36; 3, 15) e Paolo predicavano: Gesù, il C., è il Signore (Κύριος), è il «Sovrano della vita» (ὁ ἀρχηγὸς τῆς ζωῆς). Il titolo «C.» era per gli Apostoli la sintesi in cui s'inscriva il doppio aspetto del Re davidico «sorto dall'alto per manifestare la misericordia di Dio e splendere nelle tenebre» (Lc. 1, 78 sg.); la maestà divina e la missione salvifica.
Il nome C., che caratterizzava la fede dei discepoli di Gesù, fu frainteso dai pagani che, contribuendo a ciò l'ottacismo, intendevano χρηστός «buono», «benigno», aggettivo non raro nel Nuovo Testamento (Mt. 11, 5; Lc. 5, 39; Rom. 2, 4; Eph. 4, 32; ecc.). La confusione è manifesta in Svetonio, Claud., 25 («impulsore Chresto») e Nero, 16, e si spiega «propter ignorantium errorem qui eum immutata littera Chrestum solent dicere» (Lattanzio, Inst. Div., IV, 7, 5; cf. Tertulliano, Apol., 3 e Ad Nationes, I, 3); tanto più che abbondavano nomi propri derivanti da χρηστός, Χρηστήν, Χρηστίων, ricorrono nelle iscrizioni giudaiche di Panticapea in Crimea (J.-B. Frey, Corpus Inscript. Iudaic.,
Roma 1936, pp. 495, 498); Chrestos Χρήστος era nome diffuso nel mondo greco-romano (Marziale, Epigr., VII, 55; IX, 28; CIL, XII, 264, 4322, 4761, 5194; XIV, 246 [*Chrestinus]). V. GEST*.