| In recent years the Christian Fish Symbol can | | | | God's love and what He did for us at Calvary |
| be seen affixed to the back of cars, as key | | | | that our sins are forgiven and we will have |
| chains and in other very visible locations as | | | | eternal life in Heaven. |
| Christians use it to demonstrate to the world | | | | |
| that they are believers in the only one true | | | | 2. God's Love in the Resurrection |
| God. | | | | |
| | | | In Ephesians 1:18-20 Paul prayed that we |
| The Origin of the Christian Fish Symbol | | | | would know his incomparably great power for |
| | | | us who believe. That power is like the |
| The origin of the popular Christian Fish | | | | working of his mighty strength, which he |
| Symbol is believed to have been in the early | | | | exerted in Christ when he raised him from the |
| years of the church after Jesus' ascension | | | | dead and seated him at his right hand in the |
| into heaven. Because the church was growing | | | | heavenly realms... |
| rapidly it was the target of persecution by | | | | |
| both the Romans and the Jews. | | | | What God did, He did out of love and because |
| | | | of it we can overcome the world, that's the |
| One usage of the symbol was as a sort of | | | | Power of God's love at work. |
| secret code. When a Christian met someone | | | | |
| they thought was a fellow believer they would | | | | Read below to see how God wants us to |
| scratch the top arch of the symbol in the | | | | translate His love into everyday living. |
| ground. If the other person was also a | | | | |
| believer in Christ he would complete the fish | | | | 3. God's Love as Guidelines for Living |
| symbol by drawing the lower inverted arch. | | | | |
| | | | God commanded us to love one another. He |
| Another reported use for the Christian Fish | | | | said:o Love God (Mark 12:29-31; Deuteronomy |
| Symbol in the early church was as a pointer | | | | 6:4-5)o Love your brother (1 John 4:19-21)o |
| to secret meetings which would be scratched | | | | Love your enemy (Matthew 5:44)o Love your |
| on the ground or on a rock. | | | | neighbor (James 2:8; Galatians 5:14; Luke |
| | | | 10:27) |
| Sixteenth Century Christians | | | | |
| | | | God gave us guidelines for loving when He |
| In later times (around the 16th Century) | | | | defined love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a. This |
| Christians used the symbol in a more open and | | | | is what makes us conclude that To Love is to |
| declarative fashion. The Greek word | | | | Give because you cannot live according to |
| ΙΧΘΥΣ was added to | | | | this scripture without giving of yourself. |
| the body of the fish. | | | | |
| ΙΧΘΥΣ or Ichthusis | | | | Love is patient,love is kind. |
| is the Greek word used most often in the | | | | |
| Bible for the word fish. Christians used the | | | | It does not envy,it does not boast,it is not |
| Greek letters from the word | | | | proud. |
| ΙΧΘΥΣ (Iota Chi | | | | |
| Theta Upsilon Sigma) as an acronym to | | | | It is not rude,it is not self-seeking,it is |
| represent "Isesous Christos Theou Uios Soter" | | | | not easily angered,it keeps no record of |
| or "Jesus Christ God's Son, Savior." | | | | wrongs. |
| | | | |
| Why Christians Use the Symbol of a Fish? | | | | Love does not delight in evilbut rejoices |
| | | | with the truth. |
| Christians may have used the fish as a symbol | | | | |
| for their faith because of how Jesus used | | | | It always protects,always trusts,always |
| fish in His ministry. Some of those | | | | hopes,always perseveres. |
| references include the following: Jesus told | | | | |
| Peter and Andrew that He would make them | | | | Love never fails. |
| fishers of men (Mark 1:17). Jesus fed the | | | | |
| 5,000 with five loaves of bread and two fish | | | | We believe that when we follow God's command |
| (Matthew 14:17). After Jesus resurrection, He | | | | to love in the way that He said to love then |
| appeared to His disciples and directed them | | | | we have indeed made the world a better place |
| to a miraculous catch of fish and He cooked a | | | | to live. As Christians we need to encourage |
| breakfast of fish for them (John 21:6-9). | | | | one another to love as Christ loved by giving |
| | | | of Himself. Therefore, GIL PUBLICATIONS logo |
| Christians Today | | | | of the Christian Fish Symbol is also a call |
| | | | to Christians to love as Christ said to love |
| Christians today represent the Christian Fish | | | | and for us to use the power of His love to |
| Symbol in various ways including: the Greek | | | | overcome the world as He did (John 16:33). |
| letters ΙΧΘΥΣ, with | | | | |
| a cross, with JESUS in the body of the fish | | | | The Power of God's Love is without limit. |
| or just plan without any letters. | | | | Paul further prayed that we may have power, |
| | | | together with all the saints, to grasp how |
| The GIL PUBLICATIONS Logo | | | | wide and long and high and deep is the love |
| | | | of Christ, and to know this love that |
| GIL PUBLICATIONS has taken the Christian Fish | | | | surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to |
| Symbol as our logo and added the word love | | | | the measure of all the fullness of God ... |
| because of our ministry name, God is Love (I | | | | (Ephesians 3:18-19 NIV). |
| John 4:8, 16). Also, we want to draw | | | | |
| attention to love because we believe that the | | | | To be filled with the fullness of God ... can |
| world needs the kind of love that God | | | | you imagine that? |
| commanded us to give to one another. | | | | |
| | | | This article may be copied and distributed as |
| We believe in the Power of God's Love as | | | | long as the author contact information |
| explained in the three examples below: | | | | remains. |
| | | | |
| 1. God's Love at Calvary | | | | By: Akili Kumasi |
| | | | |
| God so loved the world that He gave his only | | | | GIL Publications. |
| begotten son (John 3:16). It is because of | | | | |