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