Christian
Jeffrey B. Gibson
jgibson000 at mailhost.chi.ameritech.net
Sun May 23 16:48:41 EDT 1999
Jim West wrote:
> At 03:12 PM 5/23/99 -0500, you wrote:
>
> >
> >A term of derision, yes. "Little christs", no. More like "smelly ones"
> based on the
> >association of the odor of the oil thought to be used in the process by
> which those
> >"of the 'anointed' became so.
>
> This begs the question- did they smell any worse than any of the other
> unwashed hordes? If it does signify some such thing, wouldn't it be a
> compliment rather than an insult since someone being anointed would be
> anointed with something nice smelling... and thus they would actually smell
> a bit better than their hog slaughtering, slack jawed, knuckle dragging,
> mouth breathing, filthy neighbors...
>
It begs the question less than your assumptions about the oderificiouness (is
there such a word?) of the non-Christians in Antioch. Actually, I just had a
look at the article in TDNT on CHRISTOS, and while it does not support my claim
(which I read somewhere, but can't now remember where), it argues that
CHRISTIANOS cannot be construed as a diminutive.
Yours,
Jeffrey
--
Jeffrey B. Gibson
7423 N. Sheridan Road #2A
Chicago, Illinois 60626
e-mail jgibson000 at ameritech.net
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