What is a Christ? How many are there?

[Retrobyter]

This is more of a probe into how people feel about the word "Christ." What does the word mean to you? How many "Christs" were/are there?

[missmuffet]

There is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. God the Son is Christ so there is one Christ.

[OneLight]

I am trying to figure out if this is some sort of trick question.

Let assume you are also talking about False Christs.  Nobody knows how many there was and will be.

If you are talking about Christ Jesus, there is only one.

[Willa]

Christ means anointed one.  It is the Greek word for Messiah.  There is one true Word, creator of the the universe, Who was with God in the beginning, preexisting with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  He was sent by the Father to be humbled as a man and to die for the sins of mankind.

Many have come in the past claiming to be a god or a christ, including Rev. Moon, and all are false.  Jesus predicted this would happen.  

Sun Myung Moon (Korean 문선명 Mun Seon-myeong; born Mun Yong-myeong; 25 February 1920 – 3 September 2012) was a Korean religious leader, also known for his support of business ventures and social and political causes.[1][2] A messiah claimant, he was the founder of the Unification Church.

[wingnut-]

There is only one Christ, the Messiah, meaning anointed one.

[Guest]

The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of GOD, is the One True Christ. There have been an untold number of false christs, as the Bible tells us there will be.

[NOONE7]

17 hours ago, Retrobyter said:

This is more of a probe into how people feel about the word "Christ." What does the word mean to you? How many "Christs" were/are there?

Only ONE and His name is JESUS.

[simplejeff]

One Christ..............................................................many false Christs..............................

few Christians........................................................many anti-Christians........................

[Absolem]

Jesus.

[Retrobyter]

On 6/9/2017 at 7:54 PM, OneLight said:

I am trying to figure out if this is some sort of trick question.

Let assume you are also talking about False Christs.  Nobody knows how many there was and will be.

If you are talking about Christ Jesus, there is only one.

Shabbat shalom, OneLight.

LOL! You caught me! Yes, it IS a trick question, but not in the way you were thinking. Most think of "one true Christ, and many false christs."

HOWEVER, let's look at some of the facts:

Strong's Dictionaries tell us that "Christ" comes from...

NT:5547 Christos (khris-tos'); from NT:5548; anointed, i.e. the Messiah, an epithet of Jesus:
KJV - Christ.

NT:5548 chrioo (khree'-o); probably akin to NT:5530 through the idea of contact; to smear or rub with oil, i.e. (by implication) to consecrate to an office or religious service:
KJV - anoint.

related to...

NT:5545 chrisma (khris'-mah); from NT:5548; an unguent or smearing, i.e. (figuratively) the special endowment ("chrism") of the Holy Spirit:
KJV - anointing, unction.

(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

"Messiah" is the English equivalent to the Hebrew "Maashiyach," which was the Hebrew word translated into the Greek word "Christos."

OT:4899 maashiyach (maw-shee'-akh); from OT:4886; anointed; usually a consecrated person (as a king, priest, or saint); specifically, the Messiah:
KJV - anointed, Messiah.

OT:4886 maashach (maw-shakh'); a primitive root; to rub with oil, i.e. to anoint; by implication, to consecrate; also to paint:
KJV - anoint, paint.

related to...

OT:4888 mishchaah (meesh-khaw'); or moshchaah (mosh-khaw'); from OT:4886; unction (the act); by implication, a consecratory gift:
KJV - (to be) anointed (-ing), ointment.

(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

Now, one can either use Strong's Concordance looking for the number OT:4899 OR one can use the Englishman's Concordance which is a concordance keyed to the Hebrew (and Greek) words:

Here are the locations in the Tanakh (the OT) that contain that word. Investigating each verse, if known, I've given the name of the person who was so anointed after the "KJV":

Leviticus 4:3
3 If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering.
KJV (Aaron or his sons)
Leviticus 4:5
5 And the priest that is anointed shall take of the bullock's blood, and bring it to the tabernacle of the congregation:
KJV (Aaron or his sons)
Leviticus 4:16
16 And the priest that is anointed shall bring of the bullock's blood to the tabernacle of the congregation:
KJV (Aaron or his sons)
Leviticus 6:22
22 And the priest of his sons that is anointed in his stead shall offer it: it is a statute for ever unto the LORD, it shall be wholly burnt.
KJV (Aaron or his sons)
1 Samuel 2:10
10 The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.
KJV (Hannah's prophecy; therefore, probably Yeshua`)
1 Samuel 2:35
35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.
KJV (the anointed one before whom Sh'mu'el will stand, i.e. probably David more than Saul)
1 Samuel 12:3
3 Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.
KJV (the priest)
1 Samuel 12:5
5 And he said unto them, The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.
KJV (the priest)
1 Samuel 16:6
6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD'S anointed is before him. (the search for David)
KJV
1 Samuel 24:6
6 And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD'S anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.
KJV (Saul)
1 Samuel 24:10
10 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the LORD'S anointed.
KJV (Saul)
1 Samuel 26:9
9 And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless?
KJV (Saul)
1 Samuel 26:11
11 The LORD forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the LORD'S anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go.
KJV (Saul)
1 Samuel 26:16
16 This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the LORD'S anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.
KJV (Saul)
1 Samuel 26:23
23 The LORD render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the LORD delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD'S anointed.
KJV (Saul)
2 Samuel 1:14
14 And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD'S anointed?
KJV (Saul)
2 Samuel 1:16
16 And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD'S anointed. (Saul)
KJV
2 Samuel 1:21
21 Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.
KJV (Saul)
2 Samuel 19:21
21 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD'S anointed?
KJV (David)
2 Samuel 22:51
51 He is the tower of salvation for his king: and sheweth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for evermore.
KJV (David)
2 Samuel 23:1
23 Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,
KJV (David)
1 Chronicles 16:22
22 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.
KJV (the children of Israel)
2 Chronicles 6:42
42 O LORD God, turn not away the face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of David thy servant.
KJV (Solomon)
Psalms 2:2
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
KJV (prophecy about Yeshua`)
Psalms 18:50
50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.
KJV (David)
Psalms 20:6
6 Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.
KJV (David)
Psalms 28:8
8 The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed.
KJV (David)
Psalms 84:9
9 Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed.
KJV (the high priest)
Psalms 89:38
38 But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed.
KJV (an heir of David just before the Babylonian Captivity)
Psalms 89:51
51 Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O LORD; wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed. (an heir of David just before the Babylonian Captivity)
KJV
Psalms 105:15
15 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.
KJV (the children of Israel)
Psalms 132:10
10 For thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of thine anointed.
KJV (David)
Psalms 132:17
17 There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed.
KJV (David)
Isaiah 45:1
45 Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;
KJV (Koresh or Cyrus I)
Lamentations 4:20
20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.
KJV (an heir of David taken into the Captivity)
Daniel 9:25
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. 
KJV (Yeshua`)
Daniel 9:26
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
KJV (Yeshua`)
Habakkuk 3:13
13 Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah.
KJV (Yeshua`)

All these were anointed with the Holy Anointing Oil that is described in Exodus 30:

Exodus 30:22-33
22 Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
23 Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,
24 And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:
25 And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.
26 And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony,
27 And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense,
28 And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot.
29 And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.
30 And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.
31 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.
32 Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you.
33 Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.
KJV

So, technically, there were MANY "messiahs" for each one of the priests were so anointed, each one of the prophets were so anointed, and each one of the kings were so anointed.

Aaron was a messiah of the LORD.
Eleazar, a son of Aaron, was a messiah of the LORD.
Ithamar, a son of Aaron, was a messiah of the LORD.
`Eli, a priest, was a messiah of the LORD.
Samuel, a prophet, was a messiah of the LORD.
Saul, the first king, was a messiah of the LORD.
David, the man after God's own heart, was a messiah of the LORD.
Solomon, the king at Israel's zenith, was a messiah of the LORD.
And, that's the SHORT list!

Therefore, since "christos" is simply the Greek translation of the Hebrew word "maashiyach," that means there were MANY "christs!" Making the substitution into the list above gives us this information:

Aaron was a christ of the LORD.
Eleazar was a christ of the LORD.
Ithamar was a christ of the LORD.
Eli was a christ of the LORD.
Samuel was a christ of the LORD.
Saul was a christ of the LORD.
David was a christ of the LORD.
Solomon was a christ of the LORD.

They were NOT "false christs"; they were REAL "christs!" That is, each one of these people were people who were each truly ANOINTED by the LORD! Therefore, they were CHOSEN by the LORD!

This is a very important lesson to learn!

It's also important to understand that this is ABSOLUTE TRUTH FROM SCRIPTURE; it's not "my opinion!"

Psalm 133:1-3
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
KJV

Edited June 11, 2017 by Retrobyter