About the Christian and the Name of Jesus Christ: Excerpt from the Great Catechism
Question: Since all our wisdom consists in knowing the Lord God and ourselves, tell me, who and what are you?
Answer: I am a human, a rational (intelligent) creature of God, His creation, in His image, after His likeness.
Question: For what purpose did God create you, man?
Answer: So that I might understand and praise Him, and that His mercy may abide with me forever.
Question: Where do we learn to understand our Lord God?
Answer: We know the Creator of all creation through creation itself, and also from the Holy Scriptures, prophetic, apostolic, and gospel, we learn about Him from the teachings of the holy Fathers.
Question: What do you understand about the Lord God and how do you think from the Holy Scriptures?
Answer: I know that there is one God the Father, from whom everything [comes]; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom everything [is]; and one Holy Spirit, in whom everything [is]. These three: from whom and through whom, and in whom – are not divided in essence and nature. Thus I understand and thus I think.
Question: Do you know what God is?
Answer: I told you that I know that God is the inaccessible light, unspeakable, without beginning, infinite, everlasting, indescribable, incomprehensible, containing everything, contained by none (nothing and no one supports or holds Him). He is called God because He knows everything.
Question: If so, how do you know Him?
Answer: By undoubted faith.
Question: Where then is your faith from?
Answer: I have faith from God, whom I know and passionately confess, and I received it by learning from His divine words.
Question: If I ask you, what faith you are of, what will you say?
Answer: I will say, of the true Christian faith, Orthodoxy.
Question: Why do you adhere to this faith?
Answer: Because I was baptized in this faith, believing in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; this faith was preached by the prophets, taught by the apostles, clarified by the martyrs, and affirmed by the saints.
Question: What is a true Orthodox Christian?
Answer: A Christian is a person who, born again through holy baptism and cleansed in its regenerative bath, is called by grace a child of God; one who lives a life of piety and godliness, believes correctly, and firmly stands in Orthodoxy. He does not seek another law or special perverse judgments but keeps himself unshakably in the Christian law and shows his orthodoxy through his good deeds.
Question: What should a true believer be like?
Answer: He should have love, purity, meekness, piety, and humility in everything. He should humbly accept punishment, fear God, honor the king, love his neighbors, be merciful and hospitable, virtuous and sober, love truth and justice, be wise and courageous, labor for every good deed and, as far as possible, become like God.
Question: Why is such a person called a Christian?
Answer: He is called an Orthodox Christian because of Christ's name: from the words Christ and chrism (the anointing of the holy myrrh).
Question: How then is the Greek word Christos and the Hebrew word Messiah translated?
Answer: Anointed.
Question: Why is Christ called the Anointed?
Answer: For taking on flesh, when He was anointed by the Holy Spirit as the King above all kings, the Priest above all priests, and the Prophet above all prophets. As the psalmist David says: "Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions."
Question: Who are Christ's companions?
Answer: All those I spoke of: the true believers, His servants.
Question: Why did Christ become man, given that He was God blessed before all ages?
Answer: God always was, is, and will be. He condescended for our salvation to come down to us, so that we might ascend to Him, where we were in the beginning. Because God breathed a soul into us, at one time we were with God, but fell away due to sin. He, however, returns us. In order to recreate His image, God became man.
Question: Tell me again, where do you know this from?
Answer: The prophets prophesied about this, and the Scriptures called the one who deigned to be born of the pure Virgin and live among men and save His people the true and natural (i.e., by nature) God. Moreover, our God Christ showed all this through words and deeds and made it clear through the evangelists' good news, and the holy Apostles also affirm us in this.
Question: And how is the Hebrew word "Jesus" translated?
Answer: "Jesus" translates as Savior, that is, deliverer, because He saved us from our sins and from every sinful act, from defilement and devilish torment, and from death and eternal suffering, and from the depths of hell, He delivered us.
Question: Then why, before the birth of Christ in the Old Testament, were three men, mentioned in the Scripture, named Jesus: Joshua, Jesus Sirach, and Jesus the son of Josedech? Were they also deliverers?
Answer: Because they were a type and likeness of the true Jesus, our Lord Jesus Christ. Just as Joshua, a mighty military leader, trampled the enemies of the Israelite people and led Israel into the Promised Land. Likewise, Jesus Sirach was a wise teacher in ancient times. And Jesus son of Josedech was a priest and built the temple of God. So Christ, the true Jesus, having trampled the enemies of the human race by His power, led those who believe in Him alive into the Promised Land, that is, the Kingdom of Heaven. By His divine power and strength, He enlightened the universe with the Gospel and dispelled the darkness of idolatry. Therefore, these three names resemble the name of Jesus the Savior, but they themselves are not saviors. Because the name "Jesus" translates as "God will save," it clearly makes us understand that none of them could deliver, but it was possible only for God who took human flesh and became the true Jesus the Savior for the human race. This is the name of Jesus, before which every knee in heaven, on earth, and under the earth bows and falls. This is the name of Jesus, which if anyone calls upon in Spirit and truth, they shall be saved. This is the name of Jesus, for whose sake, if anyone asks the Heavenly Father anything (i.e., asks in the name of Jesus), they receive everything. This is the name of Jesus, which all the faithful must always have in their hearts and on their lips, in all their deeds, as the Apostle Paul says: "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." With this Divine name, we ought to receive deliverance and defeat all our enemies and adversaries.
It is unseemly for a Christian to chase after glory and fleshly honors, but it is fitting to heed the word of God and seek in it the eternal goods. - St. Cyprian of Carthage
Christians are the children of God, who are transformed into the image of God to the extent given to man. Christians are the word of life, therefore, by their mortality, they affirm the hope of true life. Christians are the salt of the earth, for those who commune with them are renewed in spirit to incorruption. - St. Basil the Great
What is characteristic of a Christian? To be cleansed from all filth of the flesh and spirit by the Blood of Christ, to practice holiness in the fear of God and the love of Christ. - St. Basil the Great
Christian customs and laws are peculiar only to Christians, so that no one else who wished to emulate them could adopt them, and this is because they were established not by human reasoning, but by the power of God and enduring perseverance. - St. Gregory the Theologian