Do any Christian traditions assert that there can be more than one "messiah"?
Upvote:1
The English word "messiah" is a loanword derived from the Latin word messias, which itself is a transliteration of the Greek word μεσσίας (cp. John 1:41, 4:25), which itself is a transliteration of the Hebrew word מָשִׁיחַ, which is accurately transliterated into English as mashiach.
That being said, the Hebrew word מָשִׁיחַ is an adjective which translates into English as "anointed." As an adjective, it can also function as a substantive meaning "anointed one."
In the Bible, many people are referred to as מָשִׁיחַ, including priests (Lev. 4:3), prophets (1 Kings 19:16), the kings of Israel (1 Kings 19:16), and even the king of Persia (Isa. 45:1). Hence, we encounter the phrase הַכֹּהֵן הַמָּשִׁיחַ (ha-kohen ha-mashiach), or "the anointed priest" (Lev. 4:3).
It is thus evident that there were many "anointed ones," or as you put it, "messiahs." Even the Tanakh mentions many "anointed ones" ("messiahs") in one verse. For example,
In 1 Chr. 16:22, it is written,
Do not touch My anointed ones; do not harm My prophets.
אַל תִּגְּעוּ בִּמְשִׁיחָי וּבִנְבִיאַי אַל תָּרֵעוּ
ִּבִּמְשִׁיחָי is not "My anointed one," for that would have been written בִּמְשִׁיחִי. The word בִּמְשִׁיחָי is plural, meaning "My anointed ones."
Furthermore, all Christians today are anointed and technically "messiahs."
Now He who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, is God. 1 Cor. 1:21
Also,
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know everything. 1 John 2:20
And,
And the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you, but as the same anointing teaches you about everything, and is truth, and is no lie, even as it has taught you, you shall abide in Him. 1 John 2:27
However, there is one anointed one who is the anointed par excellence (κατ' εξοχήν), and that is who Christians identify as the Lord Jesus Christ (i.e., Lord Jesus, the Anointed One). The reason the Lord Jesus is the Anointed One par excellence is because he was anointed with the "oil of gladness" more than any of his brothers. This "oil of gladness," which he was not given by measure (John 3:34), is the Holy Spirit (cp. Acts 10:38).
6 O' God, Your throne is for ever and ever. The sceptre of Your kingdom is a right sceptre. 7 You loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore O' God, your God anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your fellows. Psa. 45:6-7
Hence, we call the Lord Jesus "the messiah" and not "a messiah."
More post
- 📝 Why does Paul emphasise that Jesus is the Son of David in 2 Timothy
- 📝 Have Christians in communion with the Bishop of Rome been always in the majority since St. Peter?
- 📝 Is John 3:23 contradicted by 1 John 4:5-6? Does the born again experience happen by the Holy Spirit or by both the word of God/Gospel and Holy Spirit?
- 📝 From a Catholic perspective, why does Wisdom merely "infer" the things to come?
- 📝 How do Traditional Latin Mass going Catholics usually prepare and receive their sacraments of initiation?
- 📝 Was Onan really struck dead by God for masturbating?
- 📝 How do you know when you are truly saved, and how do you live as a Christian afterwards?
- 📝 The Jehovah's Witness perspective concerning the Four Hors*m*n
- 📝 What does it mean to judge the fatherless?
- 📝 According to Trinitarians, did the human Jesus worship the divine Jesus?
- 📝 Did Jesus or any of the New Testament authors ever quote a textual variant?
- 📝 Identifying a Saint on a Greek Orthodox icon?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for saying God is a Subsistent Being?
- 📝 How did attitues to the deutero-canonical books in the Western Churches change during the second millenium?
- 📝 When were the "three times a year" when one was supposed to receive communion?
- 📝 Why were early Mormon leaders so critical of traditional Christianity?
- 📝 Do any trinitarian Protestant traditions teach that anyone who denies the Trinity is necessarily unsaved?
- 📝 Is the betterment of the world impossible?
- 📝 How do Trinitarians understand the phrase 'image of God' as in Colossians 1:15?
- 📝 Did it ever happen that a Christian died simply because he had no food at his disposal?
- 📝 Catholic Church's History Reflects The life of Christ?
- 📝 Did Judas identify Jesus with a kiss because Jesus could change his features?
- 📝 How would you come to a pre-tribulational rapture view from scratch?
- 📝 Were any popes or patriarchs converts to Christianity?
- 📝 Was the wine in The Last Supper fermented?
- 📝 Is Jesus presently seated on a throne?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for "God's already forgiven you" teaching?
- 📝 From a Jehovah's Witness perspective, why don't we have the option to choose whether or not to come to this world?
- 📝 What does it mean for the soul to be "immediately" created by God?
- 📝 Has there been a shift in Christian metaphysics from a unitary cosmos to a binary one?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Do any Christian traditions assert that there can be more than one "messiah"?
- 📝 Are there any Christian groups that believe in only One God (The Father revealed by Christ) and only One Gospel rather than 4 Gospels?
- 📝 What is the theory that there is more than one "Satan" called, and what is its basis?
- 📝 Looking for the Bible Verse: "If any of you have more than one <some-thing> give that to another"
- 📝 Are there or have there been any Christian traditions that follow Kosher food laws?
- 📝 Are there any Christian traditions that say anything about feminism?
- 📝 Are there any trinitarian Christian denominations that believe one should only pray to the Father, not to Jesus?
- 📝 Is there more than one Joseph in the Bible?
- 📝 Are there any Christian denominations that consider LDS (Mormons) to be Christians?
- 📝 Are there any Christian groups that follow Matthew 23:9?
- 📝 Are there any Christian denominations that don't believe Jesus is the only way to salvation?
- 📝 Does "Where ever there is more than one of you gathered in My name" apply to the Internet?
- 📝 Is there any evidence that Romans viewed Christian teachings on sexual restraint as a liberating influence?
- 📝 Are there any Christian denominations that deny the existence of an afterlife?
- 📝 Are there any Christian sects that believe in "curative intercourse"?
- 📝 Are there any Christian denominations that believe in sex and marriage in the afterlife?
- 📝 Is there any evidence that some Christian leaders discourage lay Christians from reading the whole OT or NT?
- 📝 Are there any non-pacifist traditions that object to military chaplaincy?
- 📝 Is there any Christian group that takes Matthew 23:8-10 literally?
- 📝 Are there any major / orthodox Christian leaders that taught that Paul didn't meet Jesus?
- 📝 Do any Christian traditions hold the belief that Adam was androgynous?
- 📝 In Catholic understanding when there is more than one Pope, who decides which Pope is real and by what criteria?
- 📝 Are there any Christian sects that say salvation is based, in whole or in part, on your response to Jesus on Judgment Day?
- 📝 Since there is only one God who is not formed then how can the Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that Jesus is a created god?
- 📝 Are there any active Christian ministries that preach from the Jefferson Bible?
- 📝 Are there any Christian denominations that reject some of the gospels in the New Testament?
- 📝 Are there any traditions that believe in the complete cessation of miracles?
- 📝 Are there any Christian sects that allow for the existence of other "God" claims?
- 📝 Are there any traditions or schools of thought that track Jesus' movements?
- 📝 Have any Christian thinkers expressed the idea that the Trinity can be proven independently from Scripture?