Very early in the history of the church, the fish became a symbol of the Christian faith. Given the fact that most of the early disciples of Jesus were fishermen, that fish also features so significantly in the gospel narratives, this is little surprising especially when the Greek word for fish serves conveniently as an acronym encapsulating a powerful article of faith:
Ι (Iota) = Iesous (Jesus)
Χ (Chi) = Christos (Christ)
Θ (Theta) = Theou (God's)
Υ (Upsilon) = Uios (Son)
Σ (Sigma) = Soter (Saviour)
The symbol was a useful way of identifying the secret Christian meeting places in times of persecution.
©ALBERITH