Corpus-Paul

["John Brand" <jbrand AT gvsd.mb.ca>]

> >John Brand responds:
> Here are a couple of resources that might shed some light on what the
> Gentiles anticipated in terms of Christos:
>
> >". In the far East the Persian Mazda worshippers looked for the birth
> of a Saviour from a virgin mother. In the sacred books of Zoroaster we
> read: "We worship the guardian spirit of the holy maid Esetât- Jedhri,
> who is called the all-conquering, for she will bring him forth who
> will destroy the malice of the demons and of men." [Dr. L. H. Mills,
> "Zoroaster and the Bible," in Nineteenth Century, Jan. 1894, p. 51].
> It was this firm belief which brought the Magi, many long centuries
> after the above was written, from the land of Zoroaster to worship Him
> whom they had heard of, as born of a virgin to be the King of the
> Jews." [Frederick Thomas Elworthy, "The Evil Eye" (Julian Press,
> 1986), 194]

Tim responds:
> I'm sorry, John, but I do not see the identifier "Christos" in
> anything you posted.

John continues:
'Christos,' of course, is Greek for the Hebrew mashiach. The Aryan
cognate would be 'atman' which is understood to be the higher self or
spirit. Ahura Mazda (the creator) has a corresponding atman which
permeates his creation. There were numerous ideas of who was the
'incarnate' atman (Persian) or the incarnate soter (Greek).

Hopefully, this helps to bring out the identifier 'Christos' as it
relates to your discussion.

Regards,

John Brand

B.A. (Providence College, 1980)
M.Min. (Providence Seminary, 1990)