Unusual image - What is it?

[Berean]

I have a friend who picked up a used book called "Interpreting the New Testament" by James L. Price at a book shop. It has this image both on the cover and at the beginning of most chapters. Can anyone here explain what the image is and its meaning? It almost looks like a dolphin but is likely a fish. Thanks.

 

[Edward]

Looks like the predatory fish is wearing a bishop's miter. An editorial cartoon of a bishop trying to get between the people and the cross?

 

[Contra_Mundum]

The cross symbol is more or less self explanatory. It was once a symbol of cruel and humiliating death, transformed into the Christians' hope when our Lord took it up in our place.

The fish symbol is probably an elaborate IXTHUS. This is an ancient acronym, reading Greek for "fish," the letters of which were once a coded claim of Christian identity.

I-Iesus
X-Xristos
TH-Theos
U-Uios
S-Soter

Jesus Christ God Son Savior

 

[Berean]

Thank-you, Bruce. So, in other words, it's just a very primitive drawing of what we commonly see today.

 

[Contra_Mundum]

I don't know about "primitive," b/c it looks kinda fancy drawing.
However, each of the original symbols can be drawn with two pen strokes.

 

[Free Christian]

Many animals and things in the old days were drawn in ways that overemphasised certain things. Wings on birds that were bigger and of a nature that was not actually seen in them in real terms. Many fish were drawn with overemphasised fins, sharks with big flowing tail fins, strange head shapes. Iv got an old world version tattoo of a shark drawn that way.

 

[One Little Nail]

The cross symbol is more or less self explanatory. It was once a symbol of cruel and humiliating death, transformed into the Christians' hope when our Lord took it up in our place.

The fish symbol is probably an elaborate IXTHUS. This is an ancient acronym, reading Greek for "fish," the letters of which were once a coded claim of Christian identity.

I-Iesus
X-Xristos
TH-Theos
U-Uios
S-Soter

Jesus Christ God Son Savior

its a Sinful Idolatrous Image representation for Jesus Christ for some reason the Early Church used image representations instead of the Scriptures Alone.

 

[Contra_Mundum]

Robert, I can't tell if you are joking. It's an acronym, that's all. What some person does with it is not the fault of everyone. IXTHUS became a symbol for Christians and Christianity, not than a representation of the Theanthropos.

 

[One Little Nail]

Sorry Bruce it wasn't a go at you brother, nor was I joking, I know you were only stating that the fish symbol that being used was probably the IXTHUS which I thought it was likewise, my only contention was that the IXTHUS Symbol which appears inside of a fish sketch, unfortunately becomes a pictorial representation of Christ as such, and that this does contravenes the 2nd Commandment, I should have been more clear, thats all.