Well, what can we say about the XCian question in the earliest texts of the first centuries so far?
We have perhaps one example of a nomina sacra abbreviation, XPA (Chi-Roe-Alpha), in p45
viewtopic.php?p=131708#p131708. This is interesting as it is the only example that XCians are treated this way, usually the word is written out in full and no special treatment is given it. I feel that this is simply a mistake on the scribes part, probably being used to rendering XC as a nomina sacra abbreviation. This brings up an interesting question though, if XC is always abbreviated why not XCian? If XC is Christ and considered special then one would expect that Christian would be as well. And why isn't Anti
Christ a nomina sacra? Something like ANTI
XC with a line over the XC?
The most common rendering seems to be XPEICT___ (Chi-Roe-EI-Sigma-Tou___) where the diphthong ei is used and in Codex Bezae the Latin translation is Christianos.
In one case the ei is missing where we would expect it. Erased? Or just a scribal mistake? If erased, why just in that one spot?
We do have examples of XPHCT___ (Chi-Roe-Eta-Sigma-Tou___) where H=eta is being used and it does look like someone erased part of the H (eta) to make it look like an I (iota). This was done in multiple places in the same codex. It looks like it was done later to turn Chrestian into Christian.
So. Were they Christians or Chrestians? We have only one example of XP
ICT___ (Chi-Roe-
Iota-Sigma-Tou___), Christian, in p72, a 3rd or 4th century text.
Otherwise it's XP
EICT___ (
ei), Chr?stian? Or XP
HCT___ (
eta), Chrestian.
Is 'Mark' 10:18 a clue? Translations of Chrestos being good/useful.
“Why do you call Me good?” IC replied. “No one is good except ThC (theos/God) alone."
But the Greek word being translated as good in the above quote is AGAThOC/AGAThON (Agathos/Agathon=good/useful
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E1%BC%8 ... F%8C%CF%82) and is not abbreviated like we should expect if it were a nomina sacra like XC.
So, what does the abbreviation XC stand for? You tell me.