Jesus is Lord didn't mean Jesus is God

Traditionalists arguing that Jesus was God incarnate like to point out that Paul called Jesus by the title of kyrios, which is the Greek word used in the Septuagint for YHWH. Only in their imaginations does that get them very far, though:  In Col. 4.1, Paul also uses the plural kyrioi in addressing slaveowners:  “Masters [kyrioi], provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a master [kyrios] in heaven.” [NIV]

On U.S. aircraft carriers, the senior officer who heads the Air Department is traditionally called The Boss.  That's also what people call Bruce Springsteen, but it doesn't mean they think he's a naval officer.

Comments

[Derek the Ænglican]

*gasp* Oh my goodness, I never realized... Paul was actually saying that Jesus was a slave owner!

Thanks for clearing this up for me.

[Tobias Haller]

Kyrios is roughtly equivalent of the English "Sir" -- which is how some version translate it in spoken dialogue between people. In an older context you might use, "M'Lord."

The same goes of "Adon(a)i" in Hebrew; it is a very polite form of address, used of people as well as of God. (See Genesis 23:6 for one such example).

Both are also used for God, of course, which just goes to show how ambiguous the semantic range is.

[Tobias Haller]

Kyrios is roughtly equivalent of the English "Sir" -- which is how some version translate it in spoken dialogue between people. In an older context you might use, "M'Lord."

The same goes of "Adon(a)i" in Hebrew; it is a very polite form of address, used of people as well as of God. (See Genesis 23:6 for one such example).

Both are also used for God, of course, which just goes to show how ambiguous the semantic range is.

[Shane Thomas Derry]

Lord Jesus and Lord God are two different people. Adonai is for God. Adoni is for Jesus in Psalm 110. 1 Timothy 2:5 states Jesus is the mediator between God and men. So he can't be God by scripture. Jesus states in John 17:3 his Father is the "only true God". This reiterates the fact that God is one person. Throughout the Old Testament. Deut.6:4 and through the New Testament. Galations 3:20 "God is one."