Tuesday, December 27, 2016

1 Corinthians 12:3 - Jesus is Lord

Does this scripture mean that one with God's Holy Spirit identifies Jesus as Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?
Therefore I make known to you that no man speaking by God's Spirit says, "Jesus is accursed." No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," but by the Holy Spirit. -- 1 Corinthians 12:3, World English.
This scripture is often misused to claim that Jesus is Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Some claim that in the expression "Jesus is Lord", the word "Lord" means "Jehovah". Some note that Johann Christian Reichardt's translation of the New Testament into Hebrew has the tetragrammaton, thus making it appear to say, "Jesus is Jehovah." From that it is evidently assumed that Paul was saying that one can only say that Jesus is Jehovah by means of the Holy Spirit.

However, Reichardt's placement of the tetragrammaton into 1 Corinthians 12:3 was evidently deliberately done in order to make it appear that Jesus is Jehovah. Therefore, the whole basis is circular reasoning, in effect, saying that since we believe that Jesus is Jehovah, then we believe that "Lord" in 1 Corinthians 12:3 means "Jehovah", and therefore we believe that Paul said that unless you say that Jesus is Jehovah that you do not have God's spirit.

Some claim that forms of the Greek word transliterated "KURIOS" in the New Testament always means "Jehovah". And thus, from that reasoning, every time a form of the word "KURIOS" is used of Jesus in the Bible, they reason that Jesus is being called "Jehovah", the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. -- Exodus 3:14,15.

In reality, KURIOS does not mean Jehovah, although it can be used of Jehovah, as a translation of forms of the Hebrew word that is often transliterated as "Adon", meaning "Lord" or "Master". Additionally, in the extant NT Greek manuscripts, we find that the Holy Name has been changed to forms of "Kurios", but this does not mean that every time the word "Kurios" appears in the New Testament, that it means that is being used as a substitute for "Jehovah"..

Bullinger gives the following instances in which forms of "Kurios" are applied in the Gospels to others than Jehovah or Jesus:

With the Article (ho Kurios), emphasizing ownership. Occurs fourty-two times: twenty-one times in Matthew 10:24,25; 15:27; 18:25,27,31,32,34; 20:8; 21:40; 24:45,46,48,50; 25:18,19,21,21,23,23,26; twice in Mark 12:9; 13:35; sixteen times in Luke 12:36,37,42,43,45,46,47; 14:21,23; 16:3,5,5,8; 19:33; 20:13,15; three times in John 13:16; 15:15,20.
Without the Article (Kurios). Generally in courtesy, emphasizing superior relationship. Occ. Nineteen times. Rendered “Lord” fourteen times (Matthew 18:26; 25:11,11,20,22,24. Luke 13:8,25,25; 14:22; 19:16,18,20,25); “Master” twice (Matthew 6:24. Luke 16:13); “Sir” four times (Matthew 13:27; 21:30; 27:63. John 12:21).

So what is the importance of recognizing Jesus as "Lord"? How is it that Jesus is "Lord" if he is not Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? We read that there is ONE who is unipersonally spoken of as the "one God" who has made Jesus both "Lord" and "Christ" (anointed one). (Acts 2:36; 1 Corinthians 8:6) Who is this ONE GOD that anointed Jesus? Prophetically, Jesus is quoted as stating, "Jehovah ... has anointed me." (Isaiah 61:1) It is thus the Lord Jehovah who anointed Jesus, and who has made Jesus both "Lord" and "Christ".

One cannot be a child of God if one does not recognize that Jesus is the one whom Jehovah has made lord; Jesus is the only way to the God and Father of Jesus. There is no other way. -- John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Ephesians 2:18.

Thus, it is imperative that we, if we would be sons of God (John 1:12), should recognize Jesus as our Lord, the one whom Jehovah appointed as our shepherd. (Ezekiel 34:23) This does not mean that we should be saying, "Jesus is Jehovah".

Jesus is Lord because the only true God (John 17:1,3) has made him lord. The only true God did not make Jesus the only true God. -- Psalm 45:7; Ezekiel 34:23,24; Isaiah 61:1; Acts 2:36; Hebrews 1:9.

The "one God" of the Christian is the God and Father of the Lord Jesus. -- 1 Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 1:3; 4:6; 1 Timothy 2:5.

Deuteronomy 7:9 does not say "the Lord" whom God made Lord is God. It says: "Know therefore that Yahweh your God, he is God, the faithful God." (World English) It is this Yahweh (Jehovah), the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who raised up Jesus as the prophet like Moses. -- Exodus 3:14,15; Deuteronomy 18:15-20; John 17:1,3; Acts 3:13-23; Hebrews 1:1,2.

Jesus worshiped and served Jehovah as his God. -- Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3; Luke 4:4; Deuteronomy 6:16; Matthew 4:7; Matthew 4:10 [Exodus 20:3-5; 34:14; Deuteronomy 6:13,14; 10:20]; Luke 4:8; Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:7,20-23; Matthew 22:29-40; Matthew 26:42; Matthew 27:46; Mark 10:6; Mark 14:36; 15:34; Luke 22:42; 5:30; 6:38; 17:1,3; 20:17; Romans 15:6; 2 Corinthians 1:3; 11:31; Ephesians 1:3,17; Hebrews 1:9; 10:7; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 2:7; 3:2,12.


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