Words · Greek Words · Lesson 4, word 3 of 5
κύριοςkyrios
Lord, master, the word the Greek Bible uses for God's name.
Why this word is here. 'Jesus is Lord' is the earliest Christian confession; in the Septuagint kyrios stands where Hebrew has the divine name YHWH.
What it means
Abbott-Smith: 'having power or authority; as a substantive, lord, master'. In general use: the lord of a vineyard, of a house, of slaves (opposite to doulos), a title of respect to masters, teachers and magistrates, even of the emperor. As a divine title: in the Septuagint it stands chiefly for YHWH, the personal name of God, and the New Testament uses it both of God the Father and, with full weight, of Jesus.
That background is why 'Jesus is Lord' is not a courtesy title. To call Jesus kyrios with Old Testament YHWH texts applied to him (as Romans 10:13 applies Joel 2:32) is to place him on God's side of the Creator-creature line.
Where you meet it
Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord!
Luke 2:11 (BSB)
'A Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord (kyrios).'
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:11 (BSB)
Anchor verse 'Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (kyrios), to the glory of God the Father.' The hymn's climax borrows Isaiah 45:23, where the speaker is YHWH.
Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!”
John 20:28 (BSB)
In plain words
Thomas, who had refused to believe without seeing, stands before the risen Jesus and says the fullest words anyone speaks to him in the Gospels: 'My Lord and my God!'
Context · The doubter's demand, met
A week earlier Thomas had said he would not believe unless he saw the nail marks and put his hand into Jesus' side (John 20:25). Jesus offers exactly that (verse 27). Thomas's answer is not inspection but worship.
Thomas, seeing the risen Jesus: 'My Lord (kyrios) and my God!' The Gospel's confession in its fullest form.
Therefore let all Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ!”
Acts 2:36 (BSB)
'God has made Him both Lord (kyrios) and Christ.' Peter's Pentecost verdict.
Why it matters
Kyrios is the word in which the New Testament's highest claim about Jesus is stated in ordinary Greek. It also names the Christian's daily allegiance: a kyrios is a master with authority, so 'Jesus is Lord' is a transfer of obedience, not a slogan. Caesar's subjects used the same word; the confession had a cost.
Watch out
Do not flatten kyrios to 'a polite sir'. It ranges from respectful address (the Syrophoenician woman's 'Lord', Matthew 15:27) to the master of slaves to the divine name itself, and context decides. The over-claim in the other direction, every 'lord' in the Gospels is a full confession of deity, ignores the range: servants in parables say kyrie to vineyard owners. The staggering uses are specific: where YHWH texts are quoted of Jesus, the evangelists know exactly what they are doing.
In this lesson
- parakletos (παράκλητος): One called alongside to help: advocate, intercessor, comforter.
- christos (Χριστός): The Anointed One, the Greek of mashiach, Messiah.
- baptizo (βαπτίζω): To dip, immerse, wash, to baptise.
- hagios (ἅγιος): Holy, sacred, and 'the saints', ordinary believers.
Sources
- Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon (1889)
- STEP Bible lexicon data (Abbott-Smith)
- SBL Greek New Testament (SBLGNT)
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