We love our titles, don’t we? During my undergrad studies, I recall a professor who got angry because a student referred to him by “Dr”. He pointed to the sign in front of his office door to remind the poor fellow how to address him properly. To this lecturer, his professorial title was a thing of pride, indicating his academic prowess, so he wouldn’t let himself be addressed by what he perceived as a lower title.
Similarly, names and titles occupy an important place in the Bible. Throughout the Old Testament, there are several names and titles accorded the three persons of the blessed Trinity, each revealing an aspect of the character of the Godhead. In the New Testament, some of the more prominent names and titles ascribed to the second person of the Trinity include “Son of Man”, “Lord”, and “Christ”. In this article, we will explore the title of “Lord” and attempt to unpack its significance as applied to Jesus.
Not everyone who says “Lord, Lord”
We find three ways in which the title “Lord” (Greek, kyrios) is used in the New Testament. The first is a title that conveys respect, much like how we use “Sir” or “Madam” in certain cultures. I recall a church my family and I attended during our stay in the Gambia where everyone who spoke to you addressed you as “Sir” or “Madam”. At first, my wife and I felt a little uncomfortable to be called by such titles, especially by those we perceived to be older than us. It didn’t take long before we realised this was their way of showing respect. Referring to each other in this way created a standard of mutual respect among the congregation.
Similarly, some of those who called Jesus “Lord” in the New Testament often used the title simply to show respect, particularly before requesting his help. The conversation Jesus had with the woman at the well in Samaria Illustrates this point clearly:
The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? (John 4:11).
Here, the Greek word being translated as “Sir” is kyrie, a form of the word kyrios, often translated as “Lord” or “Master.” For example, we find the same word translated as “Lord” in Matthew 8:2:
And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.“
(cf. Matthew 8:6, 8; Matthew 15:27; Mark 7:28; Luke 5:12; Luke 13:25; John 4:11, 15, 19; John 5:7 etc). “Lord” in these passages denotes an expression of honour or respect to a man of distinction. It comes as no surprise, then, that on the last day, Jesus will say to some who call him Lord, “I never knew you”:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.‘” (Matthew 7:21-23).
The fact that these professors of religion are labelled as workers of lawlessness suggests that they were never regenerate in the first place. They honoured God with their lips, while their hearts were far from Him (Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 15:8). Lest we harbour any doubts about this, Jesus emphatically says he never knew them, for the proof that we are indeed his disciples lies in our obedience to Him (Luke 6:46).
Duolos of Christ
The second way “Lord” is used in the New Testament is to convey the relationship between bondservants and their master.
In the OId Testament law, a servant could volunteer to enter a lifetime of servitude with a master whom he loves. Such a servant then became a bondservant (Exodus 21:5-6).
In the New Testament, Paul frequently referred to himself as a slave (duolos) of Christ (Romans 1:1; Galatians 1:10; Colossians 4:7; Titus 1:1), implying that Christ was his master or owner (kyrios). He wasn’t alone; Peter, Timothy, James and Jude similarly chose to describe themselves in this way, denoting their absolute and permanent devotion to Jesus (Romans 1:1; Philippians 1:1; James 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1; Jude 1:1). Paul goes on to admonish that believers consider themselves as duolos of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 7:22, he writes,
“For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ.”
In the Corinthians passage above, Paul hints at a crucial truth about the Christian life: the paradox of our liberty and bondage in Christ. Having been freed from a life of bondage to sin, we become slaves to righteousness (1 Corinthians 6:20, Romans 6:22), utterly devoted to the one who purchased our freedom with His blood (Ephesians 1:7).
Some hold that our adoption as sons of God (Galatians 4:5-7, Ephesians 1:5) means that we are not to regard ourselves as servants or slaves of God. They see this as demeaning our royal position as sons and daughters. However, being bondservants of Christ does not detract from our sonship, nor are the two relationships mutually exclusive. Far from being a derogatory position, to be regarded as a servant of God is a high honour. Isaiah referred to Jesus as God’s suffering Servant, and God fondly described several prominent saints in the Old Testament as servants, including Abraham (Genesis 26:24), Moses (Numbers 12:7; Revelations 15:3), Joshua (Joshua 24:29), and David (2 Samuel 7:5).
Jesus is Lord!
The third and final meaning given to Jesus’ title as Lord is that of an imperialistic, majestic ruler and king. This is the highest and grandest use of the term in the New Testament. In the 1st Century AD, kyrios Iēsous (Jesus is Lord) became the church’s shortest credal affirmation, bringing persecution and suffering to the early Christians.
The Roman emperors used to claim deity at the time, and the people were expected to grant this to them, hailing the Caesars as lords. The Caesars arrogated the highest meaning of kyrios to themselves. The Christian community couldn’t stomach this, naturally, as they owed their allegiance to Christ as the true Sovereign and ruler of their lives. They would not and could not pay such homage to Caesar and suffered the capital punishment for their faith in Christ.
Converts from Judaism to Christianity similarly faced persecution from their fellow Jews for claiming that Jesus was Lord. The writer to the Hebrews alludes to this in 10:32-34, where he describes how the Jewish believers endured insults and public persecution, some had their property plundered, and others were jailed for their belief in Christ. (Also, consider the persecution Paul suffered at the hands of the Jews in the book of Acts).
Why was this such a big deal? The answer lies in what the title “Lord” equivalates from the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, when we encounter the “LORD”, written with small capital letters, it translates the Hebrew tetragrammaton, YHWH (or Yahweh). This is God’s name, which he revealed to Moses (Exodus 3: 14-15); however, the Jews revered this name so much they wouldn’t pronounce it. Instead, they referred to God as Adonai, which is translated in our English Bibles as “Lord” with a capital L and small case letters, meaning, and refers to God’s absolute Sovereignty over His creation (See Psalms 8:1 and Psalms 110:1). This is the highest title ascribed to God in the Old Testament. Thus, to declare that Jesus is Lord is to say He is one and the same as Adonai. Kyrios Iēsous was not a cliché or something to be taken lightly.
As we draw our discussion to a close, I’d like to ask how you see Jesus? Which of the three categories of meaning applies to your perspective and relationship with Him? Are you among those who call Him “Lord, Lord” but do not do what He says? If so, He asks you, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46). Or do you merely see Him as a great teacher who taught good morals? He is so much more than that!
For you, my Christian friend, do you relish that you are a duolos of Christ, who purchased us from sin’s slave market and is worthy of our absolute allegiance and love? Oh, our Sovereign Lord and Saviour, may your name be forever exalted in all the earth, from now even till eternity! Amen!
