In what sense is Jesus Christ also called “Lord?”
“Lord” (Greek Kyrios) can simply mean “sir,” but when applied to Jesus in the Church’s confession, it signifies supreme divine authority. Moreover, “Lord” was used as a name of God himself, because the Jews, out of reverence, would not pronounce the sacred Name YHWH, substituting Adonai in Hebrew and Kyrios in Greek (see the Study: The Name of God). In a biblical context, therefore, “Lord” can carry the full weight of the divine Name, as when Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, addresses the Virgin: “Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luk 1:43; see Q187, Q402).
The Apostle Paul writes: “To us, there is one God the Father, from whom are all things; and we are for him; and one Lord Jesus Christ through whom are all things, and we live” (1Co 8:6; see Q091), placing Jesus, as “one Lord,” within Israel’s confession of the one God (Deu 6:4; see Q039). Hence the earliest Christian creed of all: “Jesus Christ is Lord” (Phi 2:11; see Q043, Q083).
