"Insights" from the New Testament Greek

By Bob Jones, Northside Bible Church, Jacksonville Florida

"Jesus is Lord" 1 Cor. 12:3

  All too often, we use a Bible phrase so frequently that it loses its true meaning. It seems to be very popular to say that "Jesus is Lord of this and that" and "If Jesus is not Lord of all, he is not Lord at all". Many people say "Jesus is Lord" to identify themselves as "Spirit filled Christians". I recently passed through a town in West Florida that had a huge billboard at the city limit stating that "Jesus is Lord over [the city was named]".

  The English word "Lord" is the Greek word "kurios". "Kurios" means "master" or "owner" referring to "the one who has control or authority".

  Acts 2:36 states that the God (Ho Theos) has made Jesus both Lord (kurios or master) and Christ (christos, the anointed one, or promised Savior).

  Acts 10:36 states that Jesus IS Lord of ALL.

  Col 1:13-19, Col 2:9, 2 Cor 4:4, Heb 1:1-3, John 1:1-3 & 14, John 12:45 and 1 Tim 3:16 teach that Jesus is eternal, and the visible image and manifestation of the one true and infinite and invisible God, who left His home in glory and entered the stream of humanity through the virgin birth.

  After His bodily resurrection from the dead, in Matt. 28:18, Jesus said "all power (Greek = authority) is given me in heaven and in earth."

  Have we forgotten that Jesus is THE Lord himself no matter what men or angels think or do – or say – period? He is "the Lord of all" no matter what we think or do or SAY.

  Rom. 14:8 and 9 state that Jesus is the Lord, both of the dead and the living.

  Rev 1:18 States that Jesus has the keys of death and Hell. No one on this planet can die and no one can go to Hell, except when Jesus consciously "turns the key".

  Jesus is not just "Lord", but He is THE Lord, and has all power, control, and authority over all things on earth and in heaven.

  1 Cor. 15:47 states that Jesus is "THE Lord" FROM heaven, (Note: The name "Jesus" has the Greek article "the" in 1 Cor. 15:47). 1 Cor. 15:47 is stating that THE "Lord", Hebrew "Yahweh" in the Old Testament, left His home in heaven and entered the stream of humanity through the virgin birth, and is now forever "Jesus".

  Now, the task at hand, is not for US to say "Jesus is Lord over this and that", but, by means of the power of God, to line up our lives with God's Word. (Here is the problem, because, like the cartoon character Pogo says, "we've found the enemy, and it's US").

  May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.

  Bob Jones