Kyrios (biblical term)
Encyclopedia
The Greek word Kyrios (κύριος) may mean God
, lord
or master. It is used in both the Old Testament
and the New Testament
.
Kyrios appears about 740 times in the New Testament, usually referring to Jesus
. The use of Kyrios in the New Testament has been the subject of debate among modern scholars, and three schools of thought exist on that topic. The first is that based on the Septuagint usage, the designation is intended to assign to Jesus the Old testament attributes of God. The reasoning here being, that at the time the Septuagint was written, when reading out loud, Jews pronounced Adonai, the Hebrew word for "Lord", when they encountered the name of God, "YHWH", which was thus translated into Greek in each instance as Kyrios. And the early Christians, as speakers of Greek, would have been deeply familiar with the Septuagint. The second is that as the early Church expanded, Hellenistic influences resulted in the use of the term. The third is that it is a translation of the Aramaic title Mari applied to Jesus.
In everyday Aramaic, Mari was a very respectful form of polite address, well above "Teacher" and similar to Rabbi
. In Greek this has at times been translated as Kyrios. While the term Mari expressed the relationship between Jesus and his disciples during his life, the Greek Kyrios came to represent his lordship over the world.
The Gospel of John
seldom uses Kyrios to refer to Jesus during his ministry, but does so after the Resurrection
, although the vocative Kyrie (meaning sir) appears frequently. The Gospel of Mark
never applies the term Kyrios as a direct reference to Jesus, unlike Paul who uses it 163 times. When Mark uses Kyrios (e.g. in 1:3 , 11:9 , 12:11, etc.) it is in reference to God. Mark does, however, use Kyrios in passages where it is unclear whether it applies to God or Jesus, e.g. in Mark 5:19 or Mark 11: 3.
One consequence of the use of Kyrios to refer to Jesus in the New Testament is that almost all Old Testament references to God (except Father) can then apply to Jesus. Kyrios is a key element of the Christology
of Apostle Paul. Most scholars agree that the use of Kyrios, and hence the Lordship of Jesus, predated the Pauline epistles
, but that Saint Paul expanded and elaborated on that topic. More than any other title, Kyrios defined the relationship between Jesus and those who believed in him as Christ: Jesus was their Lord and Master who was to be served with all their hearts and who would one day judge their actions throughout their lives.
The Kyrios title for Jesus is central to the development of New Testament Christology
, for the early Christians placed it at the center of their understanding and from that center attempted to understand the other issues related to the Christian mysteries.Christology: Biblical And Historical by Mini S. Johnson, 2005 ISBN 81-8324-007-0 pages 229-235 http://books.google.com/books?id=Aa3yRbs0tisC&pg=PA231&dq=Kyrios+christology&hl=en&ei=hTbeTIlPzfiyBoT30fUL&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Kyrios%20christology&f=false
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, lord
Lord
Lord is a title with various meanings. It can denote a prince or a feudal superior . The title today is mostly used in connection with the peerage of the United Kingdom or its predecessor countries, although some users of the title do not themselves hold peerages, and use it 'by courtesy'...
or master. It is used in both the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
and the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
.
Kyrios appears about 740 times in the New Testament, usually referring to Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. The use of Kyrios in the New Testament has been the subject of debate among modern scholars, and three schools of thought exist on that topic. The first is that based on the Septuagint usage, the designation is intended to assign to Jesus the Old testament attributes of God. The reasoning here being, that at the time the Septuagint was written, when reading out loud, Jews pronounced Adonai, the Hebrew word for "Lord", when they encountered the name of God, "YHWH", which was thus translated into Greek in each instance as Kyrios. And the early Christians, as speakers of Greek, would have been deeply familiar with the Septuagint. The second is that as the early Church expanded, Hellenistic influences resulted in the use of the term. The third is that it is a translation of the Aramaic title Mari applied to Jesus.
In everyday Aramaic, Mari was a very respectful form of polite address, well above "Teacher" and similar to Rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
. In Greek this has at times been translated as Kyrios. While the term Mari expressed the relationship between Jesus and his disciples during his life, the Greek Kyrios came to represent his lordship over the world.
The Gospel of John
Gospel of John
The Gospel According to John , commonly referred to as the Gospel of John or simply John, and often referred to in New Testament scholarship as the Fourth Gospel, is an account of the public ministry of Jesus...
seldom uses Kyrios to refer to Jesus during his ministry, but does so after the Resurrection
Resurrection of Jesus
The Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus states that Jesus returned to bodily life on the third day following his death by crucifixion. It is a key element of Christian faith and theology and part of the Nicene Creed: "On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures"...
, although the vocative Kyrie (meaning sir) appears frequently. The Gospel of Mark
Gospel of Mark
The Gospel According to Mark , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Mark or simply Mark, is the second book of the New Testament. This canonical account of the life of Jesus of Nazareth is one of the three synoptic gospels. It was thought to be an epitome, which accounts for its place as the second...
never applies the term Kyrios as a direct reference to Jesus, unlike Paul who uses it 163 times. When Mark uses Kyrios (e.g. in 1:3 , 11:9 , 12:11, etc.) it is in reference to God. Mark does, however, use Kyrios in passages where it is unclear whether it applies to God or Jesus, e.g. in Mark 5:19 or Mark 11: 3.
One consequence of the use of Kyrios to refer to Jesus in the New Testament is that almost all Old Testament references to God (except Father) can then apply to Jesus. Kyrios is a key element of the Christology
Christology
Christology is the field of study within Christian theology which is primarily concerned with the nature and person of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament. Primary considerations include the relationship of Jesus' nature and person with the nature...
of Apostle Paul. Most scholars agree that the use of Kyrios, and hence the Lordship of Jesus, predated the Pauline epistles
Pauline epistles
The Pauline epistles, Epistles of Paul, or Letters of Paul, are the thirteen New Testament books which have the name Paul as the first word, hence claiming authorship by Paul the Apostle. Among these letters are some of the earliest extant Christian documents...
, but that Saint Paul expanded and elaborated on that topic. More than any other title, Kyrios defined the relationship between Jesus and those who believed in him as Christ: Jesus was their Lord and Master who was to be served with all their hearts and who would one day judge their actions throughout their lives.
The Kyrios title for Jesus is central to the development of New Testament Christology
Christology
Christology is the field of study within Christian theology which is primarily concerned with the nature and person of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament. Primary considerations include the relationship of Jesus' nature and person with the nature...
, for the early Christians placed it at the center of their understanding and from that center attempted to understand the other issues related to the Christian mysteries.Christology: Biblical And Historical by Mini S. Johnson, 2005 ISBN 81-8324-007-0 pages 229-235 http://books.google.com/books?id=Aa3yRbs0tisC&pg=PA231&dq=Kyrios+christology&hl=en&ei=hTbeTIlPzfiyBoT30fUL&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Kyrios%20christology&f=false
See also
- Theos KyriosTheos KyriosTheos Kyrios is a psalm response chanted near the beginning of the Matins service in the Rite of Constantinople, observed by the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches. It is based principally on Psalm 117 , the refrain composed of verses v...
- Names and titles of Jesus in the New TestamentNames and titles of Jesus in the New TestamentTwo names and a variety of titles are used to refer to Jesus in the New Testament.In Christianity, the two names Jesus and Emmanuel that refer to Jesus in the New Testament have salvific attributes...
- I am (biblical term)I am (biblical term)The Greek term Ego eimi , which translates to I am, is used by Jesus in the Gospel of John on several occasions to refer to himself, seven times with specific titles. These usages have been the subject of significant Christological analysis....