IS JESUS GOD? OR LORD?

In the name of Creator most Merciful and Beneficent.

There may be the so many denominations in the Christianity. But there should not be the different beliefs among them. Even though the people of those denominations who proclaim that Jesus is our savior, are having such a great book as Bible, what regrettable is that, they do not have the proper answer for the question “Who is Jesus?” What the common propagation of now a days preachers is that “Jehovah has incarnate in the form Jesus so Jesus is God” because it has been written as “he is Lord of all” (Acts 10:36)

IS JESUS GOD? OR LORD?
Those who imagine that Jesus is none other than Jehovah as he has been called as “lord” they should observe that Jehovah Himself has appointed Jesus in the status of “lord” and “Christ” which fact can be seen in the following verse.

God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. – Acts 2:22

According to the above verse it is made clear that Jesus was appointed to be “lord” and “Christ” by Jehovah Himself. But Jesus was not called as “lord” and “Christ” because of he was having the divinity as presumed by the Church.



DOES “LORD” MEAN “GOD?”
To be frank, the word “lord” has been used for so many in the Bible. The great reference for this is that Paul says “there are many gods and many lords (1 Cor 8:5)” whereas Paul says in another place - “there is one Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor 8:6)”. To know the exact reason why Paul proclaimed so, first we have to see in what meaning the word “lord” had been used for Jesus in the Original texts. As a matter of fact, the word “lord” has been used for Jesus in the New Testament in the sense of “Master” can be seen the Original Greek text to be written as “Kurious” which stands to mean as “Master” or “Teacher.” The clear evidence for this is that Jesus himself says as follows.

And do not be called teachers; for one is your Teacher, the Christ. – Matthew 23:10

We find in above verse that Jesus himself introduce as “Master.” According to this statement of Jesus, Paul has preached as “there is one Lord Jesus Christ” in the sense of “Master” but he did not proclaimed Jesu as “lord” in the sense of “God.” This is the great sign to know what the real belief of Paul towards Jesus is. In fact, Paul has already proclaimed who is the God beforehand very clearly in the following verse.

There is no other God but one.  For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God THE FATHER (JEHOVAH)… 1 Corinthians 8:4-6
    
Thus even though Paul says as “there is one Lord Jesus Christ” he proclaims that “There is no other God but one… there is one God THE FATHER (JEHOVAH).” According to this it is made clear that Paul never have imagined the meaning of the word “lord” in the sense of “God”.

DID JESUS PREFER TO CALL HIM AS “GOD?” OR AS “LORD (MASTER)?”
You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. – John 13:13

In the above verse we find Jesus to have ordered to call him as “lord” in the sense of “Master.” But he did not order to call him to be one of the gods in Trinity or incarnate of God. Therefore it becomes unjust to call him as “lord” in the sense of “God.” That is why Jesus says as “But why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? (Luke 6:46)”. By the so far analysis we came to know that the word “lord” has been used for Jesus instead of “Master” in the entire New Testament. Therefore imagining Jesus to be “God” by calling him as “lord” can be regarded as quite contrary to the Bible in all way.

DID PAUL ORDER TO AGREE JESUS AS “GOD?” OR AS “LORD?”
What the contention of so many preachers is that- If one confesses Jesus with one’s mouth that Jesus is “God” one can be saved at all. Did Paul also preach in this way? To know the answer for this question let us see the following verse.

If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. – Romans 10:9

On the careful study of the above verse the following points come in to the light. Those are…

 1). One should not confess Jesus as “God” instead of believing him as “lord” in the sense of “Master”.
2). According to the teaching of Paul that “God has raised Him from the dead” it is made clear that he never have imagined as “Jehovah Himself has incarnated in the form of Jesus, so Jesus is nothing but Jehovah” as presumed by the present day preachers.

THOSE THAT PREACH “JESUS IS GOD” AS AGAINST TO THE TEACHINGS OF PAUL, DO THEY HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT? OR EVIL SPIRIT?
No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. – 1 Corinthians 12:3

What the important thing that we have to observe keeping in the mind the above verse is that- If the gospel of present days’ preachers what they are claiming as we are preaching with the power of Holy Spirit, can be taken to be true, then they have to preach Jesus as “lord” with the power of Holy spirit but should not try to attribute the divinity to him.” What the main reason that today’s preachers mistaken for “Jehovah is Jesus” is that – the word “Lord” has been used for Jehovah in the Old Testament as well as the same word has been used for Jesus in the New Testament. Thus many have misunderstood as “Jehovah is Jesus Himself”. But what the gospel of Paul is that- those who are having the Holy Spirit they call Jesus as “lord” in the sense of “Master” whereas the present days’ preachers propagate Jesus as “lord” in the sense of “God.” Can it be regarded to be the gospel relating to the Holy Spirit? Or Evil Spirit? Think over it.

WHAT FOR JEHOVAH EXALTED JESUS? TO CONFESS HIM TO BE “GOD?” OR TO CONFESS HIM TO BE “CHRIST?
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:9-11

In the above verse Paul clearly introduces to Jehovah in the status of “God” and to Jesus in the status of “Christ” saying “God also has highly exalted Jesus to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” According to this Paul has believed Jesus as “lord” in the sense of “Master” but he did not try to attribute him divinity by calling him “lord” in the sense of God just as the present day’s preachers.

IN VIEW OF PAUL IS JEHOVAH AND JESUS ONE? OR SEPARATE?
Paul never have confused imagining Jesus as God due to he was called as “lord” but he always was having the clarity towards the person of God and Jesus. The following verses are the great evidences for this point.

The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom… - Ephesians 1:19

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… - Ephesians 1:3

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ… Romans 5:1

On careful analysis of these verses we can understand that how much of the clarity Paul did possess towards God and Jesus. According to the part of the first verse in the above that “The God of our Lord Jesus Christ” it can be well ascertained that Paul never have imagined Jesus is the incarnate of God due to he was called as “lord.” If he were imagined so, could he ever have proclaimed that “JEHOVAH IS THE GOD OF JESUS?” And in the third verse Paul says “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” According to this proclamation it is made clear that Paul never have presumed that Jehovah has incarnated in the form of Jesus as imagined by the many of the preachers. If he imagined so, he could not have introduce Jehovah and Jesus as two separate entities after the ascension of Jesus from this world.

IS JESUS GOD? AS HE WAS MENTIONED AS “LORD OF LORDS?”
 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. – Revelation 19:16

To attribute somehow the divinity to Jesus some preachers try to argue according to the above verse that due to his name written as “lord of lords” Jesus is God himself. But according to the so far analysis we came to know that Jesus was called as “lord” in the sense of “Master.” Most importantly even though Paul has called Jesus so many times as “lord”, however he believed only to Jehovah as his God. So keeping these facts in our mind it cannot be a wrong thought to believe Jesus as “lord of the lords” in the sense of “Master of the best Masters.” May be Jesus was called as lord of lords just because of it has been written as “lord of lords” on his robe and thigh but what noteworthy is that- “Jehovah is God of gods” and “Lord of lords.” That is why Jehovah Himself proclaims as “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God (Deu10:17).” So there may be as many as called as lords and gods, but the only one God of all gods and only one Lord of all lords is- Jehovah.

WHOM HAS JESUS DECLARED TO BE HIS LORD?
At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth… - Matthew 11:25

Though Jesus was appointed to be “lord” by God (Acts 2:32), in the above verse we find Jesus to have praised Jehovah calling Him “Lord.” According to this it is made clear that Jesus is not the Lord Jehovah! The great evidence for this is that, Jesus himself declared as “I am ascending to My God and your God” – John 20:16

WHAT FOR JESUS REJECTS TO THOSE THAT CALL HIM “LORD, LORD”?
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. -Matthew 7:21

According to the above verse we can understand that one shall not enter in to the heaven who call Jesus as lord, lord in the sense of God but one who does the will of the God. Now let us see what the will of God in case of Jesus is.

God has made this Jesus, both Lord and Christ. – Acts 2:22

This means to believe Jesus as “Christ” and “lord” in the sense of “Master” is the will of Father (Jehovah). But those who neglect the fact that Jesus was appointed by God in the status of “lord” means “Master” and fall in the illusion that “Jesus is God himself” just because of he was called as “lord’, they would question on the day of resurrection with serious concern as- “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? (Matthew 7:22) in that situation Jesus would declare as “I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23). Therefore those Preachers, although they may be in great rank, who  propagate the name of Jesus saying “lord”, “lord” in order to attributing the divinity to him changing the meaning of the Bible verses and showing the miracles to the people so as to make them stray from the right path shown by Jesus, would be rejected by Jesus. So one who is having the staunch belief in Jesus then it becomes incumbent on one’s own part that one should believe Jehovah as one God and “worship” Him only and one should “follow” the footsteps of Jesus believing him as “Christ” and “Lord” means “Master.” May God bestow to understand the points revealed so far in the light of Bible and make us to follow accordingly.– Amen.