Trinitarian Claim
Trinitarians sometimes make the claim that the word "Lord" is a term which does by itself signify that "Jesus is God."
Examination of the Claim
1. Many Lords in Scripture
There are numerous characters in the Bible who are called "Lord." The word "Lord" is simply a term used to refer to someone with a higher authority.
The following examples show how the word is used in Scriptures to refer to an array of different individuals:
Abraham is Sarah's Lord
So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I have grown old, and my Lord is old, shall I have pleasure?" (Genesis 18:12; cf. 1 Peter 3:9).
Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him "Lord" (1 Peter 3:6).
Two Angels are Lot's Lords
The two angels came to Sodom in the evening and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he arose to meet them, and bowed himself with his face to the earth, and said, "My Lords, turn aside, I pray you, to your servant's house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise up early and go on your way."
The Philippian Jailer calls Paul and Silas "Lords."
"Lords, what must I do to be saved? (Acts 16:31).
There are numerous characters in Scripture who are called "Lord." And as we can see, it has nothing to do with deity. You may also note how Trinitarians traditionally refrain from translating the word as "Lord" in verses like Acts 16:31 above. However, this is misleading since it is the exact same Greek word that is used to refer to the Lord Jesus. The word was quite simply used to refer to anyone who had authority over someone else.
2. God made Jesus Lord
The word "Lord" is a term which refer to authority. When Jesus rose from the dead he said, "All authority in heaven and upon the earth has been given to me" (Matthew 28:18). At Acts 2:36 we read that God made Jesus Lord when He raised him from the dead.
Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: 'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, until I make your enemies Your footstool." ' Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
The falsity of the Trinitarian claim is manifested when we realize that if the word "Lord" meant "God" then Trinitarians would have to say that God made Jesus "God" when he raised him from the dead.
God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knew will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11).
4. The word "Lord" in the Hebrew Scriptures
Understanding the use of the English word "Lord" in the Old Testament is a bit more complicated than it is in the New Testament. The reason for this is that most English Old Testament Bibles use the word "Lord" to translate the tetragrammaton "YHWH," that is, "Yahweh." Jews, not wishing to pronounce the divine name used the term "Adonai" in place of "YHWH." Adonai is the word we translate as "Lord" in English Bibles. So when you see the word "LORD" with all capital letters in English Bibles, it translates both the Hebrew "Adonai" used by Jews in place of "YHWH." Some English Bibles do not capitalize all the letters. Adonai is a special Hebrew word used only to refer to Yahweh God. Another Hebrew word "Adoni" is the normal Hebrew word for "Lord." This distinction is very important. But there is a reason for the difference in the one vowel between these two words. When referring to someone other than God as "Lord" the word "Adoni" was always used. This one letter makes a very significant difference just as the one letter between "He" and "She" makes a big difference in English. Jesus tells us that these "jots and tittles" of the Old Testament are indeed very significant (Mt 5:18). The Hebrew word "Adoni" occurs nearly 200 times in the Old Testament. In each and every single occurrence, it is a reference to a human superior and not a reference to God. And indeed, this is also the very same word used at Psalm 110:1 in reference to the Messiah, "The LORD said to my Lord," that is, "Adonai said to my Adoni." Adonai is simply a Jewish replacement of "YHWH" and it is translated into English as "LORD" and in some Bibles as "Lord." And Peter explains in Acts 2 that the Lord of Psalm 110:1 is the crucified man Jesus risen from the dead.
5. The Trinitarian Dilemma
The Trinitarian ultimately finds himself caught in an escapable dilemma with his claim that the word "Lord" is simply another way of indicating that one is "God." Carefully regard the following passages of Scripture:
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 15:6).
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Cor 1:3).
The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Cor 11:31).
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 1:3).
the God of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 1:17).
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Col 1:3).
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Pet 1:3).
"For us.... there is one Lord: Jesus Christ. This Lord has a God, the God and Fther of our Lord, the Lord's God. The repeated New Testament expression, "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" means by definition, "the Lord of our Lord Jesus Christ." Jesus is our Lord; God is Jesus' Lord. Only in the throne is God greater just as Pharaoh said to Joseph when he made Joseph Lord of all Egypt. Genesis 41:40.
If indeed the word "Lord" was a way of indicating one is God then the Trinitarian has the following problem on his hands:
the God and Father of our [God] Jesus Christ (Rom 15:6).
the God and Father of our [God] Jesus Christ (2 Cor 1:3).
The God and Father of our [God] Jesus Christ (2 Cor 11:31).
the God and Father of our [God] Jesus Christ (Eph 1:3).
the God of our [God] Jesus Christ (Eph 1:17).
the God and Father of our [God] Jesus Christ (Col 1:3).
the God and Father of our [God] Jesus Christ (1 Pet 1:3).
If indeed the word "Lord" was a way of referring to one as God, the Trinitarian creates a situation where God has a God. Absurd.
The Lord in question has a God. God the Father is the God of the Lord. And we see this Lord is the one who God made Lord, the crucified man Jesus, the man who has a God.
Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: 'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, until I make your enemies Your footstool." ' Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." Acts 2:36.
"All authority in heaven and upon the earth has been given to me." Matthew 28:18.
Conclusion
It is quite clear from the evidence that once again the Trinitarian claim is utterly false. Yes the one God is Lord but that does not mean someone who is Lord is God.
Last Updated: October 7, 2011
