Yahweh = Adonai = Κύριος = Ἰησοῦς Part 4

This is the last (at least for a while) of the Yahweh = Adonai = Κύριος = Ἰησοῦς blogs.  In this blog, we will show how Paul restates the Jewish Shema.  One should read the 1st three blogs prior to reading this one. Blog one is here, blog two is here and blog three is here.

One of the greatest Yahweh = Adonai = Κύριος = Ἰησοῦς moments comes in 1 Corinthians 8:6. Paul is responding to the Corinthians wanting to go to pagan festivals to pagan gods because the Corinthians “know” that there is only one God based on the Jewish Shema and that idols are not really gods to begin with. Paul goes on to tell them that they are somewhat correct in the what they understand, but to still not partake if by doing so it causes a weaker Christian to stumble. Paul also corrects the Corinthians’ theology in the process adding Jesus Christ as “the Lord” of the Jewish Shema in which it is obvious that they have referred to in their prior communication with Paul.

Let’s take a look at 1 Corinthians 8:6.

     6 ἀλλ ̓ ἡμῖν εἷς θεὸς ὁ πατὴρ 

             ἐξ οὗ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰς αὐτόν,

        καὶ εἷς κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς 

             δι ̓ οὗ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἡμεῖς δι ̓ αὐτοῦ.

     6 But for1 us, one God, the Father 

             from whom all things came2 and for him we exist

        and one Lord, Jesus Christ 

             through whom all things came and through him we exist.

Compare that to Deut. 6:4b from the Septuagint. 

     Ἄκουε, Ισραηλ· κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν κύριος εἷς ἐστιν· 

     Listen3, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one.

Paul has taken the Shema and divided it to include Jesus as the Lord! As we know from the first blog in this series, κύριος (Lord) is the Greek replacement word for Yahweh in the Septuagint. Paul keeps “one” in place, but places “The Father” with θεὸς (God) and places Christ as κύριος (The Lord).

Although this passage has much more to offer, the intent of this blog is to point out the Yahweh = Adonai = Κύριος = Ἰησοῦς moment. This will be expanded in an upcoming online Study on 1 Corinthians. That Study will be part 2 in a series of Paul’s Pillar letters (Part one is the Study of Galatians). 2 Corinthians and Romans will follow that Study.

1 ἡμῖν (for us) 

or “to us”.

2 “To be” verbs are inferred in many Greek passages. The four verbs in italics indicate that the verbs are not actually written in Greek, but inferred. The actual verb would have been “are”, but since Paul is dealing with creation and existence, I used “came” and “exist”.

3 Ἄκουε (Listen) 

or “Hear”.