The concept of "Adonai" from the Old Testament significantly evolves into the New Testament's "Kyrios," illustrating a continuous unfolding of God's sovereign authority that culminates in the person of Jesus Christ.
In the Old Testament, "Adonai" (meaning "Master" or "Owner") defines God's ownership as absolute, superlative, and non-negotiable dominion over all creation. It signifies that God is not merely "a lord" among others, but "the Lord" whose authority is total. The practice of the Masoretes reading "Adonai" whenever the divine name YHWH appeared further underscored God's unique and ultimate ownership, deeply embedding this confession into Israel's worship. This absolute dominion is seen in God's covenant with Abraham, His sovereign acts during the Exodus, and the universal scope of His rule proclaimed in the Psalms, including Psalm 110 which foreshadows a Messianic figure sharing God's throne.
The bridge between these concepts was the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures. Its translators consistently chose "Kyrios" (Greek for "lord" or "master") as the equivalent for both "Adonai" and YHWH. This linguistic habit meant that by Jesus's time, first-century Jewish hearers were accustomed to "Kyrios" carrying the weight of Israel's God's very sovereignty.
In the New Testament, "Kyrios" is powerfully applied to Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself implicitly claimed this authority by referencing Psalm 110:1. After His resurrection, Peter explicitly declared, "God has made Him both Kyrios and Christ" (Acts 2:36), publicly revealing Jesus's divine lordship. Paul's epistles provide the most concentrated theological reflection: he places the confession "Jesus is Kyrios" at the threshold of salvation (Romans 10:9), effectively identifying Jesus with YHWH. Paul also integrates Jesus into a Christ-inclusive monotheism (1 Corinthians 8:6) and climactically asserts in Philippians 2:6-11 that Jesus, highly exalted, received "the name that is above every name" (an allusion to YHWH), leading to universal confession that "Jesus Christ is Kyrios." The book of Revelation culminates this theme, portraying Jesus as "King of kings and Kyrios of lords."
Therefore, "Kyrios" functions as the "New-Covenant echo of Adonai," proclaiming that the sovereign, covenant Lord has come in the flesh, conquered sin and death, and now commands every heart and nation to acknowledge His uncontested crown through His mediatorial kingship.
Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian
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