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molded his thinking, Clark then gives us his un- from a fatal flaw. It entirely omits to tell the
derstanding of who Jesus is. He quotes this criti- reader that the Greek word Kurios (Lord) does
cally important testimony: "And Simon Peter not in fact, in the Bible, apply only to God,
answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son but designates equally human beings, who cer-
of the Living God.' And Jesus replied, 'You are tainly are not Deity. The quotation from Clark
blessed, Simon Bar Jona, because flesh and above invites the reader to follow a simple syllo-
blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father gism: Kurios (Lord) is the word for the Lord
who is in heaven.'" God in the Old Testament. Jesus is called Lord
in the New Testament. Therefore Jesus is God.
Clark then says: "Note here not only that Peter
asserts Christ's Deity; and not only that Jesus ac- The facts are quite otherwise. And the whole
cepts Peter's confession and indeed calls it a di- theory of the "Deity" of Jesus collapses when it is
rect revelation from the Father, but note also that understood that Kurios (Lord) is the official des-
Matthew as author records the event, and this ignation of Jesus as the human Messiah. Both
recording is inspired -- the words God breathed Jesus and Paul would be alarmed to hear that
out onto the manuscripts. There is another form some were proposing that Jesus is God. They
of phraseology that supports Jesus' preexistence would greet with an amazed horror the common
and Deity. Matthew 22:24 with its parallels and notion that God is more than one Person -- that
Acts 2:34-36 quote Psalm 110:1: 'The Lord said He is really two or three Persons. Such a theory
to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make would destroy the foundations of revealed relig-
your enemies your footstool." Many other verses ion (Deut. 6:4; Mark 12:29ff.).
refer to Jesus as Lord. They are too numerous to
list and too well known. But two will be given "Jesus is Lord" positively does not mean that Je-
nonetheless. Rom. 10:9: 'If you will confess with sus is God. The reason is simple. There is only
your mouth Jesus as Lord...' II Cor. 13:14: 'The one Person who is God, in the absolute sense.
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ...'" Thousands of Bible verses designate God as one
Person and Jesus described Him, in good Jewish
Clark then goes on: "About two centuries before fashion, as "the only one who is truly God" (John
the birth of Jesus, the Rabbis in Alexandria, 17:3). Paul, echoing Jesus, set forth the clearest
where the large Jewish population had largely declaration "that there is one God -- the Father"
forgotten Hebrew, translated the Old Testament (I Cor. 8:4-6). That text should surely silence all
into Greek. This translation, called the Septuagint objections.
[LXX], uses the Greek word Kurios [Lord] of
the Hebrew JHVH [Yahweh]. The New Testa- Astonishly many Bible readers appear unwilling
ment, which frequently uses the Septuagint trans- to accept the simplicity of the biblical creed. An-
lation, applies this Greek title to Jesus, the Lord other voice has somehow intervened to drown
Jesus. Thus the authors of the New Testa- out the plain words of Jesus and Paul. What has
ment books identify Jesus as Jehovah" (The happened is the unfortunate imposition of a chill-
Atonement, pp. 28-30). ing dogma (chilling because it has frequently been
enforced with threats of death), that belief in God
This argument appears repeatedly in standard as Two or Three Persons -- eternally Biune or
textbooks defending the traditional teaching that Triune -- is absolutely necessary for salvation.
Jesus is Jehovah (Yahweh). It suffers however Failure to subscribe to this enigmatic proposition
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