EYEWITNESSES ARE PRIMARY SOURCES
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① to accept as authoritative determiner of thought or action, obey, follow, w. dat., an authority that may be personal 1 Cl 14:1 (cp. Leo 20, 12 ἐξ. τινί a pers. authority; Am 2:4; TestZeb 9:5, TestNapht 3:3 πνεύμασι πλάνης) or impersonal:
• σεσοφισμένοις μύθοις 2 Pt 1:16 (cp. Jos., Ant. 1, 22 τοῖς μύθοις ἐξακολουθήσαντες; Just., A I, 2, 1 δόξαις).
ג . Even in the passages already mentioned the use of the word κ. raises Jesus above the human level
12.9 κύριοςa, ου m: (a title for God and for Christ) one who exercises supernatural authority over mankind—‘Lord, Ruler, One who commands’ (see also 37.51). ἄγγελος κυρίου κατ’ ὄναρ ἐφάνη αὐτῷ ‘the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream’ Mt 1:20; χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ‘grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ’ 1 Cor 1:3.
The most common equivalent of ‘Lord’ is a term meaning ‘chief’ or ‘leader,’ but frequently this cannot be employed as a title for ‘God.’ One may, however, combine such an expression with a term for ‘God’ and employ a phrase meaning ‘God our leader’ or ‘God our chief.’ In some instances, however, a term for ‘Lord’ is related to a verb meaning ‘to command’ or ‘to order,’ and therefore ‘Lord’ is rendered as ‘the one who commands us’ and combined with ‘God’ may form a phrase such as ‘God, the one who commands us.’
93.169 Ἰησοῦς, οῦ m: (1) Jesus Christ of Nazareth (Mt 1:1); (2) an additional name assigned to Barabbas (Mt 27:16, 17, apparatus); (3) the son of Eliezer mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus (Lk 3:29); (4) an additional name assigned to Justus, a companion of Paul (Col 4:11); (5) Joshua, the successor of Moses (Ac 7:45; He 4:8)—‘Jesus, Joshua.’ ‘Jesus’ is a Greek transliteration for the Hebrew name Joshua.
5547. Χριστός Christós; fem. christḗ, neut. christón, adj. from chríō (5548), to anoint. Anointed, a term used in the OT applied to everyone anointed with the holy oil, primarily to the high priesthood (Lev. 4:5, 16). Also a name applied to others acting as redeemers.
(I) As an appellative and with the art. ho, the, Christós, Christ, it occurs chiefly in the Gospels and means the Messiah (Mark 15:32, “the King of Israel”; John 1:41; 4:42 “the Christ, the Savior of the world”; Acts 2:36; 9:22; 18:28. Also see Matt. 1:17; 2:4; 16:16; Mark 12:35; 13:21; Luke 2:11, 26, “the Christ of the Lord” [a.t.]; 4:41; 23:2; John 1:20, 25; Acts 2:30; 3:18; Rom. 8:11; 1 John 2:22; 5:1, 6; Rev. 11:15; 12:10; Sept.: Ps. 2:2 [cf. Dan. 9:25]). Joined with Iēsoús (2424), Jesus, Iēsoús ho Christós, Jesus the Christ (Acts 5:42; 9:34; 1 Cor. 3:11), Iēsoús Christós (John 17:3; Acts 2:38; 3:20; 1 John 4:2, 3; 2 John 1:7), ho Christós Iēsoús, the Christ Jesus (Acts 17:3; 18:5, 28; 19:4).
(II) As a proper noun, Christ.
(A) Used in an absolute sense, Christós or ho Christós chiefly in the epistles referring to the Messiah (Rom. 5:6, 8; 8:10; 1 Cor. 1:12; 3:23; Gal. 1:6, 7; 2:20; Eph. 4:12; Heb. 3:6; 5:5; 1 Pet. 1:11; 4:14).
(B) More often joined with Iēsoús (Matt. 1:16, “Jesus the One called Christ” [a.t.]); Iēsoús Christós in the Gospels (Matt. 1:1, 18; Mark 1:1; John 1:17; Acts 3:6, “In the name of Jesus Christ”; 4:10; 8:12; 10:36; 28:31; Rom. 1:1, 6, 8; 1 Cor. 1:1; 5:4). Christós Iēsoús, stressing the deity of Christ first and then His humanity only after His resurrection beginning with Acts 19:4 and often in the epistles (Rom. 3:24; 8:2, 39; 15:5; 1 Cor. 1:2, 30; Gal. 3:26; 4:14; Phil. 2:5; 3:3, 8; Col. 1:4; Heb. 3:1). For the use of ho Kúrios (2962), the Lord, in connection with the names Iēsoús and Christós, see Kúrios (2962), Lord (cf. II, B, 2).
(C) Other designations attributed to Christ:
(1) The servant of God (país [3816], child, servant; Acts 3:13, 26); tón hágion paída sou (hágion [40], holy; paída [3816], child, servant; Acts 4:27, 30). This is a Messianic title of our Lord indicative of humility, submission, vicarious suffering and death (see Acts 8:35; Is. 53:7).
(2) Prince and Savior (archēgós [747], chief leader, author or captain; sōtḗr [4990], Savior; Acts 5:31 [cf. Acts 3:15; Heb. 2:10; 12:2]). The word archēgós reflects the meaning of author or originator as expressed in Acts 3:15, archēgón tḗs zōḗs (zōḗs [2222], of life), the Originator, Author, and Sustainer of life or the one who inaugurates and controls the Messianic experience of salvation here called zōḗ, life (Is. 60:16).
(3) Son of Man, ho Huiós toú anthrṓpou (Huiós [5207], son; anthrṓpou [444], of man). This expression occurs 81 times in the Gospels, 30 times in Matthew, of which nine passages have direct parallels in both Mark and Luke, four have parallels in Mark only, eight in Luke only, and the remaining nine are peculiar to Matthew. Apart from the Gospels, the term the “Son of Man” is found only in Acts 7:56 (cf. Luke 22:69). In Rev. 1:13; 14:14, the expression which is used, though related, is not the same. It is “one [sitting] like unto the son of man” which is a precise reproduction of the phrase in Dan. 7:13. With but one exception, the name as found in the Gospels is used only by our Lord Himself. The exception is John 12:34, and even there it is presupposed that Jesus had spoken of Himself as “the Son of Man.” The multitude were familiar with the title “the Son of Man.” To them it was a designation of the Messiah. Their difficulty was to reconcile Messiahship with exaltation through death. Also throughout the Gospel narratives, there is not a trace that disciples or the wider public were in any wise perplexed by the designation.
The use of the title “the Son of Man” was adopted by our Lord because it was generally understood to refer to the Messiah, but the Messiah was conceived by the Jews as associated with His coming in glory to exercise everlasting rule over the world. The Lord used this expression to make them realize that He had indeed come to rule over the world, but before coming as the Ruler, He had to come as the Sufferer, the Servant who laid down His life for the sins of mankind. (See Matt. 25:31ff; Mark 8:38; 9:9, 12, 31; 10:33; 13:26; 14:21, 41, 62.)
(4) The Son of God, Huiós toú Theoú (huiós [5207], son; Theós [2316], God). Jesus taught that He was the Son of God (Matt. 11:27; 24:36; 27:43; Mark 13:32), and therefore the true Messiah, the Lord’s anointed. In His native Aramaic, “Abba” or Father, was the mode of address in prayer that came most naturally to His lips, and became a tradition in the worship of the early Christian church (Rom. 8:15). The relation claimed by Jesus was a special one, and this is indicated by His use of the expression “My Father” in Matt. 11:27; 18:35; 20:23, whereas in Matt. 6:32; 10:29 when speaking to the audience, Jesus refers to God as “your Father.” More significant still is the designation by Jesus of Himself as the “beloved Son” in the parable of the Vineyard (Mark 12:6), and also by the voice which spoke to Him from heaven at His baptism (Matt. 3:16, 17; Mark 1:10, 11; Luke 3:21, 22). Paul “preached Christ . . . , that he is the Son of God” (Acts 9:20). This title is used in its Messianic and official sense, founded on Ps. 2:7 (cf. Matt. 16:16; John 1:49). Acts 9:22 implies that in Acts 9:20 Paul preached in order to prove that the Son of God is none other than the Christ, the Messiah. See also Mark 8:29; Luke 9:20.
(5) “Son of David” alludes to the Messianic expectation of an anointed Jewish king who would be the deliverer of God’s people. The Messianic king was a descendant of David who at the end of the ages would erect His throne. (See Ps. 2; 72; 110.)
(6) The Lord, ho Kúrios (2962). This was an expression of profound respect. This title, attributed often in antiquity to emperors, was used in a unique sense (Acts 2:36; 10:36). In the Sept., ho Kúrios was used for Jehovah (3068). This indeed became the prevailing designation of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the NT, calling upon the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 9:21 [cf. 9:14; 2:21; 22:16; Rom. 10:13; 1 Cor. 1:2]) was the same language ascribed to those who worshiped the true God of the OT (cf. Gen. 4:26; 12:8; 2 Kgs. 5:11). Stephen died “calling upon [the Lord], and saying, Lord Jesus receive my spirit” (Acts 7:59); and Peter posits universal dominion of the same Person–“He is Lord of all” (Acts 10:36).
(7) There are many other ascriptions to the Lord Jesus Christ. One in particular, monogenḗs (3439), unique, the only one of its kind, commonly translated “only begotten” (a name attributed to Him especially by John), is worthy of mention (John 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9).
(III) Metonymically.
(A) Equivalent to ho lógos toú Christoú (lógos [3056], word), the word of Christ meaning the doctrine of Christ, the gospel (2 Cor. 1:19, 21; Eph. 4:20).
(B) Tó sṓma toú Christoú (sṓma [4983], body), the body of Christ meaning the church (1 Cor. 12:12).
(C) The salvation of Christ obtained through Him (Gal. 3:27; Phil. 3:8).
(D) In Christ, see en (1722), in, I, C, 1 (cf. Kuríō [2962, II, B, 2], Lord).
Deriv.: antíchristos (500), one in place of Christ; counterpart and yet antithesis; Christianós (5546), Christian; pseudóchristos (5580), false Christ.
one who has personally seen an event and thus has personal knowledge and can be expected to attest to the occurrence of such an event—‘eyewitness, personal witness.’
αὐτόπτης: καθὼς παρέδοσαν ἡμῖν οἱ ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς αὐτόπται καὶ ὑπηρέται γενόμενοι τοῦ λόγου ‘(they wrote) what we have been told by those who saw these things from the beginning and proclaimed the message’ Lk 1:2.
ἐπόπτης: ἐπόπται γενηθέντες τῆς ἐκείνου μεγαλειότητος ‘with our own eyes we saw his greatness’ 2 Pe 1:16.
μεγαλειότης, ητος, ἡ (s. prec. entry; Athen. 4, 6, 130f; Vett. Val. 70, 4; OGI 666, 26 [I A.D.] the pyramids as an awesome sight; 669, 9 [I A.D.]; PGiss 40 I, 5; 11; LXX)
in our lit. only of a divine figure or of divine attributes.
① quality or state of being foremost in esteem, grandeur, sublimity, majesty (of God: Aristob. in Eus., PE 8, 10, 17; Jos., Ant. 1, 24; 8, 111, C. Ap. 2, 168), of Artemis Ac 19:27.
• Of Christ 2 Pt 1:16, who was endorsed by a heavenly voice.
magnificent, sublime, majestic, impressive δόξα 2 Pt 1:17; 1 Cl 9:2
Metonymy — The use of one entity to refer to a related entity within the same conceptual domain.
English Example: “The ham sandwich at table two is waiting for his drink.”
The use of ham sandwich is used to refer to the person who ordered the ham sandwich (i.e., HAM SANDWICH as PERSON)
Biblical Example: “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name.” (Luke 10:17)
The name of Jesus is used to refer to his authority and power (i.e., NAME as AUTHORITY).
