Frederick Fyvie Bruce

The Earliest Christian Creed

"It is evident from the New Testament that the earliest Christian creed, or profession of belief, was one of few words: "Jesus is Lord." But the simplicity and brevity of the statement need not imply a "simple" Christology. When the earliest Christians gave Jesus the title "Lord," they used it as a divine title. The Greek word kyrios (which is translated thus) was used in the Septuagint, rendering of Yahweh (Jehovah), the Hebrew name of the God of Israel; and more than once in the New Testament we find strict monotheists like Paul and Peter quoting Septuagint passages where the word kyrios is employed in this unique sense, and applying them to Jesus of Nazareth."