Question: What does the Greek word κύριος mean in 1 Cor. 12:3?

Is the phrase «κύριος Ἰησοῦς» to be understood as "Jesus is Yahveh" (where κύριος is a substitute for the Tetragrammaton), or "Jesus is the lord" (where κύριος simply means "master," "lord")?

> 
> [1 Cor. 12:3](http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=1Co&c=12&t=KJV#s=t_conc_1074003)
> 
> 
> So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is **Lord**, except by the Holy Spirit. (New Living Translation)
> 
> 
> διὸ γνωρίζω ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐδεὶς ἐν πνεύματι θεοῦ λαλῶν λέγει ἀνάθεμα Ἰησοῦς καὶ οὐδεὶς δύναται εἰπεῖν **κύριος** Ἰησοῦς εἰ μὴ ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ (Textus Receptus)
> 
> 
>

Answer: 
This is a theological assertion by Paul, to the effect that only through Holy Spirit can one understand the divinity of Christ. 

Jesus Himself says the same, when He asserts that the Prophet David perceived through Holy Spirit His Lordship (Matthew 22:45), interpreting in this way the Psalmic expression "Lord told to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand" (Psalm 110:1); who can be above the only prophetic king in the world who is under direct protection of one true God, for only his kingdom on earth is free from worship of idols? No other king, no other prophet, for prophets do not call each other "Lord"; perhaps an angel? But no angel or archangel or super-archangel sits at the right hand of Lord, as an indication of equality with Him and bearing the same name for in Greek, which was the basic language of Christian preaching, both are called κύριος in this psalm). Thus, as in Matthew's Gospel Jesus asserts His own divinity revealed to David through the Holy Spirit, here also, Paul asserts the same: that the divinity of Christ is revealed to humans through the Spirit, and moreover, without Spirit's instruction and guidance nobody can discern it. 

Thus, Father reveals His Son's divinity through His Spirit, as in case of Peter, who discerned the unique Sonship of Jesus not by any human effort ("flesh and blood"), but "by My Father in Heaven" (Matthew 16:17), implicatively, through the Holy Spirit; and similarly, the Holy Spirit's guidance reveals to Thomas the divinity of Christ at the sight of His resurrection, when Thomas worships Him with appellation: "my Lord, my God" (John 20:28).
As I understand it, the Jewish people say Adonai (which can be translated Lord) when reading the Tetragrammaton, but I don't think it's ever written as a substitute; only spoken. (Not researched sorry).

I think this book is written in the early Christian culture, which was diverging from the Jewish culture, so it may be that 'the new way' is to write it. There is no Tetragrammaton in Greek, so perhaps writing Lord like this is the Greek equivalent.

---

Looking through the uses of κύριος in the new testament:

<http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2962&t=KJV>

Throughout the book of Matthew it's mostly used to refer to Jesus, secondly to God the father, and thirdly used in parables (probably still referring to God):

In the below examples, κύριος is followed by G2962 (the strongs number).

* **God** - Mat 1:24 - Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord G2962 had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
* **Jesus** - Mat 8:2 - And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, G2962 if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
* **Parable** - Mat 10:24 - The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. G2962

I read through the first page of the above link, and couldn't find any other uses of the word. I checked a few verses on each of the remaining pages. From what I've seen, the word κύριος is only used to refer to God the father, or Jesus throughout the New Testament.

If anyone has the time and inclination to go through all the verses and double check, even if there are one or two that do not refer to God or Jesus, I think it's plain that the writers of the New Testament are saying that Jesus and God the Father are one, as they both share the same title 'The Lord' throughout the collection of books.