following Christ lordship

I. κύριος, ία, ιον(Pind. et al.; ins, pap) comp. κυριώτερος (Just., A II, 13, 3); superl. κυριώτατος (Just., D. 11, 2); adv. κυρίως. The primary mng. relates to possession of power or authority, in various senses: ‘strong, authoritative, valid, ruling’; then to that which is preeminently important principal, essential (Aeschyl. et al.; 4 Macc 1:19; Jos., Ant. 20, 41, C. Ap. 1, 19; 2, 177; Just.; Ath. 22:2) τὸ δὲ κυριώτερον but what is more important IMg 1:2 (cp. Diog. L. 4, 26 ἐν τῷ κυρίῳ=quite definitely).—DELG.

II. κύριος, ου, ὁ (the masc. form of the subst. adj. κύριος [s. I], Aeschyl.+; Appian, Bell. Civ. 4, 92 §385 [=ὁ τὸ κῦρος ἔχων]; ins, pap, LXX, pseudepigr.; Philo, Joseph., apolog.; loanw. in rabb. For the corresp. fem. s. κυρία.) gener. ‘lord, master’.

① one who is in charge by virtue of possession, owner (X., Symp. 6, 1; Diod S 4, 15, 3; 14, 7, 6; ins, pap, LXX) κ. πάντων Gal 4:1 (Diod S 33, 7, 1; Philostrat., Vi. Apoll. 1, 13 p. 12, 10 of one who has come of age and controls his own property).

ⓐ of things w. impers. obj. κ. τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος owner of the vineyard (cp. SIG 742, 6 κ. τῆς χώρας) Mt 20:8; 21:40; Mk 12:9; Lk 20:13, 15; ὁ κ. τῆς οἰκίας the master of the house (Ex 22:7; SIG 1215, 28; PTebt 5, 147 [118 B.C.] τοὺς κ. τῶν οἰκιῶν) Mk 13:35. Of a πῶλος: οἱ κ. αὐτοῦ its owners (PHib 34, 3 a span of oxen; Ex 21:29 [αὐτοῦ=τοῦ ταύρου]) Lk 19:33 (ASouter, Exp. 8th ser., 8, 1914, 94f, in connection w. the pl. here and Ac 16:16, 19 thinks of the owners as man and wife; the pl. οἱ κύριοι has this mng. Diod S 34 + 35, Fgm. 2, 10 and 2, 37: a married couple who are slave-owners. On the other hand in the Syntipas collection of Aesop’s Fables 16 p. 534 P. οἱ κύριοι of a dog are a number of metalworkers. On Hebr. background for possible understanding of the pl. in the sing. sense ‘owner’, s. RButh, JBL 104, ’86, 680–85.). The mng. owner easily passes into that of lord, master, one who has full control of someth. (Diod S 5, 42, 5 θανάτου κύριοι=lords over [life and] death; 10, 17, 1 and 2 κ. τοῦ σώματος=master of one’s own body; Ptolem., Apotel. 3, 11, 10 ὁ κ. τῆς ζωῆς; PsSol 2:29 κ. γῆς καὶ θαλάσσης; Philo, Spec. Leg. 3, 67; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 200) ὁ κ. τοῦ θερισμοῦ the Lord of the harvest (Jos., Ant.4, 227 κύριος ἔστω τὰ φυτὰ καρποῦσθαι) Mt 9:38; Lk 10:2. κ. τοῦ σαββάτου Lord of the Sabbath Mt 12:8; Mk 2:28; Lk 6:5.

ⓑ w. a personal obj.: opp. δοῦλος J 13:16; foll. by gen. of pers. (cp. Judg 19:11; Gen 24:36; TestSol 22:5; TestJob 7:9; TestGad 4:4; JosAs 4:14) Mt 10:24f; 18:31f; 24:48; Lk 12:36. ὁ κ. τοῦ δούλου Lk 12:46. Abs., though the sense is unmistakable (Diod S 8, 5, 3; ApcEsdr 3:14 p. 27, 27f Tdf.) 12:37, 42b; 14:23; J 15:15; cp. Ro 14:4a; Eph 6:9a; Col 4:1. Several masters of the same slave (Billerb. I 430.—TestJos 14:2): δυσὶν κυρίοις δουλεύειν Mt 6:24; Ac 16:16, 19 (s. Souter under a above). κατὰ σάρκα designates more definitely the sphere in which the service-relation holds true οἱ κατὰ σάρκα κ. Eph 6:5; Col 3:22. As a form of address used by slaves κύριε Mt 13:27; 25:20, 22, 24; Lk 13:8; 14:22; 19:16, 18, 20, 25.

② one who is in a position of authority, lord, master

ⓐ of earthly beings, as a designation of any pers. of high position: of husband in contrast to wife 1 Pt 3:6 (Gen 18:12; TestAbr A 15 p. 95, 15 [Stone p. 38]; ApcMos 2. cp. Plut., De Virt. Mul. 15 p. 252b; SIG 1189, 7; 1190, 5; 1234, 1); of a father by his son Mt 21:29 (cp. BGU 423, 2 Ἀπίων Ἐπιμάχῳ τῷ πατρὶ καὶ κυρίῳ; 818, 1; 28; Gen 31:35; by his daughter TestJob 46:2; JosAs 4:5); of an official in high position, by those who have dealings with him (cp. PFay 106, 15; 129, 1; 134, 2; BGU 648, 16) Mt 27:63. As a form of address to respected pers. gener.; here, as elsewhere, = our sir (as Mod. Gk.) Mt 25:11; J 12:21; 20:15 (but s. NWyatt, ZNW 81, ’90, 38); Ac 16:30; Rv 7:14 (cp. Epict. 3, 23, 11; 19; Gen 23:6; 44:18; TestAbr A 2 p. 78, 33 [Stone p. 4]; JosAs 7:8 al.). The distinctive Gr-Rom. view of ‘deified’ rulers requires treatment under 2bβ.

ⓑ of transcendent beings

α. as a designation of God (for this custom, which has its roots in the Orient, s. the references in Ltzm., Hdb. exc. on Ro 10:9; Bousset, Kyrios Christos² 1921, 95–98; Dssm., LO 298f [LAE 353ff]; s. also SEG XXXVI, 350 and add. ins cited by DZeller, DDD 918f; LXX (where it freq. replaces the name Yahweh in the Mt); pseudepigr.; Philo, Just.; Hippol. Ref. 8, 17, 1; Orig., C. Cels. 1, 35, 6.—FDoppler, D. Wort ‘Herr’ als Göttername im Griech.: Opusc. philol. v. kath. akad. Philologenverein in Wien I 1926, 42–47; MParca, ASP 31, ’91, 51 [lit.]) ὁ κ. Mt 5:33; Mk 5:19; Lk 1:6, 9, 28, 46; 2:15, 22; Ac 4:26 (Ps 2:2); 7:33; 8:24; Eph 6:7 (perh. w. ref. to Christ); 2 Th 3:3; 2 Ti 1:16, 18; Hb 8:2; Js 1:7; 4:15. Without the art. (on the inclusion or omission of the art. s. BWeiss [θεός, beg.]; B-D-F §254, 1; Mlt-Turner 174), like a personal name (οὐδένα κύριον ὀνομνάζουσι πλὴν τὸν θεόν Hippol. Ref. 9, 26, 2) Mt 27:10; Mk 13:20; Lk 1:17, 58; Ac 7:49; Hb 7:21 (Ps 109:4); 12:6 (Pr 3:12); 2 Pt 2:9; Jd 5 (θεὸς Χριστός P⁷²); 9. ἄγγελος κυρίου (LXX, TestSol, GrBar et al.) Mt 1:20, 24; 2:13, 19; 28:2; Lk 1:11; 2:9a; J 5:3 v.l.; Ac 5:19; 7:30 v.l.; 8:26; 12:7, 23. δόξα κυρίου (Is 40:5; PsSol 5:19; 7:31; TestLevi 8:11; ApcMos 37) Lk 2:9b; δούλη κ. 1:38; ἡμέρα κ. Ac 2:20 (Jo 3:4); νόμος κ. Lk 2:23f, 39; τὸ ὄνομα κ. Mt 21:9 (Ps 117:26; PsSol 6:1 al.); Ac 2:21 (Jo 3:5); πνεῦμα κ. Lk 4:18 (Is 61:1); Ac 8:39; τὸ ῥῆμα κ. 1 Pt 1:25 (Gen 15:1 al.); φωνὴ κ. (Gen 3:8 al.); Ac 7:31; χεὶρ κ. (Ex 9:3 al.; TestJob 26:4; ApcMos prol.) Lk 1:66. ὁ Χριστὸς κυρίου 2:26 (PsSol 17:32 [Χριστὸς κύριος, s. app.]).—W. the sphere of his lordship more definitely expressed (Diod S 3, 61, 5 Zeus is κ. τοῦ σύμπαντος κόσμου; 6 θεὸς καὶ κ. εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ σύμπαντος κόσμου; Jos., Ant. 20, 90 τῶν πάντων κ.; Just., D. 127, 2 κ. τῶν πάντων) κ. τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς (PGM 4, 640f; ParJer 5:32 [Harris]) Mt 11:25; Lk 10:21; cp. Ac 17:24. κ. τῶν κυριευόντων Lord of lords 1 Ti 6:15. ὁ κ. ἡμῶν 1:14; 2 Pt 3:15; Rv 11:15 (LXX; PsSol 10:5). Cp. 22:6 (s. Num 16:22; 27:16). κ. ὁ θεός Lk 1:32; Rv 1:8; with μου (σου, etc.) Mt 4:7 (Dt 6:16), 10 (Dt 6:13); 22:37 (Dt 6:5); Mk 12:29f (Dt 6:4f); Lk 1:16 al. κ. ὁ θεὸς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ 1:68 (PsSol 16:3; TestSol 1:13). κ. ὁ θεὸς (ἡμῶν) ὁ παντοκράτωρ God, the (our) Lord, the Almighty Rv 4:8; 15:3; 16:7; 19:6; 21:22 (TestSol D 4:7; cp. ParJer 9:6). κ. Σαβαώθ Ro 9:29 (Is 1:9; TestSol 1:6 al.; Just., D. 64, 2); Js 5:4.—W. prep. ἐνώπιον τοῦ κυρίου Lk 1:15 (Ex 23:17; 1 Km 1:25 al.; TestJob 15:6 al.; TestReub 1:9 al.). παρὰ κυρίου Mt 21:42; Mk 12:11 (both Ps 117:23). παρὰ κυρίῳ 2 Pt 3:8. πρὸς τὸν κύριον Hs 9, 12, 6 (LXX; PsSol 1:1 al.).

β. Closely connected w. the custom of applying the term κ. to deities is that of honoring (deified) rulers with the same title (exx. [2bα beg.] in Ltzm., op. cit.; Bousset 93; Dssm., 299ff [LAE 356]; FKattenbusch, Das apostol. Symbol II 1900, 605ff; KPrümm, Herrscherkult u. NT: Biblica 9, 1928, 3–25; 119–40; 289–301; JFears, RAC XIV, 1047–93; JvanHenten, 1341–52 [lit.]; cp. the attitude of the Lacedaemonians: φοβούμενοι τὸν ἕνα κ. αὐτῶν τὸν Λυκούργου νόμον=‘respecting their one and only lord, the law of Lycurgus’ Orig., C. Cels. 8, 6, 12). Fr. the time of Claudius (POxy. 37, 6; O. Wilck II 1038, 6) we find the Rom. emperors so designated in increasing measure; in isolated cases, even earlier (OGI 606, 1; on Augustus’ attitude s. DioCass. 51, 7f). Ac 25:26.—On deified rulers in gener. s. LCerfaux-JTondriau, Un concurrent du Christianisme: le culte des souverains dans la civilisation gréco-romaine ’57; FTaeger, Charisma, 2 vols. ’57–60; DRoloff, Göttlichkeit, Vergöttlichung und Erhöhung zu seligem Leben, ’70. S. esp. the collection of articles and reviews by various scholars, in Römischer Kaiserkult, ed. AWlosok ’78.

γ. κύριος is also used in ref. to Jesus:

א. in OT quotations, where it is understood of the Lord of the new community ἡ ὁδὸς κ. (Is 40:3) Mt 3:3; Mk 1:3; Lk 3:4; J 1:23. εἶπεν κύριος τ. κυρίῳ μου (Ps 109:1: the first κ. is God, the second Christ; s. Billerb. IV 452–65: Der 110. Ps. in d. altrabb. Lit.; βασιλεὺς αὐτῶν χριστὸς κ. [or κυρίου; s. 2bα] PsSol 17:32) Mt 22:44 (cp. vss. 43, 45); Mk 12:36 (cp. vs. 37); Lk 20:42 (cp. vs. 44); Ac 2:34. ὁ καυχώμενος ἐν κυρίῳ καυχάσθω 1 Cor 1:31 (cp. Jer 9:22f). τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου Ro 10:13 (cp. Jo 3:5). σὺ κατʼ ἀρχάς, κύριε, τὴν γῆν ἐθεμελίωσας Hb 1:10 (cp. Ps 101:26). εἰ ἐγεύσασθε ὅτι χρηστὸς ὁ κύριος 1 Pt 2:3 (cp. Ps 33:9). 1 Pt 3:15 adds Χριστόν to κύριον ἁγιάσατε Is 8:13.

ב. Apart from OT quots., Mt and Mk speak of Jesus as κύριος only in one pass. (words of Jesus himself) Mk 11:3=Mt 21:3 (but s. RBratcher, ET 64, ’52/53, 93; New Docs 1, 43; JDerrett, NovT 13, ’71, 241–58 on the public transport system; cp. Lk 19:31, 34), but they record that he was addressed as ‘Lord’ (κύριε), once in Mk (7:28) and more oft. in Mt, e.g. 8:2, 6, 8, 21, 25; 9:28; 14:28, 30; 15:22, 25, 27; 16:22 (also ApcSed 12:2).—Lk refers to Jesus much more frequently as ὁ κ. (Iren. 1, prol. 2 [Harv. I 4, 5] and 5, 26, 2 [Harv. II 396, 2]): 7:13; 10:1, 39 (Ἰησοῦ P⁷⁵; τοῦ Ἰησοῦ P⁴⁵ et al.), 41; 11:39; 12:42a; 13:15; 17:5f; 18:6; 19:8 al. The voc. κύριε is also found oft.: 5:8, 12; 9:54, 61; 10:17, 40; 11:1; 12:41 al.—In J the designation ὁ κ. occurs rarely, in the first 19 chapters only in passages that are text-critically uncertain (4:1 v.l.; 6:23, with omission in some mss.) or that have been suspected on other grounds (11:2); then 20:2, 18, 20, 25; cp. vss. 13, 28; 21:7ab, 12. On the other hand, κύριε in address is extraordinarily common throughout the whole book: 4:11, 15, 19, 49; 5:7; 6:34, 68 al. (more than 30 times).—In the long ending of Mk we have the designation ὁ κ. twice, 16:19, 20. In GPt ὁ κ. occurs 1:2; 2:3ab; 3:6, 8; 4:10; 5:19; 6:21, 24; 12:50ab; 14:59, 60 (in the last pass. without the art.); the fragment that has been preserved hardly affords any opportunity for the use of the voc. 2 Cl introduces apocryphal sayings of Jesus with λέγει ὁ κ. 5:2; λ. ὁ κ. ἐν τ. εὐαγγελίῳ 8:5.—Repeated κύριε, κύριε Mt 7:21f; Lk 6:46; 2 Cl 4:2 (TestAbr A 9 p. 86, 26 [Stone p. 20]; ApcMos 25 p. 14, 1 Tdf.; s. KKöhler, StKr 88, 1915, 471–90).

ג. Even in the passages already mentioned the use of the word κ. raises Jesus above the human level (Mani is also κ. for his people: Kephal. I 183, 11; 13; 16); this tendency becomes even clearer in the following places: ὁ κύριος Ac 5:14; 9:10f, 42; 11:23f; 22:10b; Ro 12:11; 14:8; 1 Cor 6:13f, 17; 7:10, 12; 2 Cor 5:6, 8; Gal 1:19; Col 1:10; 1 Th 4:15b; 2 Th 3:1; Hb 2:3; Js 5:7f; B 5:5; IEph 10:3; AcPl Ha 6, 21; 7, 5; 27; 8, 2; AcPlCor 1:6, 14.—Without the art. 1 Cor 4:4; 7:22b; 10:21ab; 2 Cor 12:1; 1 Th 4:15a; 2 Ti 2:24; AcPlCor 1:8. So esp. in combinations w. preps.: ἀπὸ κυρίου Col 3:24. κατὰ κύριον 2 Cor 11:17. παρὰ κυρίου Eph 6:8. πρὸς κύριον 2 Cor 3:16; AcPl Ha 6, 9. πρὸς τὸν κ. 8, 23. σὺν κυρίῳ 1 Th 4:17b. ὑπὸ κυρίου 1 Cor 7:25b; 2 Th 2:13. Esp. freq. is the Pauline formula ἐν κυρίῳ (lit. on ἐν 4c), which appears outside Paul’s letters only Rv 14:13; IPol 8:3; AcPl Ha 3, 23; AcPlCor 1:1, 16 (cp. Pol 1:1 ἐν κυρίῳ ἡμῶν Ἰ. Χριστῷ): 1 Cor 11:11; Phlm 16; πιστὸς ἐν κ. 1 Cor 4:17; cp. Eph 6:21; Hm 4, 1, 4; φῶς ἐν κ. Eph 5:8. ἡ σφραγίς μου τ. ἀποστολῆς ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἐν κ. 1 Cor 9:2. W. verbs: ἀσπάζεσθαι Ro 16:22 (GBahr, CBQ 28, ’66, 465f renders: in the service of my master, i.e. Paul); 1 Cor 16:19. ἐνδυναμοῦσθαι Eph 6:10. καλεῖσθαι 1 Cor 7:22a. καυχᾶσθαι 1:31. κοπιᾶν Ro 16:12ab; μαρτύρεσθαι Eph 4:17. παραλαμβάνειν διακονίαν Col 4:17. πεποιθέναι εἴς τινα Gal 5:10. ἐπί τινα 2 Th 3:4; cp. Phil 1:14; 2:24. προί̈στασθαι 1 Th 5:12. προσδέχεσθαι Ro 16:2; Phil 2:29. στήκειν 4:1; 1 Th 3:8. ὑπακούειν Eph 6:1. τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν Phil 4:2. θύρας μοι ἀνεῳγμένης ἐν κ. 2 Cor 2:12.—W. διδάσκαλος J 13:13f. W. σωτήρ 2 Pt 3:2; cp. 1:11; 2:20 (Just., D. 39, 2). W. Χριστός Ac 2:36; cp. Χριστὸς κύριος (La 4:20; PsSol 17, 32 v.l. [GBeale, Christos Kyrios in PsSol 17:32—‘The Lord’s Anointed’ Reconsidered: NTS 31, ’85, 620–27]; PsSol 18 ins) Lk 2:11. ὁ κ. Χριστός AcPlCor 2:3. Esp. freq. are the formulas ὁ κ. Ἰησοῦς Ac 1:21; 4:33; 8:16; 11:20; 15:11; 16:31; 19:5, 13, 17; 20:24, 35; 21:13; 1 Cor 11:23; 16:23; 2 Cor 4:14; 11:31; Gal 6:17 v.l.; Eph 1:15; 1 Th 2:15; 4:2; 2 Th 1:7; 2:8; Phlm 5.—ὁ κ. Ἰησοῦς Χριστός Ac 11:17; 28:31; Ro 13:14; 2 Cor 13:13; Phil 4:23; 2 Th 3:6; Phlm 25; 1 Cl 21:6 (Ar. 15, 1). Without the art. mostly in introductions to letters Ro 1:7; 1 Cor 1:3; 2 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3; Eph 1:2; 6:23; Phil 1:2; 3:20; 1 Th 1:1; 2 Th 1:2, 12b; 1 Ti 5:21 v.l.; Js 1:1; Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς κ. 2 Cor 4:5; Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς ὁ κ. Col 2:6. Χριστὸς ὁ κ. 2 Cl 9:5. In an appeal κύριε Ἰησοῦ (cp. Sb 8316, 5f κύριε Σάραπι; PGM 7, 331 κύριε Ἄνουβι) Ac 7:59; Rv 22:20. κύριε AcPl Ha 7:30f, 40.—W. gen. of pers. (in many places the mss. vary considerably in adding or omitting this gen.) ὁ κ. μου ISm 5:2. ὁ κ. ἡμῶν 2 Ti 1:8; Hb 7:14; IPhld ins; ὁ κ. ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Ac 20:21; 1 Cor 5:4; 2 Cor 1:14; 1 Th 2:19; 3:11, 13; 2 Th 1:8; Hb 13:20. Ἰησοῦς ὁ κ. ἡμῶν 1 Cor 9:1. ὁ κ. ἡμῶν Χριστός Ro 16:18 (the only pass. in Paul without Ἰησοῦς). ὁ κ. ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός Ac 15:26; Ro 5:1, 11; 15:6, 30; 1 Cor 1:2, 7f, 10; 6:11 v.l.; 15:57; 2 Cor 1:3; 8:9; Gal 6:14, 18; Eph 1:3; 5:20; 6:24; Col 1:3; 1 Th 1:3; 5:9, 23, 28; 2 Th 2:1, 14, 16; 3:18; 1 Ti 6:3, 14; Js 2:1; 1 Pt 1:3; 2 Pt 1:8, 14, 16; Jd 4, 17, 21 (also TestSol 1:12 D). ὁ κ. ἡμῶν Χριστός Ἰησοῦς AcPlCor 2:5; cp. AcPl Ha 8, 17=Ox 1602, 20f/BMM recto 22. Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ὁ κ. ἡμῶν Ro 1:4; 5:21; 7:25; 1 Cor 1:9; Jd 25 (Just., D. 41, 4). (ὁ) Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς ὁ κ. ἡμῶν Ro 6:11 v.l., 23; 8:39; 1 Cor 15:31; Eph 3:11; 1 Ti 1:2, 12; 2 Ti 1:2 (ὁ ἡμέτερος κ. Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς Just., D. 32, 3 and 47, 5 al.). Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς ὁ κ. μου Phil 3:8. ὁ κ. μου Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς AcPl Ha 7, 29. ὁ κ. αὐτῶν Rv 11:8.—W. other genitives: πάντων κ. Lord over all (cp. Pind., I. 5, 53 Ζεὺς ὁ πάντων κ.; Plut., Mor. 355e Osiris; PGM 13, 202) Ac 10:36; Ro 10:12. κ. κυρίων (cp. En 9:4) Rv 17:14; 19:16.—That ‘Jesus is κύριο’ (perh. ‘our κύριος is Jesus’) is the confession of the (Pauline) Christian church: Ro 10:9; 1 Cor 12:3; cp. 8:6; Phil 2:11 (on the latter pass. s. under ἁρπαγμός and κενόω 1. Cp. also Diod S 5, 72, 1: after Zeus was raised ἐκ γῆς εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν, there arose in the ψυχαῖς of all those who had experienced his benefactions, the belief ὡς ἁπάντων τῶν γινομένων κατὰ οὐρανὸν οὗτος εἴη κύριος; s. also 3, 61, 6 Zeus acclaimed ‘God and Lord’).—In J the confession takes the form ὁ κύριός μου καὶ ὁ θεός μου J 20:28 (on the combination of κύριος and θεός s. θεός, beg., and 3c).—JFitzmyer, The Semitic Background of the NT Kyrios-Title: A Wandering Aramaean—Collected Aramaic Essays ’79, 115–42; s. also 87–90.

δ. In some places it is not clear whether God or Christ is meant, cp. Ac 9:31; 1 Cor 4:19; 7:17; 2 Cor 8:21; Col 3:22b; 1 Th 4:6; 2 Th 3:16 al.

ε. of other transcendent beings

א. an angel Ac 10:4 (JosAs 14:6 al.; GrBar 4:1 al.; ApcZeph). p. 129 Denis.

ב. in contrast to the one κύριος of the Christians there are θεοὶ πολλοὶ καὶ κύριοι πολλοί many gods and many lords 1 Cor 8:5 (cp. Dt 10:17); we cannot say just what difference, if any, Paul makes betw. these θεοί and κύριοι; unless we have here an hendiadys, the apostle may imply that the κ. are of lower rank than the θ. (sim. Did., Gen. 248, 5. On the many θεοί and lesser divinities cp. Maximus Tyr. 11, 5ab θεὸς εἷς πάντων βασιλεὺς κ. πατήρ, κ. θεοὶ πολλοί, θεοῦ παῖδες [= δαίμονες 11, 12a], συνάρχοντες θεοῦ. Ταῦτα κ. ὁ Ἕλλην λέγει, κ. ὁ βάρβαρος; 8, 8ef. Also Diog. L. 8, 23 the saying of Pythagoras, that humankind must τοὺς θεοὺς δαιμόνων προτιμᾶν=honor the deities more than the divinities or demi-gods δαίμονες; Heraclitus, Fgm. 5 divides the celestial realm into θεοὶ καὶ ἥρωες. S. also κυριότης 3 and, in a way, PGM 36, 246 κύριοι ἄγγελοι; s. also θεός 1).—On the whole word s. WGraf Baudissin, Kyrios als Gottesname im Judentum u. s. Stelle in d. Religionsgesch., 4 vols. 1926–29; SvenHerner, Die Anwendung d. Wortes κ. im NT 1903; Dssm., LO 298ff [LAE 353ff]; BBacon, Jesus as Lord: HTR 4, 1911, 204–28; WHeitmüller, ZNW 13, 1912, 333ff; HBöhlig, D. Geisteskultur v. Tarsos 1913, 53ff, Zum Begriff κύριος bei Pls: ZNW 14, 1913, 23ff, ʼΕν κυρίῳ: Heinrici Festschr. 1914, 170ff; WBousset, Kyrios Christos² 1921 [Engl. tr. JSteely ’70]; PWern-le, ZTK 25, 1915, 1–92; PAlthaus, NKZ 26, 1915, 439ff; 513ff; Heitmüller, ZTK 25, 1915, 156ff; Bousset, Jesus der Herr 1916; GVos, The Continuity of the Kyrios Title in the NT: PTR 13, 1915, 161–89, The Kyrios Christos Controversy: ibid. 15, 1917, 21–89; EWeber, Zum Gebrauch der κύριος-Bez.: NKZ 31, 1920, 254ff; ERohde, Gottesglaube u. Kyriosglaube bei Paulus: ZNW 22, 1923, 43ff; RSeeberg, D. Ursprung des Christenglaubens 1914; JWeiss, D. Urchristentum 1917, 351ff; Ltzm., Hdb. exc. on Ro 10:9; Burton, ICC Gal 1921, 399–404; WFoerster, Herr ist Jesus 1924; AFrövig, D. Kyriosglaube des NTs 1928; ELohmeyer, Kyr. Jesus 1928; EvDobschütz, Κύριος Ἰησοῦς: ZNW 30, ’31, 97–123 (lit.); OMichel, D. Christus des Pls: ZNW 32, ’33, 6–31; also 28, 1929, 324–33; Dodd 9–11; LCerfaux, ‘Kyrios’ dans les citations paul. de l’AT: ETL 20, ’43, 5–17; FGrant, An Introd. to NT Thought ’50, 130–37; PÉLangevin, Jésus Seigneur ’67; IPotterie, BRigaux Festschr. ’70, 117–46 (Luke); JKingsbury, JBL 94, ’75, 246–55 (Mt); FDanker, Luke ’87, 60–81; DZeller, 925–28 (lit.).—B. 1330. Schürer II 326. DELG. M-M. EDNT. TW. Spicq. Sv.

ἀκολουθέω impv. ἀκολούθει; impf. ἠκολούθουν; fut. ἀκολουθήσω; 1 aor. ἠκολούθησα; pf. ἠκολούθηκα Mk 10:28 (denom. fr. ἀκόλουθος; Thu., Aristoph.+; Did., Gen. 49, 17 restored) prim. ‘follow’.

① lit. to move behind someone in the same direction, come after abs. (Diod S 13, 75, 7) οἱ προάγοντες κ. οἱ ἀκολουθοῦντες Mt 21:9; Mk 11:9; cp. J 21:20; Ac 21:36; 1 Cor 10:4; Rv 14:8. W. dat. of pers. (X., Hell. 5, 2, 26; Herodian 6, 7, 8; PEnteux 48, 3 [III B.C.]) Mt 9:19; 26:58; Mk 14:13; Lk 22:10; J 10:4f; 11:31; IPhld 11:1; Hv 3, 8, 4; 7. ἠκολούθει τῷ Ἰησοῦ Σίμων Πέτρος κ. ἄλλος μαθητής J 18:15 (more than one subject with a verb in the sing. as Appian, Bell. Civ. 3, 72 §296 ὑπερόψεταί με Λέπιδος κ. Πλάγκος).

② to follow or accompany someone who takes the lead, accompany, go along with, oft. of the crowd following Jesus ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ ὄχλοι πολλοί (s. ὄχλος 1a) Mt 4:25; 8:1; 12:15; 14:13; Mk 5:24; Lk 7:9; 9:11; J 6:2. μετά τινος someone (Thu. 7, 57, 9; Phryn. 353 Lob.; B-D-F §193, 1) Rv 6:8 (Lk 9:49 οὐκ ἀκολουθεῖ [sc. σοι] μεθʼ ἡμῶν is different, he does not follow as your disciple with us). For this we have Hebraistically ὀπίσω τινός (3 Km 19:20; Is 45:14; Ezk 29:16) Mt 10:38; Mk 8:34.—Of the deeds that follow one into the next world Rv 14:13 τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν ἀκολουθεῖ μετʼ αὐτῶν the record of their deeds goes with them (REB) (cp. Diod S 13, 105 νομίσαντες … ἑαυτοῖς τὴν μέμψιν ἀκολουθήσειν).

③ w. transition to the fig. mng. to follow someone as a disciple, be a disciple, follow (Diog. L. 9, 21 of Parmenides: ἀκούσας Ξενοφάνους οὐκ ἠκολούθησεν αὐτῷ; Palaeph. 2 p. 6, 16; Just., D. 8, 3 ἀνθρώποις ἀκολουθῆσαι οὐδενὸς ἀξίοις) ἀκολούθει μοι follow me = be my disciple Mt 9:9 (in Diog. L. 2, 48 Socrates stops Xenophon at their first meeting and says: “ἕπου καὶ μάνθανε”. καὶ τοὐντεῦθεν ἀκροατὴς Σωκράτους ἦν); cp. 8:19; 19:21 (Aristoxenus, Fgm. 17: Simichos the tyrant hears Pythagoras, divests himself of his kingly power, disposes of his χρήματα [Mt 19:22 v.l.], and attaches himself to him; Sextus 264a ἀφεὶς ἃ κέκτησαι ἀκολούθει τῷ ὀρθῷ λόγῳ); 27f; Mk 1:18 (on the call of a disciple directly fr. his work s. Jos., Ant. 8, 354 εὐθέως … καταλιπὼν τ. βόας ἠκολούθησεν Ἠλίᾳ … μαθητής [after 3 Km 19:20f ]); Mk 2:14; 8:34; Lk 5:11, 27f al. The transition may be observed in J 1, where ἀ. has sense 2 in vss. 37f, but sense 3 in vss. 40, 43 (OCullmann, TZ 4, ’48, 367).—TArvedson, SvTK 7, ’31, 134–61; ESchweizer, Lordship and Discipleship, ’60; ASchulz, Nachfolgen u. Nachahmen, ’62; GKilpatrick, BT 7, ’56, 5f; RThysman, L’ethique de l’imitation du Christ dans le NT: ETL 42, ’66, 138–75; TAerts, Suivre Jésus, ibid., 475–512.

④ gener. to comply with, follow, obey (Thu. 3, 38, 6 γνώμῃ; Ps.-Andoc. 4, 19; Demosth. 26, 5; CPJ II, 152 [=BGU 1079], 10f ἀκολούθει Πτολλαρίωνι πᾶσαν ὥραν; μᾶλλον ἀκολουθῶν αὐτῷ ln. 26f; 2 Macc 8:36 νόμοις; cp. Jdth 2:3.—M. Ant. 7, 31 θεῷ; Jdth 5:7 τοῖς θεοῖς. Just., A I, 3, 2 εὐσεβείᾳ καὶ φιλοσοφίᾳ) τοῖς ἔθεσιν customs Dg 5:4. τοῖς νομίμοις τ. δεσπότου obey the statutes of the Master 1 Cl 40:4. τῇ ὁδῷ τῆς ἀληθείας 35:5 (cp. TestAsh 6:1 ἀ. τῇ ἀληθείᾳ); the bishop ISm 8:1; a schismatic IPhld 3:3.—Hm 6, 2, 9.

⑤ to come after someth. else in sequence, follow, of things τῶν λοιπῶν τῶν ἀκολουθούντων πάντων all other persons and things that follow (in the parable) Hs 5, 5, 1; τινί Mk 16:17 v.l. (s. παρακολουθέω 2).—B. 699. DELG s.v. ἀκόλουθος. EDNT. M-M. TW. Sv.