You said in your article The Trinity that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Spirit is God, but that the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, and the Spirit is not the Father. Yet 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 says "the Lord is the Spirit." Can you please explain that to me, because it seems that "the Lord" is most often used in the New Testament to refer to Jesus (except in cases where the Old Testament is quoted). -- Tina Jones (New York)
You are right that "Lord" in the New Testament most often refers to Jesus, the second person of the trinity. In the Old Testament "Lord" refers to the Father, or to the whole of the Deity. In fact, all three persons of the trinity are "Lord" in the same sense that all are God and we must submit to God's will. And the will of the Father is the will of the Son is the will of the Spirit. The exact sense needs to be determined by the specific context. It is interesting that in this passage the Spirit is equated with both freedom and Lordship; they are not mutually exclusive. Following the Spirit of God -- through the Word and through the godly impulses caused in us by obedience to the Word -- is to truly make Jesus Lord.
Finally, I am wondering if you have consulted any commentaries on 2 Corinthians. Men with better minds than mine have tackled these kinds of questions, and their work is on public record.
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