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[ "No one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit." But does this mean that every subsequent utterance is similarly inspired? That can hardly be so. ]

Well Dawg.. the inference is that Jesus "IS" that persons LORD, whether they say it or not.. thats even if they dont SAY it, he is.. Of course people can SAY Jesus is lord (of their life) when he ISN'T.. i.e. no Holy Spirit..

The inference being that he was(Lord to them) before they said it, NOT because of saying it.. The word "SAY" in this passage is "pregnant".. as by the way most of Jesus words are, if not all.. I might have missed some..

Thank you so much for pinging me to this sidebar discussion!

Often overlooked is this operative phrase:

He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed [it] unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. – Matthew 16:15-18

That is why Peter is called "rock" like Abraham, He was the first to be called out, to receive the revelation from God the Father.

Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock [whence] ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit [whence] ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah [that] bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him. – Isaiah 51:1-2

Likewise, those following Peter can make the same confession of faith only by the power of God.

Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and [that] no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. – 1 Corinthians 12:3

And again,

And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. – John 6:65

And again,

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life. - John 6:63

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned. - I Corinthians 2:14

Why do ye not understand my speech? [even] because ye cannot hear my word. – John 8:43

The point of the confession is not that it is the words of men but that it is the words of God.

To God be the glory!