Pastor John. Reverend Jim. Father Bob. We have all seen titles used in one way or another by many religious leaders of today. Yet, consider this: Is the wearing of such titles authorized or condemned in God’s word?

Titles In General

In Ephesians 4:11-12, the Bible says, “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ….”

Here Paul lists several duties or responsibilities authorized within in the church, but where do we see the men who filled these positions wear them as titles? We don’t! Such wearing of titles is explicitly forbidden by the Lord Himself. In Matthew 23:8-12, the Lord said, “But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

What we see described here by our Lord is no different than what is taking place today. The clergy/laity concept has been pressed so deeply upon mankind that even in the face of such plain Bible teaching, men still allow and often demand to be titled Pastor, Reverend, Father, etc.. They often wear special garb to set themselves apart from the rest of their congregation when no such practice is authorized in scripture. The Lord expressly condemns the use of such pretentiousness.

The Lord says we are all brethren in Christ if we are Christians. We make up the body of Christ with only one head – Christ Jesus our Lord. We should not exalt ourselves, but rather serve each other. The servant of God should be characterized by humility and service, not self exaltation.

Consider three titles that have not only been unscripturally worn by men, but have been misapplied as well.

Pastor

In most denominations, there is one Pastor that oversees the local church. The idea of one man overseeing a local congregation is foreign to the New Testament church.
There are three words used to describe the same role within the church – pastor, elder, and bishop. In Acts 20:17-28, we see these words used in reference to the same people. They describe different aspects of the work, but one work nonetheless.

In Titus 1:5, we read of Titus appointing elders (plurality) in every city. Not one, but more than one. Consult an exhaustive concordance such as Strong’s and look up the words elder, bishop, and pastor in both the plural and singular forms. Take note that the first century church always had a plurality of elders. Likewise, we should always have a plurality of elders in every church or not have any elders at all.

Furthermore, elders must also meet certain qualifications. These qualifications are listed in both Titus 1:6ff and I Timothy 3:1ff. Most of the men in denominations who wear the title of ‘Pastor’ do not even meet these qualifications. Often people interchange ‘Pastor‘ with evangelist, minister, or preacher. Yet according to God’s word, a ‘Pastor’ is not synonymous with these latter terms.

Reverend

Many men have presumptuously taken the title Reverend. Besides the fact that the Lord explicitly condemned the wearing of any titles, there is another very important reason why no man should bear this title. It is a characteristic that belongs solely to God. It is written in Psalm 111:9, “He sent redemption unto His people: He hath commanded His covenant for ever: holy and reverend is His name.”

The word reverend is translated as awesome in the NKJV. It means to fear, be afraid; to stand in awe of, be awed; to reverence, honor, respect. No man, save Christ Jesus, when He was in the flesh, even comes close to being able to hold such a title. Yet, even He did not. To call a man by this title is near blasphemy.

Father

In the Catholic religion and many of the sects that directly stem from Catholicism, the title Father is applied to priests. This is contrary to the New Testament teaching in two ways.

First, as already indicated, the Lord taught us not to call any man on earth father, for we have one father who is in Heaven. The Lord is obviously referring to calling a man Father in the spiritual sense. Why must man directly disobey the Lord?

Additionally, we are all a priesthood of believers. In Peter 2:9, Christians are referred to as “an holy priesthood.” In Revelation 1:6, the Bible speaks of Christians as “kings and priests.” So in two senses, we see this title Father in direct conflict with the word of God.

Conclusion

There are many titles religious leaders use today to set themselves apart. Why? We are all men, striving to please God. We should all be brethren, under one Lord. We must put away from ourselves these pretentious titles. Let us not practice in word or deed the clergy/laity concept that often goes unchallenged. Let us submit ourselves to the oversight of scriptural elders. Let us hold men in honor for their works’ sake. But let us not forsake the commands of God in so doing.