"He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name." —Psalm 111:9
In modern times, the term "reverend" has been used widely to show
respect for a clergyman. Although I don't think the usage of this
term is sinful, I do think it needs to be discouraged, because it tends
to glorify man. Even the best of
God's men are still sinners saved by grace (Romans 3:23; Galatians 6:3). The
word "reverend" only appears ONCE in the entire Bible, in Psalm 111:9,
referring to God.
The Hebrew word for reverend is yare' and means "to fear,
revere, be afraid, to stand in awe of, to honour, respect."
We certainly should not be afraid of any minister, for we read in Proverb 29:25, "The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe." Revelation 14:7 states... "Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters."
Neither should we idolize religious men, as the
Catholics do their Pope. We read in the Word of God that respect of
persons is a sin... "My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons... But if ye have
respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as
transgressors" (James 2:1,9). No one is any better than
anyone else. We are all hell-deserving sinners.
Biblical Honor
We do read in 1st Timothy 5:17 that ministers (i.e., servants) are to receive "double honour"... "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine." This simply means that we should VALUE those who are serving the Lord and; thus, support, encourage and help them in their labors for the Lord. It does not mean that we should praise them with a title such as "reverend." It does not mean that priests and ministers are to be treated better than everyone else. It does not mean that we should address a priest as "father," or a minister as "reverend." Only God is worthy of reverence.
The Word of God has something to say about giving fancy titles to men in Matthew 23:5-11...
"But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant."
It is clear from this Scripture passage that titles are dangerous. Men love titles of honor. "Doctor" is a popular title today, which I think is appropriate. However, I've never liked "honorary doctorate" degrees because it is extremely unfair to those who work hard through endless nights of study, tuition costs, college classes, and other hardships to EARN their degree. Honestly, I think honorary doctorates degrees are worthless. I would never accept an honorary doctorates degree. Some institutions hand out honorary doctorate's degrees like candy bars. What a joke!
Let's look at 1st Timothy 5:17 again.
Carefully notice that 1st Timothy 5:17 never directs us to adore or praise
God's man with a title, it simply says that we should count him as being
"worthy of double honour." The next verse explains the context of this
Scripture... "For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that
treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward" (1st
Timothy 5:18). God is simply saying that we should financially support
those who are legitimately serving the Lord. However, please notice
what Jesus said in Matthew 23:11... "But he that is greatest among you
shall be your servant." We are not to support any pastor or
preacher who is not a SERVANT of the church. Most televangelists today
are selfish frauds, liars, and con artists. They pretend to serve
others by showcasing the few poor people they help; BUT then horde
tens-of-millions of dollars for themselves in filthy lucre. This is
why The 700 Club,
James Robison,
Benny Hinn and many others REFUSE
to disclose their finances to the Better Business Bureau [BBB].
You can check with the BBB on most televangelists and ministries, and
should! Pat Robertson is of the
Devil. Please read, Greedy
Televangelists! A fool and his money are soon parted; please don't
support those buzzards.
Idiosyncrasies in Our Churches
Now if your pastor goes by the term "reverend," it doesn't mean that he is a fake. It does not mean that he is a bad pastor. It simply means that he is following a tradition that society has gone along with for hundreds of years. I know some faithful, dedicated, sincere men of God who use the title of "reverend." I respect their position and I don't rebuke them for it. However, I NEVER refer to any man of God as "reverend," and I teach people not to either. I don't believe we should devour our Christian brothers and sisters over every little pet doctrine that peeves us; but at the same time, we need to know what we believe from the Bible and choose our battles carefully.
There are many manmade idiosyncrasies in Christian circles today.
For example: I know some believers who think you're backslidden if you don't go to church every time the doors open, unless you're deathly sick. However, you can't show me that from the Bible. I do believe that we should be in church; but you can't condemn others for not being there every time the doors open. Dwight L. Moody held church services 7-days a week to accommodate the large crowds. According to those believers today who demand attendance at every service, you'd have to attend church 7-days a week. I'm simply saying that many churches today are teaching unbiblical traditions as if they were fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith, which they are not.
Now if you're a pastor who believes "three-to-thrive" (i.e., attending church Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night), then why don't you have a Wednesday morning service to accommodate the working men in your church? If you teach your congregation the importance of church membership, and you tell them that it is a sin for them not to be there, then you are a total hypocrite if you don't have a Wednesday morning service for the men in your church who work 3rd shift. Most men work evenings and can't attend the Wednesday night Bible study; yet their pastor bombasts them with the importance of being at church. If it's so important pastor, then why don't you have a Wednesday morning Bible Study? It has always bothered me that churches only offer a Wednesday night Bible study and forget the working men who support the church.
But you say, "What about Hebrews 10:25?" ... "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." This Scripture does not require a believer to go find a building that says "church." Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is within the believer (Luke 17:21). Jesus said in Matthew 18:20... "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." The persecuted Christians in the days of Rome met underground in the Catacombs. They had no padded pews, no fancy chandeliers, no stained glass windows, no air-conditioning, no lush carpeting, et cetera. They barely had their lives. Today, church has become a big game, where a few jokes are told, a few hymns are sung, the offering plate is passed, and then a sermonette is given as to not to offend the majority of the crowd. Apostasy!
In fact, most so-called "churches" today are
extremely dangerous to a person's spiritual health. More people are
duped, blinded, and made two-fold the child of Hell in church than anywhere
else. Now I'm not talking about legitimate New Testament
churches of course. I am talking about the Catholic Church, the
Lutheran Church, the United Church of Christ, the Metropolitan Community
Church, the Episcopalian Church, the Church of Christ, the Unitarian
Universalist Church, and many others. Here's a list of
GAY FRIENDLY
CHURCHES that you should avoid like the Bubonic Plague!
Homosexuality is a gross sin (Leviticus 20:13; Romans 1:24-32; 1st
Corinthians 6:9).
Conclusion
I did not write this article to be unkind to any pastors. I did write this article because God's name is Reverend; and not any man's name. I think God's men should discourage people from calling them "reverend," and instead point people to the loving and wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ, Who shed His precious blood for our sins.
