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Dear Arthur and Sandra:
Well, I just have a question that came up when I went
to visit [another church's] fellowship. Their pastor taught
on Matt 23:8-12, and he and their leaders take the passage
literally and ask people not to call them Pastor so-and-so,
and he believes that it is a sin! I've never heard of this
passage taken literally before, and I discussed with him about
it after. And though he agrees that Jesus is addressing the
pride of the Pharisess and scribes and how they took pride
in their standings even though they acted in hypocrisy behind
the title, he still contends that Jesus is straight forwardly
saying that we should just acknowledge all in the body as
brothers and sisters. So I was hoping you can give some insight
on it. =) Thank you!
Thanks for bringing that to my attention. It's hard for me
to believe that the pastors at [that church] would take it
that far. I would have to disagree with them.
The question is not what you call someone but what meaning
do you pour into what you call them. For instance, I happen
to have met people whose names ended in Christ or began with
Jesus. Am I not going to call them by their name because they
are not the Jesus or the Christ that I love and serve? Of
course not, because when I call them by their names, I mean
them and not my Jesus or Christ.
As stated in the attachment I'm sending you - please read
the commentary on the previous verses carefully as they set
the stage for Jesus' remarks in verses 8+ - the Pharisees
desired these names and titles because of what they connoted
and of the honor and reverence attributed in that they poured
into those titles. The Pharisaical teaching that they promoted
to believers was that of intrinsic difference in worth and
honor and value between those who held these titles and those
who didn't.
Jesus is saying to both sides (the teacher and the student),
don't confer on another human extra or less intrinsic value
and worth (a la the way Catholics view Mother Theresa or the
Pope) and don't allow anyone to confer on you extra or less
value or worth either. We are all woeful sinners - all our
righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah). Paul, who was a
Pharisee of Pharisees, of the tribe of Benjamin, the most
zealous keeper of the Law, etc. called all of his righteousness
skubalon, which is the Greek word for excrement or dung (Phil.
3), in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus
his Lord.
The real and only value and worth of someone is found IN
Christ Jesus! The Pharisees were teaching otherwise; thus,
Jesus' admonishment.
Elsewhere in the NT(1 Cor. 12), we see that some are called
to be ...what?...teachers, prophets, apostles, etc. We see
later in the NT that there are offices of deacons, overseers,
elders, etc. 1 Tim. 3 gives the qualifications for the office
of bishop and deacon, etc. James 3 tells that teachers, literally
in the Greek, "masters" are held to a stricter standard and
will receive a stricter judgment.
Paul called himself Timothy's spiritual father. Elsewhere,
we see admonitions to leaders. All these are titles.
Practically speaking, titles are needed to be able to delineate
our roles, jobs, and service. At church, when I'm a teacher,
so-and-so is a technical guy, so-and-so is a chairman, committee
member, etc. we're not conferring more or less worth or dignity
to anyone but are distinguishing our function. If we all just
called ourselves brothers and sisters, which is exactly what
we are in terms of worth, it would be too confusing and wouldn't
give us the full sense of the responsibility we've been called
to. That's why Jesus changed Peter's name to Rock - to give
him a sense of who He wanted Peter to be.
I can appreciate the [church's] pastors' concern but would
have to say, if you are accurate in your understanding of
what they believe, that they are incorrect. If they say it's
sin to do it, then they would be guilty of doing what they
are trying not to do, namely, building false standards for
righteousness a la the Pharisees.
I gotta go now.
Arthur
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