Rabbi, Rabbi
The following is en
extract of an e-mail I received recently (the name has
obviously been changed and some incidental stuff
deleted):
I celebrated my 20th
Anniversary in Full Time ministry as minister of the
Gospel, over 40 years of sojourn in planet earth, and my
Installation as APOSTLE. I was also appointed Apostolic
Bishop-elect… Please I wish to be identified by name as
hereunder written, and not the previously Rev Joe Soap,
sr.
APOSTLE DR Joe Soap SNR.
Now I understand that this
may be an extreme example but it is but one of many that
crosses my path every week. So what’s the problem with
leaders using titles, surely we should respect leaders,
and if they have earned the title, should we not honor
them accordingly?
We won’t even waste time
speaking about the myriads of bogus titles, mail-order
degrees and false claims by those who feel the need to
promote themselves. So let’s just see what Jesus had to
say:
…all their works they do
to be seen by men… They love the best places at feasts,
the best seats in the synagogues, "greetings in the
marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’
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. (Matthew 23:5-12).
And don’t say your
favorite title is not in the list Jesus gave! He was not
only speaking about the titles “Rabbi” (or teacher) and
“Father” (or papa or pope), but of all titles that set
men apart from others and the attitude behind this very
old tradition. The text is clear: He is against all
titles. We are all brethren, in other words, we are all
at the same level and we are not to reverence or elevate
men, we are to reverence and honor Him and Him alone. On
the contrary we are to be one another’s servants. The
very word “minister” means “servant”, yet it has become
a title which sets those who bear it above other
believers, thus contradicting its very meaning.
The first problem with
titles is that they separate between the “clergy” and
the people or “laity”. And while many have apparently
good reasons why there should be such separation, none
of them are in the Bible. The Word is clear that we are
all equal and we should all serve one another and be
subject to one another. This is because there is only
One who should be elevated in the church and it is
Jesus. The rest of us are but unprofitable servants
(Luke 17:10). There are many other reasons why the
clergy/laity system is evil and dangerous which we
cannot speak of in detail today.
The next problem with
titles is that those who use them take honor to
themselves that is not theirs to take. If a brother is
truly gifted as an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor
or teacher then that is a gift from God, given by His
grace. Ministries are not earned or deserved; in fact,
He often gives gifts to the most unworthy of vessels. So
if one has a servant role in the church with a
particular gift which is unmerited, then it is unjust to
take honor for that which was not earned. If anyone is
to be honored, it is the One who gave the gift.
People who emphasize their
titles and insist that they be addressed by their title
invariably have a major problem with pride and authority
and both of these stem from a basic insecurity and
inferiority complex. They have not come to terms with
who they are in Christ and they feel the need to prove
themselves and force people to respect them. If a man’s
ministry is truly from God and he lives a holy and
dedicated life, people will respect Him and his gift
because they recognize that he is indeed someone who is
called and who walks with the Lord. It is also pointless
to try to force those who are unsaved and so carnal that
they cannot recognize the gifts of God, to do so, as
this simply leads to hypocrisy.
Sometimes people use
titles and other mechanisms to maintain a distance
between themselves and others. Many times this includes
a demand that the leader be followed without question.
Leaders who adopt this kind of autocratic approach often
have things to hide. These may include hidden sin, moral
weakness and other personal problems, but more often, it
is used to cover some personal inadequacy.
If the only way leaders
can exert their authority is by distancing themselves
from others through robes, titles and attitudes, then
there is something seriously wrong with the relationship
between such people. Respect is earned and is based on
relationships where folk have learnt to trust their
leaders. It can never be coerced or forced. Where
respect for one another has been built through
relationships, there is no need to create artificial
boundaries. When I see the work of a craftsman, I as an
amateur find an involuntary respect rise within me. I am
careful not to disrespect such a man since I can see he
clearly knows what he is doing. But we often find
service people who do shoddy work. It is they who get
defensive when you question their bad workmanship and
who will insist on proving how long they have been doing
that kind of work and so on. In the same way, a preacher
who rightly divides the Word and whose life confirms
what he preaches automatically deserves respect. A
preacher who abuses the word and the people deserves to
be despised and should not be allowed to hide behind his
title, degrees or number of years in the ministry.
How should we address
leaders then? That partially depends on culture as some
do not allow older persons to be called by their first
name and that is right. It is not my place to tell you
what to do. I have outlined the principles above and for
myself prefer that people in my age group, and older,
call me by my first name. Those who are younger
generally call me “Brother Bosch” which is exactly what
I am – a brother. Look at the affection and respect with
which Peter speaks of the great apostle without using
any titles: “…as also our beloved brother Paul… has
written to you” (1Peter 3:15).
“We do not preach
ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your
bondservants for Jesus' sake” (2Corinthians 4:5).
Anton Bosch
antonbosch@sbcglobal.net
www.abcd.co.za/offi
www.abcd.co.za/plumbline
Tel 818 846 5520
Fax 818 846 4357
3310 West
Magnolia Blvd
Burbank, California
91505-2907
USA