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How Should Ministers and Pastors be Called and
Addressed? |
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PREACHER IS also discouraged from saving money in banks. Christ said, “Lay not for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal” (Mat. 6:19). Christ prohibited it to the real ministers of God because no man could serve two masters at the same time. He cannot serve God and riches at the same time. This is why God prohibited His ministers from enriching themselves.
Now, we are going to continue studying this topic. We will still talk about the don’ts of God to His ministers/preachers. What are they? And please try to compare the preacher being mentioned in the Bible and compare him with your respective preachers, or pastors. Actually, God has so many prohibitions, but pastors conceal these to their members. But let us try studying them now.
Nowadays, preachers are being addressed in various ways. There is one religious leader who is called servant leader; another is being called Jagad Guru, which means world preacher. This is the name that the Chaitanya Mission calls their leader – Jagad Guru, or world preacher. The Chaitanya mission is one of the groups that teaches that, you will be blesses if you call on the name of God. And according to them, God has more than a hundred million names! How can that be? Where in the Bible can you find those hundred million names? That is almost equivalent to the number of galaxies in our universe! How can the Bible accommodate those hundred million names? But that is their belief. Aside from that, they also call their leader Jagad Guru, which means world preacher.
In some organizations of faith, their leader is being called Beloved Evangelist. Another group calls their leader as Dynamic Evangelist; there is also another whose leader is addressed as Apostle; and, still another group calls their preacher as Father.
Each group has its own form of address to their leader. But let us find out from the Bible how pastors, or preachers, should be addressed by the faithful. Does the Bible give any specific instruction as to how a leader of religion should be called? This is what our Lord Jesus Christ said in Matthew 23:8, “But be not ye called Rabbi: …”
The negative word “not,” or “do not,” connotes a prohibition. Christ prohibited His apostles not to let anybody call them Rabbi. You see, the word “Rabbi” is the plural form of “Rabboni”, which means teacher/master. “… for one is your Master, even Christ; all ye are brethren (Mat. 23:8).”
In other words, the Bible introduces but one Teacher, or Master, to the Christians. And for that, Christ prohibited His apostles from letting anybody call them Rabbi, or Rabboni, as written in the Book of Matthew.
If we are all brethren, how shall we call each other? Have you heard of a brother calling his brother “teacher,” or “reverend”? Isn’t that unbecoming? If you are all brethren in faith, why will you call your priest as “most holy father”? That is not right! That is against Christ’s commandment! Remember Christ told His apostles not to let anybody call them Rabbi because they have only one Teacher, and all of them are brethren. And who is the sole teacher that ought to be addresses as Rabbi? He is nobody else but our Lord Jesus Christ. This is what Judas 1:4 says, “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of God unto lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Jesus Christ is our only Teacher. Please do not be misled. There is but one “guru”. Then, all of a sudden, here comes a so-called Jagad Guru, claiming that he is a jagad guru! That is an outright defiance to what Christ had commanded.
Today, there are many preachers who let other people call them “teacher”. Perhaps, they are too thirsty of honor and power. But what is worse, they even add a modifier in the superlative degree to their names and titles, i.e. “most holy Father”. The word “holy” is already an adjective that implies distinction, but since they crave for a greater honor, they added “most,” which is an adverb in its superlative degree. Please, don’t get offended but that is how Catholic priests are addressed – Most Holy Father, Most Reverend Father. Protestant pastors are also called Reverend Pastor. But does this practice conform to the standards of the Bible? Matthew 23:9 says, “And call no man your father upon earth: for one is your Father which is in heaven.” So, when it comes to matters of religion, we are not supposed to call anyone father.
“Papa” is a Latin word for “father”. In Greek, it is “patros”; in Filipino, “ama”; in English, “father”. Christ said, when it comes to religion, nobody should be called “father” because there is only Father, that who is in heaven. That means, the only one whom we are supposed to call “Father” is the Father in heaven. How should we rightfully address the Father? Matthew 6:9 says, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name …”
It is very clear that the Father that we shall call on is the Father in heaven. And we shall call no man on earth “father. “And call no man your father upon earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.”
Let us obey Christ. Why do we call a priest “father”? It’s fine if the one you are calling “father” is your parent. There is nothing wrong with that. He is not a minister, or preacher, any way. But when it comes to religion, Christ does not want any man to be called “father”. The only father that we should invoke is the One in heaven.
But do you call your priests “father” or not? If you do, you are defying the teachings of the Bible. If Christ does not want any man on earth to be called “Father”, the more He would condone it if you will attach the word “reverend” to it. Why? Do you know that the Bible used the word “reverend” only once? That is in Psalms 111:9 which says, “He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.”
That is the only verse in the Bible that used the word “reverend”. It was used only once. The apostles were not called reverend; the pastors in the first century church neither called themselves “reverend”. The Bible used the word “reverend” once to refer to the Father in heaven. “… holy and reverend is his name.” But today, pastors have robbed God of that honor and distinction. They have attached the word “reverend” to their names.
You know, my brethren in our congregation will get mad at me if I let them address me as “reverend” because they know very well for whom that word should be used – for God only. But for a sinful man, the word “reverend” is not fitting. And most especially so if it had been made “Most Holy Father”. Isn’t it that no other descriptive word, be it adjective or adverb, could surpass it if it is already presented in the superlative degree? For a priest to be called “Most Holy Father”, that would mean that his holiness exceeds that of the Father in heaven! The Father in heaven is simply called “our Father,” “Nuestro Padre,” “Patros Nosotros” . . . without any modifier in the superlative degree.
That is a disrespect and defiance to Christ’s law. You were commanded not to call any man on earth “father”, but you just do the opposite. Not only that! You even describe him as “most holy” and “most reverend”.
But while some preachers are being addressed as “Father,” there are also some who call themselves as “Apostle”. But as far as the teachings of the Bible are concerned, how should the brethren in the church address one another? For instance, how was Paul addressed by his brothers in faith? II Pet. 3:15 says, "And account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul ..."
St. Paul was called “brother in faith,” “brother,” not “apostle”. Remember that “Apostle” is not a form of address, it is an office. It is a duty. Others do not really understand, what being an apostle is all about. Let me illustrate. “President” is an office. The President is addressed as “His Excellency”. In the court, a Judge is not addressed “Judge”; he is addressed as “Your Honor,” because “Judge” is an office. What do I mean to say? “Apostle” is an office, but how should the one holding this office is addressed? Acts 2:37 says, “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
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Bible
Apostleship
and the Rightful
