What terms should we use to refer to preachers? Reverend? Father? Pastor?
What does the Bible say?
What terms should we use to refer to preachers? Reverend? Father? Pastor?
What does the Bible say?
The Bible uses many different terms, such as "evangelist," "teacher," and "minister" (Acts 21:8; 13:1; 1 Thessalonians 3:2). All these words describe different aspects of the work preachers do. But consider some of the titles people today sometimes use.
Some groups generally address a preacher as "pastor." But in Ephesians 4:11, preachers or "evangelists" are listed separately from "pastors." "Pastor" means a shepherd: one who guides or tends a flock. This word is used (in verb form) in 1 Peter 5:1,2, which shows that it is the work of elders to "shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight..." So a pastor is not just a preacher, but an elder or an overseer. This work is different from that of preachers, and it requires men to have special qualifications that preachers in general are not required to have - see 1 Timothy 3:1-7. So it really is not Scriptural to call a man a "pastor" simply because he is a preacher.
But again, preachers are often addressed as "Reverend" or "Father." These titles honor the preacher as being someone who is especially holy. But in Matthew 23:9,10, Jesus commanded: "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." God and Christ possess deity. They deserve to be exalted by titles such as "Father" and "Master." But according to verses 8 and 12, all disciples are brothers. We are equals, so we should not allow people to exalt us above other disciples.
No preacher in the Bible was ever honored by titles such as "reverend." But God's name is "holy and reverend" - Psalm 111:9. "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord ... let no man glory in men" - 1 Corinthians 1:31; 3:21.
(c) Copyright David E. Pratte, 2017; gospelway.com
To study more articles like this (syndicated for reproduction) visit our Bible study topics web site. This article is freely available to be reproduced in print or on a web site under the following conditions: (1) The article must be reproduced verbatim in total without any change in content, (2) the name of the author and web site addresses must be included (as in this trailer), (3) the use must be entirely non-commercial with no fee or financial charge of any kind to the readers. Click here for more information about our copyright guidelines.
View
our menu of brief Bible Study Topics and articles
Please bookmark our site in your favorites.
We welcome links to us from other sites :
gospelway.com
- The Gospel Way: Free Bible Study Materials & Guides
Scripture quotations are generally from the New King James Version (NKJV), copyright 1982, 1988 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. used by permission. All rights reserved.