Is it wrong to refer to members of the clergy as "reverend?"

I belong to approximately seven on-line Christian groups. These are groups in which people who participate are able to post messages to everyone in the group and receive messages in the same way. A couple of the groups are composed of a few members, a few are composed of hundreds of members, and one particular group is composed of a couple of thousand. Often times, the moderator will post a question or thought and ask for feedback from the group. Some subjects elicit little response but others subjects elicit quite a bit of response. One of the moderators of one of the groups brought up the subject of the title of “reverend.” Basically the question was whether or not it was wrong for ministers to wear this title. The topic brought in many opinions and much debate. There was quite a bit of objection to the title. I had no idea that this was such an issue. I thought I’d tackle the subject here, especially since I am part of the clergy who the title has been bestowed upon.

The main point of contention has to do with the passage of scripture found in the King James Version of Psalms 111:9 which reads, “He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.” Many Christians believe that since the word “reverend” is rendered as God’s name then we should only use it when referring to him. However, the actual word in the Hebrew that is used is “yare” which means awesome, not reverend. The New International Version of the Bible reads, “holy and awesome is his name.” The New American Standard Bible also reads, “holy and awesome is his name.” The prime root of the word “yare” means “to fear.” So, according to most theologians the more appropriate translation for the usage of the word “yare” in this particular text (Psalms 111:9) is “awesome” not “reverend.” Despite this, there are indeed other places in scripture where the most appropriate translation for the “yare” is indeed “revere” (specifically, Leviticus 19:32, Deut 4:10, 13:4,, 14:23, 17:18, 28:58, Job 37:24, just to name a few). However, none of these particular passages actually say that “yare” is God’s name, but instead tell us to “revere” God and “revere” his name.

To take the matter further, Deuteronomy 13:4 specifically uses the Hebrew word “yare” to describe reverence to God. It reads, “It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere (NIV).” However, this same word “revere” (“yare”) was also applied to men, specifically Joshua and Moses. This is attested to in Joshua 4:14. It reads, “That day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel: and they revered him all the days of his life, just as they had revered Moses.” The same Hebrew word that is used to describe reverence to God (“yare”) is the same Hebrew word used to describe reverence to Joshua and Moses, both of whom were prophets and spread the word of God. Therefore, I wouldn’t go so far to say that it is unbiblical to “revere” men, for these men were revered by means of exaltation from the Lord. Therefore, according to Joshua 4:14 it is all right to revere (not to worship) a human being.

According to the English dictionary, to revere someone means to “show honor and devotion” to that person. That’s all that it means. When the church uses the title “reverend” it is an indication that the office that the person is occupying is being revered, not necessarily the person himself. Also, we need to acknowledge the fact that Psalms 111.9 (KJV) also says "holy" is God's name as well as "reverend." There are two identifiers here: holy and reverend. If we say that we cannot use the word "reverend" when referring to a certain office a person holds in the church or when addressing a member of the clergy then we must also say that we cannot use the word "holy" when referring to human beings. But Ephesians 1:4 says that we are to be “holy and blameless” in God’s sight. This is just one instance of the word “holy” being applied to human beings in the Bible. But to be fair, I should emphasize that 1 Samuel 2:2 says that there is no one holy like the Lord. So, there is no way that we can be as holy as God. However, we can still be holy and therefore we can still be referred to as such. Consequently, it follows that the same would apply to the word “revere” or “reverend.”

There are only two titles that Jesus taught should not be applied to man. Those are the titles of “Father” and “Teacher.” We see this in Matthew 23:2-10 in which he said, “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’ But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ.”

Fr. Richard Ballew explains it this way; “For after saying only ‘One is your Father,’ Jesus proceeded to declare ‘And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ” [Matthew 23:20]. Yet he himself acknowledged Nicodemus to be a ‘teacher of Israel’ [John 3:10]. And in the church and Antioch certain men were called ‘prophets and teachers’ [Acts 13:1]. Then again, the Apostle Paul not only recognized teachers as gifts of God to the Church [1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11], but he also did not hesitate to call himself ‘a teacher of the Gentiles’ [2 Timothy 1:11]. Furthermore, in this present day, almost all of us have at one time or another called certain people Sunday school teachers. The discussion thus goes far beyond any Protestant-Catholic lines. Therefore, in saying we should call no one ‘father’ and ‘teacher,’ except God the Father and Christ Himself, the Lord Jesus appears not to be taking issue with the use of these particular titles in and of themselves. The context of the passage gives us the interpretive key we are looking for. In this ‘call no man father’ passage, our Lord is contending with certain rabbis of His day who were using these specific titles to accomplish their own ends.” 1

It should also be noted that in many circles of the clergy, the title “Reverend” indicates that the person holding the title is specifically ordained as a minister. Not all ministers are ordained. There are basically four levels of minister (preacher) which are: the ordained minister, the licensed minister, the minister, and the minister in training. This does not apply to every denomination. Ordained ministers have been established by a church and/or church council as equipped to preach the gospel. They have been recognized by the elders in the ministry. The church backs them. Not only does the church back them but all fifty states recognize an ordained minister as one who can legally officiate weddings and funerals. Also, in most churches, only ordained ministers baptize. And usually only ordained ministers pastor churches. Licensed ministers are also backed by the church but they do not officiate weddings or funerals. The church elders determine who becomes ordained and who becomes licensed. The title “reverend” usually denotes an ordained minister. The title of “minister” doesn’t tell us whether or not that person is ordained or licensed, but the title of “Reverend” does. The title of “Pastor” usually denotes an ordained minister who also oversees a local church. The Church of God in Christ uses the title of Bishop to identify one who is ordained and oversees many pastors and their respective churches. The Catholic Church uses an entirely different set of titles than does the mainstream church. Consequently to discuss the use of their titles would constitute an article in itself. Therefore we will not include the Catholic Church in this discussion.

The church today puts an emphasis on titles that the word of God does not. Many men and women of the clergy insist on always being addressed by their title. However, all of us who are Christians are on a first-name basis with Jesus. Therefore if the use of the title of “reverend” is in question then all titles should be in question. I say this because the titles that are used so frequently today when addressing the clergy were not used in the time of Jesus in the same way. Although Timothy was a pastor (as we know it) Paul did not call him “Pastor Timothy” but simply called him Timothy. Although Peter was an apostle and an evangelist, Peter was simply addressed as Peter. As a matter of fact, the twelve apostles gave Joseph (a Levite from Cyprus) the nick name of Barnabas, which means Son of Encouragement (acts 4:36). The most prominent example is this: not only do we address Jesus by his first name but the saints in times past who walked with Jesus did so as well. Furthermore, when quoting Jesus, the writers of the gospel used his first name to quote him. Additionally, we refer to all of the apostles and prophets by their first names as they did themselves. Therefore, it is my belief that the clergy should also allow others the option of calling them by their first names as well. I certainly do. I give people an option. If people want to call me by my first name, they can. It’s perfectly all right with me if they do and I encourage it. However, if they feel more comfortable addressing me by my title then that’s okay too. This is not to say that there aren’t times when there are certain situations in which I would feel that it is more appropriate for people to refer to me or address me by my title. I’d be lying if I said there aren’t times like that. But since the Bible doesn’t put a lot of emphasis on titles, then neither should I and neither should the church.

To take things further, if we say that it is wrong to address someone by the title “reverend” because it is one of the names of God, then what do we do with men who are actually named Jesus? Jesus is also the name of God and there are many men who carry the name Jesus. If we insist that people who hold the title of “reverend” change their title to something else, then shouldn’t we also insist that men who are named Jesus change their names? And what do we do with men who are named Emmanuel (which means ‘God with us)?

The title of “reverend” is a title of honor that is bestowed upon ministers in the gospel in recognition of the duty God has called them to. I humbly receive it as do others. And I am grateful for the honor to be recognized in my calling, especially since I am a woman and there was a time when women were not recognized by the church as being called of God to preach the gospel. In taking into consideration what has been discussed in this article, I do not see the use of the title “reverend” as sacrilegious and therefore, I do not believe that it is wrong to refer to members of the clergy as such. However, I do realize that there are those who would disagree with me and to them I say; I don’t have any plans to give up my title, but if it bothers you to refer to me as reverend, then please… feel free to call me Elreta.

God bless.

End Note: Ballew, Fr. Richard, http://www.protomartyr.org/fater.html.

Once saved, always saved?

There is great debate in the church today as to whether or not salvation can be lost once it is obtained. There are those who believe that once a person is saved, he or she is always saved and then there are those who believe that salvation can be lost. Those who believe that latter adhere to the theological position that says a saint can backslide to the point where salvation no longer belongs to him. Those who believe the former believe that once a person is saved, his heavenly eternal destiny is secure. The purpose of this discussion is to give support to the belief that once a person is saved, he or she cannot lose their salvation; they are always saved.

The main passage of scripture that those who agree with the doctrine of Eternal security (once saved, always saved) use to support their position is found in Ephesians 2:1-8. It reads, “1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past yea walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (KJV)

The passage of scripture begins by telling us that all of us who are saved and are now in the Lord were once dead in our trespasses and in our sins. The text is not speaking of the physically dead because Paul (the writer of Ephesians) is addressing his letter to those who are alive. He was addressing his letter to the church of Ephesus. What he said to the saints then applies to us who are saints now. Therefore the passage of scripture is speaking of those who were once spiritually dead but are now spiritually alive. As Christians, before we were saved, we were spiritually dead in our sins. Verse 2 goes on to explain that while we were in that spiritually dead state we were under the influence of Satan himself, who is the prince of the power of the air. And since we were under the influence of Satan, we lived according to the course of this world and fulfilled the desires of our flesh (v. 3).

However, the main point of the passage is expressed in verses 8 and 9 which tell us that we are saved by grace and not of works. This being the case; no man can boast about what he has done of his own self to obtain salvation. The scripture is clear that it is God’s grace that saves us and not our good deeds. We can therefore not work our way into heaven and if we cannot work our way into heaven then it follows that we cannot work our way out of it. Matthew Henry puts it the following way:

“Our faith, our conversion, and our eternal salvation are not the mere product of any natural abilities, nor of any merit of our own: Not of works lest any man should boast. V.9. These things are not brought to pass by any thing done by us, and therefore all boasting is excluded; he who glories must not glory in himself, but in the Lord. There is no room for any man’s boasting of his own abilities and power; or as though he had done any thing that might deserve such immense favours from God. And then by grace you are saved (v. 5) and by grace are you saved through faith—it is the gift of God, v.8. Note; every converted sinner is a saved sinner. Such are delivered from sin and wrath; they are brought into a state of salvation, and have a right given them by grace to eternal happiness. The grace that saves them is the free undeserved goodness and favour of God; and he saves them, not by the works of the law, but through faith in Christ Jesus, by means of which they come to partake of the great blessings of the gospel; and both that faith and that salvation on which it has so great an influence are the gift of God. The great objects of faith are made known by divine revelation, and made credible by the testimony and evidence which God hath given us; and that we believe to salvation and obtain salvation through faith is entirely owing to divine assistance and grace; God has ordered all so that the whole shall appear to be of grace.” 1

Matthew Henry apparently agrees that salvation cannot be lost once granted. It is through faith in Jesus Christ that we are saved. Romans 10:9 tells us that if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that he rose from the dead we will be saved. John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. These are just a few of the several scriptures that can be quoted in favor of the doctrine of Eternal security. Despite these many scriptures, there are still those who purport that the gift of salvation is conditional upon the satisfactory works of the recipient, those works being how one lives his or her life. Passages of Scripture used to support this opposite view include, but are not limited to, the following:

“For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:26-28 NASB)

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NASB).

If we say that salvation can be lost after it is obtained, then we make the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross of none effect. What was the purpose then of Jesus sacrificing himself in order for us to obtain salvation if we are the ones who must work to keep it? Jesus has already done the work for us. Our work can never compare to his ultimate work of the cross and to his glorious resurrection from the grave. No amount of holy living can top that. Therefore Hebrews 10:26-28 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 must be referring to those who were never saved to begin with. The passage in Corinthians clearly states that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God and then goes on to list several sins that signify who the unrighteous are. The problem in today’s time is that there are many who claim to be Christians who live unrighteous lives. Therefore the question becomes: how can someone be a Christian and at the same time live an unrighteous life? The answer is: they can’t. Christians are made righteous through the blood of Jesus and through a confession in him. This does not mean that Christians never sin because the scripture tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. This means that Christians don’t set out to unremorsefully practice sin. Hebrews 10:26-28 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 are speaking of those who never were Christians. Therefore, they have no salvation to lose but are already lost. They have received the knowledge of truth as indicated in v. 26 of Hebrews 10, but they willfully keep on sinning after having had received that truth. This then does not describe a saint in a backslidden condition but instead describes a sinner in a non-repented condition; one who never really believed in the first place.

To further the point; there are many who call themselves Christians and think themselves to be Christians who are not. Jesus made this clear when he said that not everyone who calls him Lord will be saved. This is attested to in Paul’s letter to Corinthians when he says the following: “I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters; for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he should be an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.” (1 Corinthians 5:9-11)

It is questionable whether many so-called Christians are Christians at all if they are living immoral lives. Paul tells us to stay away from these people. This is similar to his mandate that instructs us not to be yoked together with unbelievers (2nd Corinthians 6:14). The comparison gives further weight to the distinct possibility that those who call themselves Christians and practice immorality without remorse are not really Christians. Therefore they have not lost their salvation because they could not have lost something that they never had to begin with.

Jesus was the first to address this issue as documented in Matthew 7:21-23 when he said the following: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ (NASB)

Jesus didn’t say that he knew them once and now he doesn’t know them anymore. It was those who were practicing lawlessness that Jesus said he never knew, even though they apparently thought he did. Those who were practicing lawlessness thought they were saved but weren’t. They even preached, prophesied, and cast out demons (all of which can be counterfeited by the devil) in the name of Jesus and still Jesus said that he never knew them. These are not people who were once saved and lost their salvation because of their sins. These are instead people who thought they were saved but were never really saved because they willfully and without remorse practiced sins (ye shall know them by their fruits) and were never saved to begin with.

Jesus said “I never knew you: Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” The key word here is “practice.” Those who willfully practice sin without remorse have been given over to a depraved mind. Then there are those who indeed know God but have backslid, and by doing so, store up the wrath of God. They are different from those who never knew God and practice sin. However, the two look the same, which is why there is confusion in the church on the issue of whether or not salvation can be lost. Romans 1:28-32 gives some clarity to the matter. It says, “And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and, although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.” (NASB)

Verse 32 says that those who practice such things are worthy of death. They are worthy of death because they are not saved. Paul is really alluding to a spiritual death, although a physical death is apropos as well. Then in Romans 2:1-8 Paul addresses those saints who really are saved but are having trouble living a holy life. He says, “You therefore, have no excuse, you who pas judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, no realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God will give to each person according to what he has done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil there will be wrath and anger.” (NIV).

Many will use the above passage of scripture to support their view that salvation can be lost. However, Paul was speaking of two kinds of people: Gentiles who reject the truth and follow evil (sinners) and Jews who act like sinners but think they're excused because they are Jews. The same distinction can be made between sinners and those Christians who act like sinners but think they're excused because they're Christians. One cannot tell the difference between them and the unsaved. And this is where the problem arises. Paul never says that these types of Christians will lose their salvation, but he does make it clear that they will not escape God’s judgment. They are still saved by grace but are no longer protected by God’s mercy and could very easily die early or suffer through great trials brought on by their own sinful lifestyle. We see this when looking Samson. Samson is listed as one of the men of great faith in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, although he had sinned to such a point in his life that God turned him over to his lusts and turned away from him. But there is no doubt that he is with the Lord at this very moment. Otherwise, the writer of Hebrews would not have listed him among those who had great faith in God.

The basic objection of those who oppose the doctrine of Eternal security is the belief that those who support it are saying that the saved can continue to sin and get away with it. But Paul refutes this, which is evident in Romans 6:1-2, when he says, What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” (NASB) Here, Paul is discouraging sin. He undoubtedly states that having grace does not mean having a license to sin. There is clear indication, just by looking at the lives of David and Sampson, that this is not the case. God chastises those he loves.

For us as Christians to think that we can keep ourselves saved by not sinning is at best unwittingly zealous. We, as Christians sin when we don’t know we sin. We cannot entirely eradicate the sin in our lives. If we could live righteously enough to work our way into heaven, then the Old Testament Law would still be in effect and there would have been no reason for Jesus to die on the cross. Jesus bore our inequities on the cross. He atoned for our sins and became the ultimate sacrifice for that atonement. We are therefore saved by grace through faith in Jesus. Therefore, those who are saved are made righteous through the blood of Christ. This is attested to in the following passage of scripture:

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about; but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.’ Now to the one who works his wage is not reckoned as favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness.” (Romans 4:1-5 NASB)

The fact that we, as Christians, believe in Christ, means that we are automatically righteous. This does not mean that we will get away with not doing good deeds and not living holy, for faith without works is dead (James 2:26). In other words, the person who professes faith but has no works to show for it, never really had faith. It was dead from the beginning. Most assuredly then, the works that we do are not the way to our salvation but instead are the proofs that we do indeed have it. And we do not lose that salvation. Once we are spiritually born again we can never be unborn. Even for those of us who are babes in Christ or backsliders, we can still never be unborn. It is the same in the natural. Once a baby is born it can never be unborn.

End Note:
[1] Henry, Matthew Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, New Modern Edition, Volume Six, Acts to Revelation, Hendrickson publishers Inc, 1991, Seventh printing 2003, p. 558