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.
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.
posted by Elreta Dodds at 7:33 AM
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