Do titles matter?
(I’ll get back to my series on Gifting vs. Office soon…) These are the words of Jesus:
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. (Matthew 23:8-10)
Are titles bad? Which titles? Teacher? Doctor? Professor? Pastor? Reverend?
Alan,
Some questions I would ask in relation to titles are: What is the purpose of the title? Are they to set a person apart in some way? Are they really necessary? Many titles, I think, are used to show the superiority of one person over another. Should it be this way within the Body of Christ? Should it be this way outside the body of Christ? Just some questions that come to mind…
Theron
Theron,
Sometimes I’m called by titles… pastor… professor… even (mistakenly) doctor. I thought about posting this when I realized how these titles made me feel. Let’s just say that the titles did not tempt me toward humility.
– Alan