FACT #2

BEWARE OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS WITH RELIGIOUS TITLES

JESUS FORBADE HIS FOLLOWERS FROM WEARING RELIGIOUS TITLES, EVEN TITLES THAT DESCRIBED THEIR JOBS!

^{5Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’}

8 "But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. ⁹ And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. ¹⁰ Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ. ¹¹ The greatest among you will be your servant. ¹² For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. MATTHEW 23:5-12

Notice that Jesus didn’t say, "Don’t be teachers!"

He said, "Don’t be CALLED teachers!" Because titles exalt people above others. Only HE was to wear them!

Rabbi, Master, Father, and Teacher were the Religious Titles of the Jews. Was Peter ever called "Pastor." Even his office of apostle was not a Title.

Today it is not at all uncommon to see on a church sign, Reverend Smith or Pastor Jones. In Bible classes, a student will raise his hand and say, "Pastor, what does this mean?"

In churches of Christ both in the Bible and today, no will never see anyone wear a title. I have preached the gospel for 10 years. I am Robert. You can call me brother Robert because you can use that for every Christian, as Jesus said above, "you are all brothers," but even that is not a title.

THE POINT: IF A MAN SPENT 8 YEARS IN SEMINARY AND DIDN’T LEARN THIS SIMPLE TEACHING OF JESUS, DO YOU THINK THAT HE LEARNED THE DEEPER THINGS!