"Good morning and welcome everyone one, God
bless you!
I am Senior
Pastor, Dr. V.A. Nity. We are honored
and privileged today to have as our special guest speaker, Bishop C.M.
Proud, D.D./PhD, Chief Apostle and
President of the Worldwide Association of Mainstream Ministries."
-"Thank you Dr. Nity, it is a great honor to be
with you, your staff, and the congregation today .... Your Music Pastor Ken
Olie and Choral Director Bobbie-Jo, did a wonderful job in the Song Service and
we want to compliment Deacon Jones who worked to provide us with such generous
hospitality."
What you just read takes place in an unlimited number
of variations, depending upon who the players are, in pulpits around the world
every Sunday morning. How quickly and
easily these typical flowery introductions go in one ear and out the other of
the typical congregant.
Incredibly, that nice introduction and response
by-passed the very words of the Bible those eloquent men desire to represent. We mind-numbed church goers just smiled, clapped, and
nodded at smiling men in suits up there on the platform, some wishing deep
inside they could be up there getting the accolades too. We all watched with
anticipation what stirring words of profound wisdom might be forthcoming from
our Titled speaker.
Little did we or anyone in the auditorium realize we
had just steam-rolled some admonishments of scripture!
1. Job 32:21
Let me not, I pray you, accept any man's person,
neither let me give flattering titles unto man.
2. Job 32:22
For I know not to give flattering titles
in so doing my maker would soon take me away.
Now that is a waker-upper to the Doctor of
Divinity Bible College mills, Para-Church Ministries, card-carrying
"Apostles", Senior Pastors, Bishops, and Denominational hierarchies.
Do you think a man like the apostle Paul may have had
those scripture verses in mind when he wrote in 1 Thessalonians 2:5? "For neither at any time used we flattering
words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is
witness".
As we searched for the meaning of
"flattering", we found in the Hebrew, kânâh; to address by an
additional name; hence, to eulogize: -
give flattering titles, surname (himself).
According to scripture, in lauding and titling
ourselves and others, we have brought harm and hurt to the Body of Christ.
Prov. 29:5 says
A man that flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his steps.
This simply means that the lifting up of men (and
women) with Titles (surnames and additions to their name) causes them to be
snared by exaltation.
Have you seen how Jesus taught on this same subject in
Matt. 23?
Rather than seeking to please the crowds, inflate
their own ego, or feed their own self-esteem, both Jesus and the disciples
utterly forsook the ego-centric outward appearances of success so common in
today's church world.
Not only did we toss honorific flattering titles and
positions around our churches, but we had our
own well-paid prophets come around call forth great "visions"
for our future to go with them.
"But we must "HONOR them that labor"
among us, the Bible says...... "
Are you ready once again to have your mind changed and
your theology tweaked?
"Honor" is used in several forms often in
the New Testament, none of which legitimatize the use of flattering titles
which tend to inflate egos and enhance the perception carnal authority:
Here is a little word study from the Lexicon.
G1784
valued,: - dear, more honorable, precious, in reputation.
G5091 fix the value
to honor, to have in honor, to revere, venerate
G5092 a
value, that is, money paid, valuables; by analogy esteem (especially of the
highest degree), or the dignity itself: - honor, precious, price, some. to
prize, that is, fix a valuation upon; by
implication to revere: - honor, value
Now you can "plug-in" the actual meaning
with the general term "honor" in the verses below.
Eph 6:2 Honor g5091 thy father and mother (which is
the first commandment with promise),
Phil 2:29 Receive him therefore in the Lord with all
joy; and hold such in honor: g1784
1Thes 4:4 that each one of you know how to possess
himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor, g5092
1Timothy
1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal,
invisible, the only God, be honor g5092 and glory forever and ever. Amen.
1Tim 5:3 Honor
g5091 widows that are widows indeed.
To "honor"
has everything to do with "to prize, value, consider precious,
dear", etc. in the context of Christian love, than it does to flattering
titles and flowery speeches and financial reward!
If your Bible is to be believed and followed,
"flattering titles" have a role in causing God's people to stumble. The
fact that New Testament writers and Jesus Himself never sought "glory from
men", or had "respect of persons" testifies to yet another area
where visible Christianity has fallen away from the humility of the Gospel.
We are not
making "sin" out of the wearing of church titles. We are pointing out
some scriptures that address the Titles and the motives for them. Again, read
what Jesus taught about them in Matthew 23 in addition to what is here, and you
will understand why some have chosen not to take titles as we minister.
The apostles forsook the trappings and
Titles of the religious crowd. Paul called himself “AN apostle” in all of his
epistles. Peter the same. In Acts there was no salutations made using Titles
because they obeyed Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 20 and 23. When Luke wrote
Acts, he did not use Titles for any of the apostles, prophets, teachers, or
brethren that are mentioned there.
And that is the simple truth. What people
do with it is between them and the Lord.
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