Topic(s): Bible Study, Denominationalism

Todd Clippard

For many years, people have pointed to Psalm 111:9 in response to why members of churches of Christ do not refer to their preachers as "reverend." The response generally includes a statement like, "The word 'reverend' is only found one time in the Bible, and that is in reference to the name of God." However, I do not believe this is a sound or scriptural rebuttal. While it is true that "reverend" only appears one time in the KJV, the actual Hebrew word so translated appears numerous times. For example:
Is used in other references to God (Psalm 89:7);
It is used in reference to God’s Word (Exodus 9:20);
It is used in reference to the tabernacle- Leviticus 19:30; 26:2;

And it is also used in reference to men:
Genesis 19:30 Lot feared (same word) the inhabitants of Zoar and thus dwelled in a cave;
Genesis 32:11 Jacob feared (same word) Esau;
Exodus 2:4 Moses was afraid (same word) when the Israelite knew his secret;
Joshua 4:14 the Israelites feared (same word) Joshua as they feared (same word) Moses;
Joshua 10:1 Adonizedek, king of Jerusalem feared (same word) the Israelites.

The Greek counterpart of this word is "phobos" - meaning "to fear" or "be afraid." It appears in reference to God in Matthew 10:28, but also in connection to a wife and her husband in Ephesians 5:33.

There are other, more pertinent passages that condemn the use of religious titles. Among them: Matthew 23:2-12; Acts 10:34-35; and Romans 2:11.

Also of note are the absence of such titles among the brethren in the first century. Peter simply referred to Paul as his "beloved brother" in 2 Peter 3:15. Peter referred to himself as an apostle and an elder, not in the sense of religious titles, but simply as descriptions of the work to which he had been called.