Pictured to the left is a copy of the KING JAMES VERSION ( KJV ) of the Holy Bible; being entitled: The Scofield Study Bible. The following quotation is taken from this version of the Holy Bible:
"The last fifty years have witnessed an intensity and breadth of interest in Bible study unprecedented in the history of the Christian Church. Never before have so many reverent, learned, and spiritual men brought to the study of the Scriptures minds so free from merely controversial motive. A new and vast exegetical and expository literature has been created, inaccessible for bulk, cost, and time to the average reader. The winnowed and attested results of this half-century of Bible study are embodied in the notes, summaries, and definitions of this edition. Expository novelties, and merely personal views and interpretations, have been rejected." [ See HOLY BIBLE, KING JAMES VERSION, SCOFIELD STUDY SYSTEM, SCOFIELD, C. I., D.D., NEW YORK, OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, The Scofield Reference Bible, Copyright 1909, 1917; copyright renewed, 1937, 1945 by Oxford University Press, Inc., p. iii. ]
Job 32:21 reads as follows: "Let me not, I pray you, accept any man's person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man" ( emphasis mine, R.E.W. ). Psalm 111:1, 9 read as follows: "PRAISE ye the LORD, I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation. He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name" ( emphasis mine, R.E.W. ). Matthew 19:16, 17 read as follows: "And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." Matthew 23:9 reads as follows: "And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven."
The lesson from Job 32:21 is clear: we are not to give flattering titles to any human being. This means that we are not to call any man "reverend," for example. Furthermore, women are not to be given such titles either. To begin with, the same lesson applies to women, as it does to men. Secondly, women are not allowed to be gospel preachers, and they are not allowed to lead the worship service - period ( see 1 Timothy 2:12, for example ).
Moreover, with Psalm 111:1, 9 in mind, only God's name is reverend. Psalm 111:9 ( ESV ) reads as follows: "He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name!" Thus, only God is to be called awesome.
Jesus ( see Matthew 19:14 ) refused to be called "Good," as we read in Matthew 19:16, 17. The Greek word ( Greek [ 18 ] ) for the word "Good," in Matthew 19:16 is defined as follows:
"upright, honorable." [ See THE NEW THAYER'S GREEK-ENGLISH LEXICON, Thayer, Joseph Henry, D.D., HENDRICKSON PUBLISHERS, PEABODY, MASSACHUSETTS 01961-3473, Copyright 1979, 1981, by Jay P. Green, Sr., p. 2. ]
We know that Jesus is upright and honorable ( see Hebrews 4:14, 15, for example ). Therefore, we must conclude that Jesus, Himself, refused to be given a flattering title. Additionally, Proverbs 25:27 ( NKJV ) reads as follows: "It is not good to eat much honey; so to seek one's own glory is not glory."
Finally, Jesus ( see Matthew 23:1 ) said, in Matthew 23:9, to call no man on earth your father. The same Greek word ( Greek [ 3962 ] ) is used for the words "father," and "Father," in this verse in the Holy Bible; this Greek word being defined as follows:
"a title of honor [cf. Sophocles, Lex. s. v. ], applied to a. teachers, as those to whom pupils trace back the knowledge and training they have received: Mt. xxiii. 9. . . ." [ Ibid., p. 495. ]
Thus, Jesus teaches in Matthew 23:9 that we are not to use the name "father" as a title of honor for any man, as is done with priests in the Catholic denomination, for example. Such a title of honor belongs only to the heavenly Father. Please study the Holy Bible ( see 2 Timothy 2:15, for example ).
If you have any questions about the Holy Bible, you can contact me by e-mail at:
<rewillis1_1@juno.com>
<Russell E. Willis>
