Reverencing Men

Some people think it's not right to call people such titles as "sir," "master," or "lord." The passages they quote is:

Matthew 23:8, "But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ;"

Matthew 23:10, "Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ."

Our Lord does not forbid us to give the magistrate and our masters the honour that is due to them by calling them by such titles, because God says, "Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king" (1 Peter 2:17). The subject of verses 8 and 10 is about modesty, because modesty is an ornament of God's minster. We should not seek ambitiously after it, we should not seek to be called by these titles. However, it does not forbid us calling others by these titles.

Jesus also said:

Matthew 23:9, "And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven."

This does not, of course, forbid us to apply the term to our real dad. God requires all proper honour to be shown to him:

Exodus 20:12, "Honour thy father and thy mother."

Matthew 15:4, "For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death."

Ephesians 6:1-2, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise)"

But the word "father" also denotes authority, eminence, superiority, a right to command, and a claim to particular respect. In this sense it is used here. In this sense it belongs eminently to God, and it is not right to give it to men. Christian brethren are equal. God only has supreme authority. He only has a right to give laws, to declare doctrines to bind the conscience, to punish disobedience. Christ taught them that the source of all life and truth was God; and they ought not to seek or receive a title which properly belongs to him.

The point of Matthew 23:9 refers to treating someone as having authority over your faith and practice. In matters of religion and conscience, ministers of the gospel cannot bow to mere human authority without giving to men what belongs only to God; and men who, on the ground of such authority, claim to be fathers and masters to their brethren, directing them what to believe and do, are antichrists, denying in practice the prerogatives of both the Father and the Son.

There are many examples in scripture of people calling other men "lord" and "god." These are titles that are applied to men as well as the Creator. There is nothing wrong with calling others by these titles.

Calling others "lord"

In Genesis 24, Rebekah was able to meet God's divine appointment for her life (marriage) because she was faithfully carrying out her current obligations. She had a ready willingness to serve others. These qualities put her in the right place at the right time with the right attitude when God intended to match her with Isaac. Isaac's servant asked for some water from her, "And she said, Drink, my lord..." (Genesis 24:18). She reverenced a stranger, and God used that stranger to bring Rebekah and Isaac in marriage.

Here's another example:

1 Peter 3:6, "Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord:"

Sara reverenced her husband. How do you know? Because of how she talked to him. She said, “lord.” In Genesis 18:12, she calls Abraham, “lord.” God told her that in one year from now, she's going to get pregnant, "...Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?" (Genesis 18:12).

What's the point? Sara was in an impossible situation, being 90 years old, her husband's 100, no pregnancy in sight, but she called him lord. And when God saw her reverence Abraham, Abraham could do things he couldn't do before, and Sara got pregnant! When she called him lord, God did something to him. If you reverence other people, God can make them do things they can't do otherwise. God can turn their attitude around and their life around, if you do your part.

Calling others "god"

In addition to Christ being called "God" in some passages (Isaiah 9:6, John 1:1,14; 20:28, 1 Timothy 3:16, Titus 2:13, Hebrews 1:8), God's servants are called "God" throughout scripture. The word "God" in the Old Testament is translated from the Hebrew Word "Elohiym," and is attributed to the Creator most of the time this word is used, but not always.

The Hebrew term that is used throughout the Old Testament for "god(s)" is "elohim." The New Testament Greek term is "theos." In John 10:34-38, Jesus himself refers to the text of Psalm 82:6 and applies these words to the "Jews" (Pharisees) who were trying to "stone" him for supposedly making a claim to "deity." Of course, Jesus used this passage to show the Pharisees that using the word "God" to describe himself (as "Son of God") is no more a claim to "equality" with God than when the Psalmist uses "Gods" to identify these "leaders of Israel" in the Old Testament . In other words, Jesus was saying "how can you stone me for calling myself the 'Son of God' when the Old Testament uses the term "God" to describe other "men" who are sent by the Father, just like me and you." This just shows that the word "God" is used in different senses and not exclusively for "Yahweh."

For example, the Old Testament judges were called "gods" (Psalm 82:6, John 10:34-36) because they were appointed and commissioned to act as God's agents in ruling and administering justice in his stead among men. In 1 Samuel 2:25, "If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him," the word "judge" here is translated from Elohiym. The word "judges" in Exodus 21:6 and 22:8-9 is also translated from Elohiym. God even made Moses a "god" (Exodus 7:1). And to reject a prophet of God is the same as rejecting God himself (1 Samuel 8:7).

"Angels" are called "God" many times in scripture as well. The word "angels" in Psalm 8:5 is translated from Elohiym.

Acts 23:9, "...but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God." To fight against an angel is like fighting against God, because he is God's minister.

When Phillip was directed to baptize an eunuch in Acts 8, the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip (verse 26), this angel is described as the Spirit (verse 29) and the Spirit of the Lord (verse 39).

In Exodus 2, when Moses climbed up Mount Horeb, verse 2 says the angel of the LORD appeared in a burning bush. This same angel is described in verse 4 as the LORD and as God. And in verse 6, this same angel is described as "the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Acts 7:30-32,35,38 confirms that this angel is called "God."

The angel of the Lord, who spoke to Jacob in Genesis 31:11, revealed himself as God in verse 13. Then, in the next chapter, after Jacob wrestled with this angel (Genesis 32:24-25), he asked the angel to bless him (verse26). Then Jacob asked this angel for his name (verse 29), and Jacob said, "...I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved" (Genesis 32:30), yet is was only God's angel.

In Genesis 18, three men appeared before Abraham. These were actually three angels. Abraham called one of them "Lord" throughout this chapter. You will see two of these angels were sent to Sodom and Gomorrah, and they saved Lot and his daughters from the destruction of these sites. But in Genesis 18, you will see where Abraham talks with God about Sodom and Gomorrah, but it is actually one of these angels he is talking to.

Later, Abraham was told by God to offer his son, Isaac, as a burnt offering (Genesis 22:1-3), and just as he took the knife to his son:

Genesis 22:11, "And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven,..."

And this angel addresses himself as God (verse 12), and Abraham says he saw the Lord God himself:

Genesis 22:14 (Septuagint) "And Abraam called the name of that place, The Lord hath seen; that they might say to-day, In the mount the Lord was seen."

And in the next two verses, we see that the angel of the Lord is spoken of as the Lord himself:

Genesis 22:15-16, "And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD,..."

"Angels" were the vehicles of all divine revelation before the birth of Jesus. As the scripture explicitly says "no man has seen God (the Father) at any time." This is stated emphatically even after the appearance of Jesus on Earth (John 1:18; I Timothy 6:16). Men have only "seen" God the Father in the "sense" that He is represented by "angels" and, of course, the "man" Christ Jesus.

Just because men and angels are called "God" in scripture, it does not mean they are the Father. It means they are appointed and commissioned by the Father to act as His agents. And as long as one is acting as our Father's minister, there is nothing wrong with reverencing them.

Even those who place others above Almighty God are called "gods" in scripture. "Elohiym," refers to pagan gods, which are no gods (Exodus 12:12; 22:20, Deuteronomy 4:28; 32:39, Judges 16:23-24), a goddess (1 Kings.11:5,33), and even Satan is called "the God" in 2 Corinthians 4:4.

Calling others "saviour"

Here are a couple of passages which call other men a "saviour." This does not mean we are placing these men on an equal basis with our Father and Christ Jesus by using these terms, it is simply a title to reverence others.

2 Kings 13:4-5, "And Jehoahaz besought the LORD, and the LORD hearkened unto him: for he saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them. (And the LORD gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians: and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime."

Isaiah 19:20, "And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them."