RESIST TITLE PRIDE!
Jesus criticizes religious leaders and their followers for using and receiving verbal
titles. Written titles may be helpful to communicate education or legal status in
our society but verbal titles primarily elevate people and encourage the... sin of
"PRIDE" (Mk 7:22 KJ). Jesus said, "YOU ARE NOT TO BE CALLED 'RABBI'
… AND DO NOT CALL ANYONE ON EARTH 'FATHER'" (Mt 23:7-10 NI) etc.
Some Christians may criticize other Christian religions for calling their religious
leaders "Father" but then hypocritically use titles calling their religious leaders
"Brother" or "Prophet" or "Apostle" or "Pastor" or "DOCTOR" or "REVEREND"
(Mt 23:7 MSG) etc, which are all self-elevating verbal religious titles. Self-
promoting titles are offensive to God who told (Jn 12:49) Jesus to say, "IF ANY
WANT TO BECOME MY FOLLOWERS, LET THEM DENY THEMSELVES"
(Lk 9:23 NRS). Some religious leaders are so full of pride they ignore what Jesus
teaches and use titles when introducing themselves, thereby encouraging others to
use their self-promoting titles. Yes, Jesus usually was polite to people, who used
titles of respect like Master which is often translated Lord when addressing Him,
although one time when a man used a term that Jesus knew clearly belonged to
God, "GOOD TEACHER …" Jesus responded, "ONLY GOD IS TRULY
GOOD!" (Mk 10:17-18 TL). Christians who "REJECT" Jesus and "DO NOT
ACCEPT" His teachings will discover as Jesus says, "THE WORDS I HAVE
SPOKEN WILL BE THEIR JUDGE" (Jn 12:48 GN). Avoid using titles for others
and introducing yourself with a title thereby encouraging others to disobey Jesus
and call you by a title. Do you avoid titles?
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