Who Must Be Addressed As Reverend, God or Man?

“He sent redemption unto his people: he commanded his covenant for ever: holy and REVEREND is his name (Psalm 111: 9 KJV).

Jesus Christ chooses some people, gives them ministry gifts and sets them in His Church as apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds (pastors or bishops) and teachers (Ephesians 4: 11).

However, nowhere in the Bible did He give Reverend to the Church or permit His servants to use “Reverend” as a prefix to their names as being used today.

Interestingly, the Lord promised to give the apostles the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever they bound on earth would be bound in heaven, and whatever they loosed on earth would be loosed in heaven.

This means that Jesus gave them divine power, authority to prohibit certain things and permit some other things. But the things did not include the conferment of the Reverend title to their names.

As a result, nowhere in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible do we read about any prophet, king or pastor using the titles.

Moses who performed great miracles while rescuing the people of Israel out of Egypt was never called Reverend Moses. What about Abraham, a man described as a friend of God? He did not used the title either.

The same can be said of David, a great prophet, musician/psalmist and king who was said to be after God’s own heart. He did not take delight in enjoying the perks associated with the use of the Reverend address.

In fact, during His earthly ministry, Jesus Christ did not use it. His early apostles never used it let alone advocate its usage. If they had used it, it definitely would have been recorded in the Scriptures.

The apostles were obedient to the instructions and admonitions of Christ who called them. The Lord Jesus had warned them against the use of titles and entreated them to see themselves as brothers.

“But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.

The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matt. 23: 8- 12).

Having been taught this, the apostles went about preaching and teaching the gospel and healing the sick under the power and authority of the Holy Spirit without attaching any title to their names.

Check throughout the 27 books of the New Testament, they always referred to themselves as brothers and saw themselves as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God (1 Cor. 4: 1).

The apostles certainly knew about the use of the word Reverend which appears only once in the KJV of the Bible (Psalm 111:9, KJV).

The word Reverend, according to renowned Bible commentators like Dr. Gill, Clarke, Barns, Matthew Henry, means to be venerated, to be feared. It also means terrible, tremendous and awesome.

God is holy and reverend. The Psalmist, David, showed the awesome manner in which God wrought great works through Moses in redeeming Israel out of Egypt and Jesus Christ in redeeming His people from sin, Satan and the law.

According to Clarke’s commentary on the Bible, “this title belongs not to man; nor does any minister, in assuming the title reverend, assume this. Indeed, as now used, gives us a very imperfect conception of the original term. Holy and tremendous is God’s name. He is glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders, both in the way of judgment and in the way of mercy”.

It is obvious that pastors who have adopted this title for ecclesiastical respect do not know that it is wrong. They do not know that by using it, they cause people to fear, and they themselves are to be feared. This is certainly not in agreement with the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ and the apostolic doctrines.

How can mortal men and women attach Reverend to their names? Can a pastor who may be compelled by circumstances to divorce his wife, commit adultery, steal church money, engage in homosexuality and alcoholism qualify to be at par with God in terms of reverence.

Now who preached the attachment of the Reverend title to the names of pastors? Was the person really inspired by the Holy Spirit? Would the Spirit of God do this? Would it not have been engineered by Satan who always wants to be equal with God and even take His position?

What will those who use Reverend, Most Reverend, Very Reverend and Right Reverend say to Jesus Christ on the day of judgment? Can they explain how they came by the use of the title?

Clearly, the use of the Reverend address attached to the names of ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ is a mistake. It is a sin of pride and must be stopped. Lord Jesus Come!

By James Quansah

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James Quansah is the Executive Director of Christ-Conscious Leadership Centre (CLC) and lead Pastor of End-Time Christ’s Commissioners (ECC), Kumasi, Ghana. James is also a journalist by profession. He is married with four children.