From the book, “What People Ask About The Church,” by Dale A. Robbins — 22 — Webster's dictionary defines the word, "reverend," as a
title of respect for a clergyman. It comes from the idea of giving "reverence,"
which means "to regard with deep love and respect." Calling a minister "reverend" did not originate in
scripture. The term became accepted sometime in the seventeenth century in England as a
scriptural show of respect toward men of God. "And we urge you, brethren, to
recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to
esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake..." (1 Thes. 5:12-13). It's obvious that the term was never actually intended to become a
title, but rather, was an expression used by Christians to identify and denote respect and
esteem toward their minister. To say, "The Reverend John Smith," was like
saying, "The deeply loved and respected man of God, John Smith." In later years, "reverend" began to lose its original
distinction and evolved into a secular "title" of etiquette, used as a prefix in
front of a clergyman's name to indicate his ministerial vocation. Some ministers don't
wish to be identified by this term and may prefer to be addressed as "pastor" or
"brother." Another tradition associated with ministers, the so-called clerical collar, came from the standard style of a gentleman's dress in Europe in the middle ages. As styles changed, clergymen were slow to follow, and eventually the style became identified with formal clergy attire. Most evangelical ministers do not ascribe to the tradition of the clerical collar. This article is copyrighted © by Dale A. Robbins, 1995, and is a publication of Victorious Publications, Grass Valley, CA 95949. Unless otherwise stated, all scripture references were taken from The New King James Bible, © Thomas Nelson Inc., 1982.You may download for personal use as long as you retain credit to the author. Obtain permission before reproducing copies for any reason, by filling out our simple permission form. For media reproduction rights, or to obtain published quantities of this title, email us. |
 |
|
If you liked this article, you’ll really love the whole book! |