THE NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH

COME AND WORSHIP JESUS CHRIST


 

ARE ALL BROTHERS?

 

"But you are not to be called 'Rabbi', for you have only one Master and you are all brothers, and do not call anyone on earth 'father' for you have one Father, and He is in heaven. Nor are you to be called 'teacher', for you have one Teacher, the Christ" (Mat. 23:8-10)(NIV).

Showing the above as the supporting verses, some say that all should be called brothers only and none should be called an apostle, prophet, pastor, evangelist or teacher. If we look at the Scriptures, we can see that this conception is wrong. "It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers (Eph. 4:11).

Moreover, to oversee the church, the Holy Spirit has appointed overseers (Bishops) who are called elders (Act 20:17,28). They were known by the name of the ministerial office for which they had been appointed by God. Paul, James, Peter, John, Jude had all been called apostles (Read the titles of each epistle).

Paul calls himself an apostle (I Cor. 9:1). Agabus was called a prophet (Act 21:10). Philip was called an evangelist (Act 21:8). Before becoming an apostle, Paul was called a prophet and a teacher (Act 13:1). Though they were called by such titles, they were all brothers(II Pet. 3:15).

All those who are traveling in a bus are passengers including the driver who too is traveling. Therefore to claim that the driver should only be called a passenger and not by the title 'driver' is foolishness.

This being the case, what did Jesus mean when He said, "you are all brothers"? God spoke to Moses face to face and gave commandments for Israelites. Those commandments were called the law of Moses (Josh. 7:23).

Those who followed that law were known as disciples of Moses (John 9:28). Moses was their teacher. The scribes and Pharisees who sat in His seat (Mat. 23:2) were doing things unbecoming of their positions and were more interested in being called by the title 'rabbi' (Mat. 23:7).

Rabbi means teacher. The Lord told Moses about Jesus Christ prophetically: "I will raise up for them a prophet like you among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and shall speak to them all that I command Him" (Deut. 18:18). After Moses and before Jesus, many prophets arose through whom God sent His words. They revealed the perversity of people and rebuked them. They gave godly counsels to people and led them but they did not receive new ordinances or commandments from God as Moses did. None claimed to be disciples of Elijah or Isaiah or Malachi since they had not shown any new way. On the other hand, our Lord Jesus Christ received God's word like Moses, as prophesied, and taught a new living way saying with authority, "I tell you". The New Testament doctrine is known as the doctrine of Christ.

Those who accepted His doctrines were called the disciples of Jesus Christ. Jesus appointed apostles and prophets to do His ministry. They received the Holy Spirit and through them the children of God received doctrines (Act. 2:42). However they were not teachers who received and taught new commandments as Moses and Jesus Christ. As Jesus said, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you" (John 14:26), the apostles who preached to the people were taught by the Holy Spirit.Thus they only taught the doctrine of Christ.

Therefore Jesus Christ alone was the teacher to them as well as to those who heard the apostles' words. As the scribes and Pharisees sat in the seat of Moses, they too showed themselves as teachers and loved to be called 'rabbi', 'rabbi'. When Jesus noticed that, He told His disciples: "As they boast of themselves, don't desire to be called teachers like Moses and Myself. Christ alone is your Master and Teacher.

All of you are brothers among yourselves and disciples receiving from Me (Mat. 23:8-10). As God said, "You shall have no other gods", Our Father who is in heaven alone is our Father. Besides Him there are many lords such as Siva, Vishnu, Apollo, Zeus etc (I Cor. 8:5-6). Don't call any such as your father!

It was only with the meaning that, all those which did not create heaven and earth were not God, He said, "Do not call anyone on earth 'father' (Mat. 23:9). We call and should call our father 'dad'. If we call him 'brother', by custom, it is a mistake. Saint Paul also called Timothy his son as he gave birth to him by the gospel (I Tim. 1:2).

Dear children of God, without understanding Scriptures properly, do not behave disrespectfully, calling elders and ministers appointed by God 'brothers'. Call everyone by appropriate title. Stay clear of the teachings of those who twist Scriptures.

"You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man and fear your God; I am the Lord" (Lev. 19:32).

This article was published by Chief Pastor N. Lazar, New Jerusalem Church

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