No More Titles

In Matthew 23, it’s probably Tuesday of Passion Week. The Lord has had an epic public showdown with the chief priests, elders, Sadducees, Pharisees, Herodians, lawyers, and scribes (Matt. 21:23-23:39), and the Lord whipped them all. Then the Lord levels 8 stinging woes upon the scribes and the Pharisees, which are absolutely jaw-dropping.

Before He gives those 8 woes, He speaks to the crowd. He tells the people to obey the scribes and Pharisees sitting on Moses’ Seat, which is the Sanhedrin Council, which was the Supreme Court of Israel. To avoid accusations of inciting a rebellion, the Lord told the crowds to obey the Sanhedrin Council even though they’re complete hypocrites.

Then He says something amazing.

There are to be no more titles in Israel.

He says, “But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ” (Matt. 223:8-10).

Just think about this.

No more titles in Israel.

Is this not absolutely jaw-dropping?

The Lord forbids all of His followers from accepting or using titles like “Rabbi” (teacher), “Father,” or “Master.” Why? I’d suggest that this signifies a major change for Israel in the prophetic program. Christ is looking ahead to life after the cross.

Once Christ fulfills the law in His crucifixion, the entire religious system in Israel will be completely demolished – all fulfilled in Him.

No more law means no more sacrifices, which means no more Jews’ religion. Therefore, no more titles in Israel. When Christ dies on the cross, the Jews’ religion is gone. Don’t believe me? What happened in the temple when Christ died on the cross?

Mat 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom…

The entrance into the Holiest of Holies had been torn down – rent in twain from top to the bottom. The Holiest of Holies was exposed to the world and – it was empty. God was no longer there. The Jews’ religion was dead because Christ fulfilled the law.

No more law. No more sacrifices. No more Jews’ religion. No more titles. The titles imply a religious hierarchy that no longer exists without the law. Those titles also imply authority that now only belongs to God, because HE is now the high priest over the house of God after the order of Melchizedek. He is now the only one truly deserving of titles. He is Master, Rabbi, Messiah, Prophet, Priest, and King – all titles belong to Him now.

But all the people in Israel are to be called brethren and nothing more.

No more titles in Israel.

I do believe there will be titles given in the kingdom. We know David will be called The Prince in the kingdom, but until the kingdom is here – no more titles in Israel.

Of course, this topic has to be rightly divided, because we clearly have titles in the age of grace like apostle, prophet, bishop, pastor, teacher, evangelist (Eph. 4:11, 1 Tim. 3:1). Those are acceptable titles we use in grace.

But Israel? No more titles.

His fulfillment of the law through the cross destroys the entire religious system in Israel. No more law. No more sacrifices. No more Jews’ religion. No more titles.

Peter understood this. Consider what Paul said to Peter in Gal. 2:14: “But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?”

Did you catch that? Peter had abandoned the law. He abandoned the Jews’ religion, and he was living after the manner of Gentiles. Why? He knew the law was dead. He knew the Jews’ religion was dead. How? Because Christ lives – Christ fulfilled the law.

No more law means no more sacrifices, no more chief priests, and no Jews’ religion.

Therefore, no more titles.

Consider also these verses in Heb. 10:19-21 – “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God…” This is a colossal shift away from life as they had always known it. He’s saying they now have access into the holiest of holies through the blood of Jesus, and therefore, they should have boldness in the access they already have with God.

Notice that they are already IN the new and living way. The new life they’re living now has already been consecrated by Christ. The new life has already been made sacred through the completeness of their sanctification by His blood. They don’t need the sacrifices, the Levites or the chief priests anymore. Christ is now the high priest over the house of God. That is their present-tense reality of their new lives. There’s no point in the Jews’ religion anymore. Christ has already settled their sin issue forever. He is now their high priest.

The point of Hebrews is to abandon the law and abandon the Jews’ religion.

But how are they supposed to live until Christ returns?

By simple faith in His Word.