The Doctorate Degree

rockytopva

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1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2 Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. - Matthew 23

I believe religious titles, such as Father, Doctor, or Rabbi; are basically a bad thing. It can make modern day Pharisees out of people.
 

Theodoric

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I agree up to a point. An honorific title is not something that should be sought out or coveted. Jesus allowed himself to be called "rabbi", but I don't think He desired it.

As a Baptist, I've seen too many preachers trade on the title of "Doctor" for some honorary degree they received from friends. Actually, one of those would be too many.
 
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Theodoric

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Honorary doctorates are given for a wide range of things. I personally know of a case where a country preacher with a barely earned bachelor's degree was given an "honorary doctorate" by a bible college which wasn't even an accredited school to award any degree, so that he could call himself "Doctor" as the newly elected president of another bible college.
 
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rockytopva

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The Pentecostal Holiness denomination to which I belong use to have revivals. I believe it was a requirement that they had so many revivals a year. Most of these evangelist were not even educated but they would preach with a passion and an unction.

Now our denomination is wild after the college degree there are no more revivals.
 
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rockytopva

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My dad studied to be a Catholic priest. The nuns use to really love him as a teenager knowing he was pursuing such ends. The problem was that seminary was really tough. I believe it was required for him to know several languages as well as Latin in his studies. He, and most of his fellow students, dropped out and joined the military.

My dad would rise to the rank of Master Chief and got a bachelors degree in business administration as top student. He is a very smart man. But not enough for the Catholic church.

Now... The Catholic church has trouble finding priests. It is no wonder as the seminary is such a tough walk. If they were to ease up, and especially allowed married men in the priesthood it would have went better for this congregation.

And to say again... I believe religious titles, such as Father, Doctor, or Rabbi; are basically a bad thing. It can make modern day Pharisees out of people. It can also discourage people from pursing ministry ends themselves, fearing the way as to complicated.
 
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Honorary doctorates are given for a wide range of things. I personally know of a case where a country preacher with a barely earned bachelor's degree was given an "honorary doctorate" by a bible college which wasn't even an accredited school to award any degree, so that he could call himself "Doctor" as the newly elected president of another bible college.
They are also sometimes given to individuals who have made large donations to colleges.
 
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Albion

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So...the question arises "Is ANY term of respect appropriate and, if so, which one?" It seems that some respectful term ought to be used, but then it could be turned into something reminiscent of the Pharisees, too, no matter how mild it is in origin.

Minister, Apostle, and Evangelist all have become titles made into bragging terms by some pastors, even though, in origin, they refer only to a function.
 
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Jeffwhosoever

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I don't go to MDs who lack a doctorate. Maybe this is more about Th D degrees, but I see no disrespect in recognizing a medical doctor, so I don't see this as a major issue of pride.
 
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JackRT

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I believe religious titles, such as Father, Doctor, or Rabbi; are basically a bad thing. It can make modern day Pharisees out of people.

Over the centuries and going right back to the New Testament itself, the Pharisees have been viewed very negatively. In my opinion most of this negativity is quite undeserved.

At the time of Jesus the Pharisees were the most liberal and progressive aspect of Judaism. They were in several 'schools' or ‘bets’ --- the most progressive was Bet Hillel, which was in a minority position at the time of Jesus. The dominant group was the more conservative Bet Shammai. Towards the end of the first century following the destruction of the temple, Bet Hillel moved into the dominant role. Modern rabbinical Judaism traces its roots to the Pharisee movement.

Being a rabbi, Jesus was also a Pharisee and it seems most likely that Jesus was of Bet Hillel. To suggest that the scribes and Pharisees were in bed with the high priest and his little group is to betray a lack of understanding of Judaism at that time. The high priest, a Sadducee, was the most hated man in Judaism for the simple reason that he was regarded as a Roman 'quisling' --- he was after all personally appointed by the procurator himself and answered to him. The high priest did chair the Sanhedrin but did not control it. It was, in fact, controlled by the Pharisees who opposed the high priest at nearly every turn.

The Pharisees themselves became a major movement within Judaism in the centuries just prior to Jesus. They regarded their role as an effort to make the Law a possession of all the people not just the priesthood and the ruling elite. To this end they established synagogues in the cities, towns and villages. That is to say, they invented the 'community church' and most Christian churches today follow the same order of service established by the Pharisees --- several scripture readings interspersed with prayer and hymns and of course a sermon usually based on one of the readings. They also established schools attached to the synagogues to encourage literacy even amongst the common people. At the time of Jesus they as a group were certainly were not the hypocrites that the gospels portray them as. It is also very probably true that there were individual Pharisees who were over-zealous hypocrites.

In addition, they were able to successfully introduce legal measures to mitigate the harsher aspects of Torah law. This had the effect of virtually eliminating legal executions by stoning for offences like blasphemy, adultery, rebellious youths and the like. In those few executions that did take place, they ensured that the victim was rendered dead or unconscious by the first stone.

Scripture portrays a degree of hostility between the Pharisees and Jesus and his followers. It is doubtful that this was the actual case at the time of Jesus. I suspect that the majority of Pharisees would have been both curious about and friendly toward Jesus. In Acts 5:33-42 Luke portrays Peter and the apostles arrested and taken for trial before the Sanhedrin. Note that earlier in this same chapter it was the Sadducees not the Pharisees who were demanding that the apostles be imprisoned. It was Rabbi Gamaliel, a Pharisee, who successfully defended them before the Sanhedrin. Rabbi Gamaliel was a student of Rabbi Hillel mentioned earlier. Scripture even notes that Saul/Paul studied under Gamaliel.

About forty years following the execution of Jesus, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the temple and with it they also destroyed the high priesthood. In the years following, the leadership of Judaism did devolve upon the Pharisees and we see rabbinic Judaism becoming dominant. Like all peoples threatened with cultural extinction, Judaism turned inward --- they circled the wagons and became very suspicious of any threat both internal and external. This is a fundamentalist knee jerk reaction --- we see something similar going on in the Islamic world today and also in the Christian right in certain parts of the USA.

This was the climate in which the gospels were written. By this time it was becoming increasingly apparent that the early Christian church was losing the battle for the heart and soul of Judaism to the Pharisee rabbis and there was a good deal of bitterness on the part of both parties. This explains the animosity toward the Pharisees. Let us then temper our attitudes and ‘Pharisee rhetoric’ because we now realize, for the most part, that they have been portrayed quite unfairly in the gospels.
 
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Biblicist

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I believe religious titles, such as Father, Doctor, or Rabbi; are basically a bad thing. It can make modern day Pharisees out of people.
So, does this mean that you stand against the work of Bible translation, as this always requires input and decision making by highly qualified individuals; but of course, I suppose that we could always go and learn Greek and read facsimiles of the early copies of the Bible – providing of course that the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek language instructors that we would need before we could learn these languages are not highly qualified.

For that matter, are you also against the work that is being painstakingly performed by highly qualified and trained Wycliffe Bible Translation staff, both in the field and back at home as well?

If you are being consistent, I guess that you would be offended when your congregation and denomination uses highly skilled accountants to guide you on what decisions your church should make when it comes to US financial and Taxation regulations – after all, most of us could use Google. I suppose that you would also be against your church seeking legal advice from individuals who have spent who knows how many years at a University to obtain their qualifications; and would you ever want your church to pay for someone’s ongoing medical bills as this would require that they seek the advice of specialists who hold at least a medical Masters and higher.

The Pentecostal Holiness denomination to which I belong use to have revivals. I believe it was a requirement that they had so many revivals a year. Most of these evangelist were not even educated but they would preach with a passion and an unction.
This sounds as if they expected that each local congregation had to “arrange” for a revival, I wonder if they ever understood what a revival actually was, particularly as the Scriptures do not speak of revivals; as to what a revival is supposed to be I guess that would be up to the person or committee who felt that they needed one.
 
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Biblicist

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Here is a young associate pastor speaking against the evils of labels and titles. Even though he was not a graduate of the seminary he could preach with a wonderful Spirit and an unction.
This video (which I did not watch) is a good example of a contradiction, in that you described the speaker as someone who had the TITLE of an Associate Pastor and where the speaker proceeded to give his OPINIONS on "Freedom from man's opinions", which was of course his own opinion on the opinions of others.
 
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Paidiske

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As someone who holds such a title, I think it is, in itself, neutral. It can be used both positively and negatively.

When titles and the power that come with them are wielded to control, to dominate, and so forth, that is bad; when they are used to liberate, to encourage and so forth - basically to acknowledge a role that is being lived in healthily and with authenticity - it can be a good thing.

The title - and its visible symbol, the clerical collar - get me in to places where other people aren't allowed, get a response when others are ignored (for example, in dealing with politicians), and give me an acknowledged social role which is mostly useful where the church interfaces with secular institutions. That's not all bad.

What it must never become is a way to lord it over other people in the church, as if I were better or holier or more faithful than they are. I'm not, and when titles and so forth give that impression, that's when it becomes a problem.
 
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Biblicist

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Honorary doctorates are given for a wide range of things. I personally know of a case where a country preacher with a barely earned bachelor's degree was given an "honorary doctorate" by a bible college which wasn't even an accredited school to award any degree, so that he could call himself "Doctor" as the newly elected president of another bible college.
How we view someone’s Masters or Doctoral degree probably depends to a large degree to what country we live in. The reason for this is that unlike the US which has an unregulated educational system, for most of us who live in Western countries we would most likely reside within an education system where a Master’s and a Doctoral degree actually holds a legal basis and where the granting of such qualifications is given within a framework of National and State Regulations.

Even though there are many fine institutions of higher learning in the USA, this has been counter-balanced by the many fly-by-night “educational” institutions that are little more than degree-mills, where for a few dollars they will sell someone a scroll which claims that they have a degree in some particular field of expertise; this is why many people treat US based qualifications with a degree of suspicion as we are well aware that they may have obtained their “qualification” from within the proverbial box of Kellogg’s Cornflakes.

As for honorary Doctorates, these are generally not worth much, unless of course, they were issued in recognition of an individual’s achievements by a reputable institution. If an honorary Doctorate was conferred by a University such as Harvard or Asbury College (Theology) then this would undoubtedly add to an individuals credibility.
 
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rockytopva

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John Wesley's opinion of the big name tag....

LONDON
September 20, 1788


My Dear Brother:

There is, indeed, a wide difference between the relation wherein you stand to the Americans and the relation wherein I stand to all the Methodists. You are the elder brother of the American Methodists: I am under God the father of the whole family. Therefore I naturally care for you all in a manner no other persons can do. Therefore I in a measure provide for you all; for the supplies which Dr. Coke provides for you, he could not provide were it not for me, were it not that I not only permit him to collect but also support him in so doing.

But in one point, my dear brother, I am a little afraid both the Doctor and you differ from me. I study to be little: you study to be great. I creep; you strut along. I found a school: you a college! [Cokesbury College.] nay, and call it after your own names! 0 beware, do not seek to be something! Let me be nothing, and "Christ be all in all!"

One instance of this, of your greatness, has given me great concern. How can you, how dare you suffer yourself to be called Bishop? I shudder, I start at the very thought! Men may call me a knave or a fool, a rascal, a scoundrel, and I am content; but they shall never by my consent call me Bishop! For my sake, for God's sake, for Christ's sake put a full end to this! Let the Presbyterians do what they please, but let the Methodists know their calling better.

Thus, my dear Franky, I have told you all that is in my heart. And let this, when I am no more seen, bear witness how sincerely I am Your affectionate friend and brother,

John Wesley
 
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Theodoric

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How we view someone’s Masters or Doctoral degree probably depends to a large degree to what country we live in. The reason for this is that unlike the US which has an unregulated educational system, for most of us who live in Western countries we would most likely reside within an education system where a Master’s and a Doctoral degree actually holds a legal basis and where the granting of such qualifications is given within a framework of National and State Regulations.

Even though there are many fine institutions of higher learning in the USA, this has been counter-balanced by the many fly-by-night “educational” institutions that are little more than degree-mills, where for a few dollars they will sell someone a scroll which claims that they have a degree in some particular field of expertise; this is why many people treat US based qualifications with a degree of suspicion as we are well aware that they may have obtained their “qualification” from within the proverbial box of Kellogg’s Cornflakes.

As for honorary Doctorates, these are generally not worth much, unless of course, they were issued in recognition of an individual’s achievements by a reputable institution. If an honorary Doctorate was conferred by a University such as Harvard or Asbury College (Theology) then this would undoubtedly add to an individuals credibility.


Bill Clinton has 17 honorary doctorates, including one from the University of Edinburgh.
 
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