Now you say, "Well, there's other kind of doctor," but here's the thing.
The word "doctor" is used in the Bible.
You know who are the only people who called themselves doctors in the Bible?
The Pharisees.
Only ones.
I mean, look in the Bible.
Who went by the title "doctor"?
The doctors of the law were the Pharisees and they called themselves doctors.
Now that's just a title that's not a title where God ever said, "Hey, you're a doctor.
I'm going to make you a doctor.
You're ordained to be a doctor."
But men like to glory in these type of titles.
And it's like, well, they don't want to use rabbi, father and master because God said
no to those.
So then they just get these other titles, reverend.
You know, I don't even go, I wouldn't go by reverend just because the Bible says his name
is reverend.
You know, reverend is his name.
So I wouldn't sit there and call myself reverend.
That sounds like a flattering title to me, you know.
And here's the thing, doctor is a Pharisee title.
So why would I borrow a title from the Pharisees?
Oh, I know why, because I'm trying to be like the world.
Because is the world impressed if you have doctor in front of your name?
Oh, yeah.
You put a doctor in front of your name?
Instant credibility.
Of course, what they don't understand is that Baptists give out doctorates if you just mail
in enough UPC symbols and enough money, they'll send you a doctorate.
I'm serious.
I mean, I've talked to some pretty ignorant, stupid people that have a doctorate for their
name, that they, you know, if you mail in enough money to these correspondents and enough
box tops and enough UPC symbols, they'll send you a doctorate or a Masters of the Universe
degree or whatever you want to go by.
Or they'll send you a degree that just says BS on it.
I have a BS in theology.
Yeah, I noticed that.
But what, now let's talk about your degree.
You know?
But it's like, you know, I have a BS in theology, a BA, I mean, it's just, it's just funny
that somebody has literally said to me with a straight face, "I have a BS in theology."
I know what I'm talking about.
You know, I have a BA, I have a BA.
Why would you want to be called bachelor?
I got married to not be called that.
Why would, what kind of a stupid title is that?
I'm a bachelor of science.
Why would a pastor put a paper on the wall that says a bachelor of science?
Associate of arts, master of theology, doctor of divinity.
I mean, it's a, it literally, it sounds like you're entering a boxing ring.
You know, in this corner we have Pastor Steven Anderson, the doctor of divinity, the master
of theology, bachelor of sciences, weighing in at 175 pounds, let's get ready to rumble.
You know, I mean like, like all, you know, he is the master of disaster, the Count of
Monte Cristo.
He is, you know, the, the, the, the man of the hour, the man with the power, too sweet
to be sour.
He is, you know, the master of theology.
You know what though, you'd expect to see it with WWF, but it's pretty embarrassing
when pastors feel like they need to parade all these flattering titles.
I mean, why not just, why not just, how about this, why not just have some real achievements
in your life between you and the Lord that you don't even brag about, you know what I
mean?
I mean, why don't we just wait for the judgment seat of Christ and see what he says about
you and let another man praise thee and not thine own mouth and not sit there and just
all the titles and "I am Dr. Stephen L. Anderson, Ph.D."?
Now here's the thing, nobody's trying to give me any degrees like that.
So this is not a temptation for me that I have to resist, but I'm going down on the
record right now that if anybody, and it's not going to happen, so it doesn't matter,
but if anybody tries to offer me one of these titles, I'm going to turn it down.
If anybody says we're going to give you an honorary doctorate, I'd say keep it.
I don't need your Pharisee title.
And if I go into a boxing ring, I'm going to come up with my own titles that have nothing
to do with, you know, that have nothing to do with Doctor of Divinity.