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Only One Natzari Rabbi
None of Yeshua's emmissaries, nor his disciples in the New Covenant writings, nor any Natzraya over the past 2000 years were ever called or referred to as "Rabbi". Except one, and that is Rabbi Yeshua Natzraya1. The reason for this is straight forward. Rabbi Yeshua prohibited the use of the title, which he reserved exclusively for himself among his followers.
"But you are not to be called Rabbi, for only one is your Rabbi, rather you are all brothers." - Matay (Matthew) 23:8
Does Rabbi Mean Teacher?
In Aramaic and Hebrew rab is a title meaning "great / great one" and in the possessive form Rabi means "my great one". Contrary to popular belief, rabbi does not mean "teacher". The common words for teacher in Hebrew are yarah or moreh, and in Aramaic malpana.
Some erroneously teach that rabbi has changed it's meaning to "teacher", and since teacher is not prohibited, it is okay now to bear the title "Rabbi". This is simply untrue. The confusion comes from the perception that Jewish teachers are all rabbis, however that is no actually so. Rabbis are typically teachers, great teachers to be precise. However teaching is only one component of being a Rabbi, and being a teacher only one of several roles for him. Even the priests are divided between the greater and lesser in the scriptures, the former being called rabi kohena2.
Today, the Hebrew expression of gratitude todah rabbah literally means "thanks greatly" not "thanks teacher". Likewise, Midrashic literature such as Bereshit Rabbah refers to it's "greatness", not it's "teachiness". In modern Hebrew the term for "best-seller" is rab-makar. So rabbi still means the same today as it did 2000 years ago.
Those who claim to follow Rabbi Yeshua and yet encourage others to refer to them as Rabbi also tend to refer to Pulos (Paul) a.k.a. Shaul, the emissary of Yeshua, as "Rab/Rav Shaul" to legitimize their own vanity. However, nowhere in any historical document was Pulos ever referred to as Rab, it is only a modern invention. Even more strangely the same ones rarely if ever refer to Yeshua as Rabbi.
They also attempt to justify their say that Pulos endorsed the position of teacher, and thus rabbi. While it is true that Pulos acknowledged that the Spirit encourages teachers3, that is malpana in Aramaic, he never mentions rabbis. It would be curious if Pulos was not in fact a rabbi as Shaul before his encounter with Yeshua, being above all his peers in knowledge and customs of Judaism4. Yet he must have dropped this title along with the name Shaul when he entered into the kingdom of heaven.
Some who take the title of Rabbi claim that other titles are just as conducive to inflating the ego. First of all, "just as"? Are they admitting that Rabbi is a title that inflates the ego? But other titles such as Elder, which essentially means old man, or Pastor meaning shepherd, don't really lend themselves to megalomania like Rabbi; the great one, do they? That would be like comparing Batman to Superman.
Rabbi Yuħanan?
Some have countered that Yuħanan the immerser and prophet in the wilderness was called "Rabbi" and so that gives them justification for taking the same title for themselves. They claim that if Rabbi Yeshua really meant what he said, then the fact that Yuħanan was called "Rabbi" would be a contradiction. However the only contradiction is when they call themselves Rabbi in direct repudiation of Rabbi Yeshua - something Yuħanan never did.
"And they came to Yuħanan and said to him, Rabbi..." - Yuħanan (John) 3:26
Yuħanan was perfectly within his right to be called Rabbi. This was before Yeshua issued the prohibition against being called Rabbi. Remember that Rabbi Yuħanan came before Rabbi Yeshua. Once Yuħanan was murdered, his disciples were adopted by Yeshua who became their one and only rabbi. It was after this that Rabbi Yeshua made the title exclusive to himself.
One can not claim to follow Rabbi Yeshua and ignore his teaching. One can not claim to honour him and yet refuse to call him Rabbi. Anyone claiming to represent or follow Rabbi Yeshua and yet allow themselves or others to refer to them as Rabbi should be treated with suspicion and their motives questioned. Don't believe them for one second when they say that Rabbi today is not an exalted title. If they want a humble name then they should go with something like servant, slave, server, etc. They could have just settled for a common title of respect, such as Elder, but instead they go directly for the most exalted and coveted title: Rabbi.
Since Yeshua is not equal to all the other teachers, nor inferior to any, but rather the best and greatest of them all, he alone deserves the title of my Great One, Rabbi.
1. Matay (Matthew) 8:19
2. Matay (Matthew) 2:4
3. 1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11
4. Galatians 1:14