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It is clear from the gospels that Jesus had a reputation as a Jewish rabbi (Mark 14:45; John 1:38). Peter (in Mark 9:5) and Mary Magdalene (in John 20:16) both referred to Jesus as 鈥淩abbi.鈥� Moreover, the Jewish ruler Nicodemus thought that this title was appropriate for Jesus: 鈥淩abbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him鈥� (John 3:2). Elsewhere, we see Jesus referred to as 鈥淭eacher鈥� (Mark 5:35). According to John 1:38, Rabbi and Teacher are synonymous titles.

A rabbi (literally, 鈥渕y master鈥�) is a member of the clergy in the religion of Judaism. Rabbis often function as leaders of synagogues where they provide instruction in the Hebrew Scriptures and Jewish traditions. Rabbis preach sermons, interpret the Old Testament, and perform other functions similar to those of Christian pastors. While Jesus was never part of the official temple leadership, He was still considered a rabbi because of His ministry of teaching. Even the Babylonian Talmud describes Jesus as a teacher who had students (Sanhedrin 43a).

During the first century AD, the word rabbi was used in a more informal sense than today. In Jesus鈥� day, the title 鈥淩abbi鈥� merely signified that a person had a reputation as a wise teacher or sage. Gamaliel the Elder, who taught Saul of Tarsus and who is mentioned in Acts 5:34–40, is referred to in the Mishna as a rabbi: 鈥淪ince Rabban [Rabbi] Gamaliel the Elder died, there has been no more reverence for the law, and purity and piety died out at the same time鈥� (Sotah 15:18). We learn from John鈥檚 gospel that John the Baptist was also addressed by this title: 鈥淭hey came to John and said to him, 鈥楻abbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him鈥欌�� (John 3:26).

So it seems undeniable that Jesus was considered a wise teacher and thus could be properly categorized as a rabbi, as the term was used in Jesus鈥� time. It wasn鈥檛 until after the destruction of the temple in AD 70 that the title of 鈥淩abbi鈥� took on a more formal meaning for those who were ordained in the rabbinic movement. As time went on, the definition of rabbi continued to evolve. So, yes, Jesus was a rabbi, as defined in the first century, but today He would not hold the same title, as defined in modern-day Judaism.