Call No Man Father and what it means in the Bible.
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CALL NO MAN FATHER
Mat 23:9 Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven.
"Some" make a big deal out of this verse, saying that we should not call Priests, Father!
Should we?
Is this what Jesus meant?
No, Jesus did not mean that we could not call any one father. What would we call our own fathers? "Hello I would like to introduce you to my mother and the male that produced me!" If this is wrong then God was wrong to tell us in Deuteronomy "Honor your father and your mother,..."
The idea of father = priest is found in the Book of Judges 17:5&10; 18:19.
Paul called himself Timothy's 'father in Christ Jesus'; 1 Cor. 4:15 Even if you should have countless guides to Christ, yet you do not have many fathers, for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. That would make Paul, Timothy's father in the Faith!
Paul writes in his Letter to the Romans, about our "father" Abraham; "as it is written, "I have made you father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not exist. ". [chapt. 4:17]
The apostle John called the believers; "My little children", [1 Jn. 2:1] What would they call John?
"Father" of course.
Jesus refers to Abraham as 'father'; Luke 1:73 The oath, which he swore to Abraham our father,
In Isaiah God shows that it is good and proper to call the leader of God's people 'father'.
Isa 22:21 " I will clothe him with your robe, and gird him with your sash, and give over to him your authority. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.
Isa 22:22 I will place the key of the House of David on his shoulder; when he opens, no one shall shut, when he shuts, no one shall open"
We see here God saying that the head of Israel is a 'father' to the nation. Just so, the Catholic Church is the 'New Israel' (Rev. 12), so it is 'Biblical' and proper to call our Pope 'Holy Father' and our priests 'father'.
Mat 23:7 And2532 greetings783 in1722 the markets58, and2532 to be called2564 of5259 men444, Rabbi4461, Rabbi4461.
4461 rhabbi hrab-bee'
of Hebrew origin (7227 with pronominal suffix); my master, i.e Rabbi, as an official title of honor:--Master, Rabbi.
Strong's Bible Dictionary
Mat 23:8 But1161 be2564 0 not3361 ye5210 called2564 Rabbi4461: for1063 one1520 is2076 your5216 Master2519, even Christ5547; and1161 all3956 ye5210 are2075 brethren80.
2519 kathegetes kath-ayg-ay-tace'
from a compound of 2596 and 2233; a guide, i.e. (figuratively) a teacher:--master.
Mat 23:9 And2532 call2564 no3361 man your5216 father3962 upon1909 the earth1093: for1063 one1520 is2076 your5216 Father3962, which3588 is in1722 heaven3772.
3962 pater pat-ayr'
apparently a primary word; a "father" (literally or figuratively, near or more remote):--father, parent. (KJV)
Strong's Bible Dictionary
At the time of Jesus you had many
so-called 'teachers' of God's word. Some even totally contradicted one another. In order to put an end to the confusion Jesus established the 'Magisterium' or 'Teaching Office' of His Church.
Basically Jesus is saying that you have only 'One' to look to for the 'Truth', that is God. Scripture tells us that Jesus says there is "One Truth". John 14:6 Jesus saith to him: I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me.
Scripture also tells us that there is 'One Authority' established on earth by God to carry on; Mat 16:19 And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.
Which echoes the verse from Isaiah.
Isa 22:21 And I will clothe him with thy robe, and will strengthen him with thy girdle, and will give thy power into his hand: and he shall be as a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Juda.
Isa 22:22 And I will lay the key of the house of David upon his shoulder: and he shall open, and none shall shut: and he shall shut, and none shall open.
All authority comes from Our Father in heaven.
There is 'One Authority' under the New Covenant as there was 'One Authority' under the Old Covenant. Just as Moses 'alone' spoke for God:
Num 12:5 Then the LORD came down in the column of cloud, ...
Num 12:6 he said, "Now listen to the words of the LORD: Should there be a prophet among you, in visions will I reveal myself to him, in dreams will I speak to him;
Num 12:7 Not so with my servant Moses! Throughout my house he bears my trust:
Num 12:8 face to face I speak to him, plainly and not in riddles. The presence of the LORD he beholds. Why, then, did you not fear to speak against my servant Moses?"
And so we should have a respectful fear when dissenting against our Holy Father the Pope John Paul II.
Even in the time of Jesus, before the establishment of His Church on the rock of Peter, He admonishes the people to follow what the scribes and the Pharisees teach because they have the authority of Moses:
Mat 23:1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples,
Mat 23:2 saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Mat 23:3 Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example.
"chair of Moses"
This is where the Catholic Church gets the expression; "Ex Cathedra".
Literally, the expression is - 'from the chair'.
Ex Cathedra Literally "from the chair", a theological term which signifies authoritative teaching and is more particularly applied to the definitions given by the Roman pontiff. Originally the name of the seat occupied by a professor or a bishop, cathedra was used later on to denote the Magisterium, or teaching authority.
(CE)
And so we get the name of the church where the bishop presides - cathedral.
One more point.
Mat 19:17 He answered him, "Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments."
So, if we follow the train of thought that says we have to follow the Bible literally in these verses. We could never say, for instance, "He is a good father, teacher and master of his domain." If we did, we would be doomed to hell.
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