Call no man father
 

In Mathew 23:9 I read an interesting verse.

And call no man your father upon this earth: for one is your father which is in heaven.

This clearly condemns calling father to a priest like the catholics do. However, that means I can't call my dad the word father either (which is going to take some getting use to since that what I been calling him the past years). I wouldn’t call a catholic priest father anymore (I'm a former catholic) because I now know the fraud that is the catholic religion, but I still find it difficult to stop calling my dad the word father. So, do any of you have any opinions on this matter? Do any of you address your dads as father?

I would say Matthew 23:9 applies more to a religious context. Here are some other verses that seem to have no problem with calling our male parent "father".

For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; (Matthew 15:4-6)

Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself (Matthew 19:19)

Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls (Acts 7:14)

In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months: (Acts 7:20)

Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek. (Acts 16:3)

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:1-4)

As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, (1 Thessalonians 2:11)

Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? (Hebrews 12:9)

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1:27)

If it's really an issue for you to call your dad "father" then don't, but I don't think you can base that on the whole of the Bible. It's not an issue in my family. I still call my father "Daddy" (normal here in the south) and my kids call me "Pop"!

The verse has nothing to do with the name that you use for your dad. "Father" is a perfectly acceptable title/name for your dad. Someone is trying to put you under the bondage of works here, Brother. Be careful.

I don't think it is the bondage of works to obey what Christ says here. But I do believe Christ was speak in a religious context like CKG pointed out. What I find alarming is how this is another perfect example of how the Catholic pagans have gone the complete opposite direction of what God says in the Book. They sure have a knack for doing exactly what God commands us not to. Coincedence?

Peace and Love,
Stephen

Bro. Rolando, the Lord Jesus wasn't talking about how you address your paternal father. As others have said, it was more about religious titles that elevate one man above another, titles that are actually reserved for God.

Notice in the surrounding verses to the one you quoted, Jesus actually talks about three titles, those of Rabbi, Father, and Master. These titles are reserved for God, and in a religious context should not be used by any man. That is what Jesus was teaching.

Matthew 23:7 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.

This verse was considered in a book named "Idols For Destruction" by Herbert Schlossberg. He also applied this to the infantalizing effect that the modern welfare state has on adults, who consider the government to be a parent in place of God. When people accept this relationship with government it is a violation of the command not to call anyone on earth a Father.

Religious deception is like a fishhook.
It slips in easily since it looked like good food at first.
It was swallowed without careful consideration.
At first, a razor-thin point made the initial wound, but brought through a wider guage of bondage.
As long as there is no pressure in either direction, one can accept it without discomfort.
Its sharp backwards barb causes much pain and futility when the captive attempts to remove it alone.
It is attached to a line that inevitably leads to certain death at the hands of the deceiver.
The Angler delights in the powerful hold he has over his prey.

The only way to become free is to stop thrashing and allowing another's loving hands to carefully endeavour to remove the hook using a specially designed tool. Such hands show love, and will release the captive into freedom.


I deal with Catholics often, and the particular topic of Mathew 23:9 is an easy point to make, it always gives them pause. Show me a Catholic that truely LOVES his priest? Does he love or fear the MAN who can grant him eternal llife, or can damn him to Hell? Most Catholics are inherantly uneasy with calling a priest father to begin with. Not to mention the varied results of that doctrine of devils, Celibacy.

Anyways, I could go on and on about the RCC, but instead I thought I'd give this link to an excellent reference manual published by Chick. The whole thing can be read online. I purchased 4 copies for lending out to Catholics I am endeavouring to remove the hook from...

http://www.chick.com/reading/books/160/160cont.asp

Its simple, referenced, divided into topics, and easy to read. Its a great place to start getting grounded with a methodology on reaching Catholics.

What do you people make of the references that the NT writers make to various congregations being their "children" and "sons" which clearly implies fatherhood. There is no way these entire congregations were made up of the various apostles biological children.

You can start by referencing 1 Corinthians 4:17, 1 Timothy 1:2, 2 Timothy 1:2, Titus 1:4, Philemon 10, 1 Corinthians 4:14-15, 1 Peter 5:13....and the list continues.

Firstly, welcome new member!

The following verse holds the key to your question:

1 Timothy 1:2 Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

The sonship is spiritual "in the faith". Timothy was a convert under Paul's ministry, Paul led him to the Lord and became his spiritual father in the faith. The souls a Christian leads to Christ become his spiritual children, and moreso if he disciples them under his ministry.

Paul actually said he had "begotten" his converts as a spiritual father:

1 Corinthians 4:15 For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

The Apostle John no doubt was writing to those he had converted, cared for, and ministered to "in the faith" when he wrote the following:

3 John 1:3 For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Hope that helps!

Good responses already. I show this verse to Catholics all the time and they say exactly what you said. "Well, you call you dad father don't you?" Then I say, no the context is referring to a religious/spiritual father, then they say "that's your interpretation." And, I'm thinking...you gotta be kidding me. lol