Question for a fundamentalist?

[Markesmith]

Is it really forbidden to call men or a man father?

Matthew 23:9

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

[Who me]

Context context context.

The first eight verses answer this question.

Jesus is talking about those who love to be a rabbi, or teacher, or Father,fit is this empty praise and putting on a pedestal that Jesus is saying don't do it.

Your leaders, your teachers are to be servants not lords.

[David1701]

On 8/6/2020 at 7:32 PM, Markesmith said:

Is it really forbidden to call men or a man father?

Matthew 23:9

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

It's talking about "father" as a title for a spiritual leader.  In other words, the RC practice of priests insisting on being called "Father this or that" is forbidden.  The so-called "Pope's" title of "Holy Father" is even worse.

[branchesofHim]

1 hour ago, Who me said:

Context context context.

The first eight verses answer this question.

Jesus is talking about those who love to be a rabbi, or teacher, or Father,fit is this empty praise and putting on a pedestal that Jesus is saying don't do it.

Your leaders, your teachers are to be servants not lords.

Good point. Read the entire concept in the chapter. Shalom.

Matthew 23:[1] Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
[2] Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
[3] All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
[4] For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
[5] But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
[6] And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
[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.
[12] And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
[13] But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
[14] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
[15] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
[16] Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
[17] Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
[18] And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
[19] Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
[20] Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
[21] And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
[22] And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
[23] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
[24] Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
[25] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
[26] Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
[27] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
[28] Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
[29] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
[30] And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
[31] Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
[32] Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
[33] Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
[34] Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
[35] That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
[36] Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
[37] O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
[38] Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
[39] For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

[Markesmith]

 

Spiritual fatherhood?

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

(Paul is his spiritual father)

Gal 4:19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,

1 John 2

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.

(Speaking to adult christians)

Hebrews 13:17

Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you

.

[Who me]

On 8/7/2020 at 9:50 PM, branchesofHim said:

Read the entire concept in the chapter

Coming back to this I would change nothing in my reply to you as the whole passage does not change anything.

 

It says nothing about a child calling his father, father, but everything about not calling a priest father.

[Leonardo Von]

On 8/6/2020 at 3:32 PM, Markesmith said:

Is it really forbidden to call men or a man father?

This is really a good question. I would like to be more clarified about this.

[Alive]

1 hour ago, Leonardo Von said:

This is really a good question. I would like to be more clarified about this.

Its clear in the context of what Jesus was talking about in the text posted. Jesus said essentially there is only one Father and He is God--contrasted with men who are looked at as something superior to others.

[missmuffet]

It would be confusing for God to give the fifth commandment in Exodus 20:12: “Honor your father and your mother” and then later restrict us from calling our earthly father “father.” Matthew 23:9 states, “And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and He is in heaven.” The context of Matthew 23:9 tells us that referring to one’s biological father as “father” is not what Jesus is speaking about.

In Matthew 23:1–12, Jesus is denouncing the Jewish scribes and Pharisees for rejecting Him as their Messiah, in particular for their hypocrisy in elevating themselves above others with titles such as “teacher” and “master.” The Jewish teachers affected those titles because they supposed that a teacher formed the man or gave him real life. They sought, therefore, to be called “father,” as if they were the source of truth rather than God. Christ taught that the source of all life and truth is God, and no one ought to seek or receive a title that properly belongs to Him. No one should be as revered as God is.

This denunciation is equally relevant today. In no way should any person look up to, follow, or elevate a human leader in any religious or church organization above Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Head of the Church, which is His body. He alone is the author of our salvation, source of comfort in difficulties, and strength to live the Christian life. He is the only One to whom our prayers should be directed. No one else has the right to say, “Look to me to meet your spiritual needs.” Jesus’ warning against calling men “father” is a caution against ostentation, pride, and hypocrisy.

Roman Catholics call their priests “father,” and the Pope is the “holy father.” Abbots take their title from the Aramaic word abba, which means “father.” This is clearly unbiblical. The priest as “father” is problematic. In the case of “holy father,” there is no doubt this title is unbiblical. No man can take on the title of “holy” anything, because only God is holy. This title gives the Pope a status that is never intended for any man on earth. Even the apostle Paul made no claim to holiness, referring to himself as the chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). Although as Christians we have exchanged our sin for the righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21), holiness will not be attained until we are in heaven and have left the last vestiges of our sin natures behind. Until then, the Pope has no more holiness than the average Christian and is not entitled to be called “holy father.”

What about the apostle Paul’s reference to “our father Abraham” and his implication that he himself is a father to Timothy and Titus? When Paul refers to Abraham as “our father” in Romans 4:12, he is not making the same mistake as the Pharisees. Paul is saying that the promise that saves us was first given to Abraham who in faith believed. Paul is pointing out that God began His plan of redemption of all nations with Abraham and that Abraham is the model of justification by faith, apart from the Law (verse 3). Paul is not raising Abraham to God’s level or assigning an official title to Abraham but merely acknowledging his faith. Abraham is the metaphorical “father” of all who believe in Christ in the sense that he is the prototype of faith.

When Paul calls Timothy and Titus his “sons” (see 1 Timothy 1:2, 18; 2 Timothy 1:2; and Titus 1:4), he is merely stating that he was a father figure to those whom he taught the gospel to. Paul committed himself to teaching, correcting, and training his protégés. He was more than a teacher to Timothy and Titus; he was like a father because he loved them so much and was a guide to them in their ministries. Paul was not putting himself in the place of God, and he never required anyone to call him “father.” In referring to Timothy and Titus as his children, Paul was expressing his love for them. Paul cared for them as a father loves his children and seeks their welfare.

Just as there is nothing wrong with using the word father metaphorically, there is nothing wrong with calling our earthly parents “father” and “mother.” In doing so we are not giving our parents an elevated title or position that belongs only to God. Our earthly parents are worthy of honor, and we are to honor our parents daily in the spirit of Exodus 20:12, Matthew 15:4, and Ephesians 6:1–3.

https://www.gotquestions.org/father-Matthew-23-9.html

Edited July 13, 2021 by missmuffet