Do not call anyone father

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TheAristocat

TheAristocat

Senior Member
Oct 4, 2011
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Matthew 23:9 And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.

Anyone have an opinion on this verse? To be honest, I haven't studied it to my own satisfaction. And I hope to do that in this thread. The verse seems pretty clear. And as a result of not studying it in depth yet, I've decided to stop calling my earthly father "father". And unless my understanding of this verse changes the first words out of my child's mouth won't be "dada" but "sir". :D

So what is your understanding of this command? Do you think observing it in the strictest sense would help us to shift our focus to God being our father if he is the only one we call "father"?
 
I don't feel able to answer this as I don't know what the original word was to make my own decision about the possible meanings of the word. I mean it's all very well to read a translation but it is to some extent subjective.
 
I'd rather call my father father than sir.

To me a sir is someone who issues orders, nothing more. (not a much used term here, so different cultural context).
You can obey someone without loving them, and while we should love God more, I find it very disturbing if a father is just someone to obey.
 
Here is a verse to consider :

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.

Paul is therefore saying he is a father through the gospel.
Begotten is the key word in this passage.

I however think having your child call you sir and not dada seems rather cold. They could call you dad or pa, even papa they don't have to use the title father.
 
Nah, you're safe calling your earthly father "father."

A legitimate example of this transgression would be entering a catholic confessional and saying "forgive me father, for I have sinned" and believing that he, not being a legitimate "Son of man" as evidenced by his legalistic works, could forgive you.

Catholicism requires this profession that the pope is "father"
 
Everybody, everybody wants to be a cat! LOL. Love the username.

I think that verse is referring to spiritual authority. Let God be your true teacher, master, father and not man.

It's totally okay to call your dad father.
 
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mule said:
Here is a verse to consider :

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.

Paul is therefore saying he is a father through the gospel.
Begotten is the key word in this passage.

I however think having your child call you sir and not dada seems rather cold. They could call you dad or pa, even papa they don't have to use the title father.
Click to expand...

If we wanted to obey the letter we could say that none of us call our fathers this, because the word used by Christ was probably "abba" or some such thing which none of us uses.

1 Corinthians 4:16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me

Both this and the former teaching of Paul you listed would seem suspect to me if there weren't different ways of approaching the application of "rabbi", "teaching" and "father". According to both the New Testament and the Old Israel can call God their father and their husband. So the symbolism breaks down and ceases to be valid for teaching when taken together. What I think should be examined here is not the various roles each of those figures in our own lives plays but rather what the message of these titles is.

My concern is what is really being said here? What should a "father" mean to us and why should we not apply that to our earthly fathers but only to our spiritual Father? Is it that our father is our authority? Is it that our father gives us life? And is the reason we're not supposed to apply this to our earthly fathers because God is the ultimate authority and the giver of life even to our earthly fathers?

The "sir" would just be a good joke later. ;) If I stuck with this I'd let any future kid call me by my name. Seems odd to me, but it wouldn't to him since he'd grow up with that custom.
 
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:)

funny-cat-suit-reading-newspaper.jpg
 
libertygirl said:
Everybody, everybody wants to be a cat! LOL. Love the username.

I think that verse is referring to spiritual authority. Let God be your true teacher, master, father and not man.

It's totally okay to call your dad father.
Click to expand...

I think I understand the teaching, but the command is still there. And when Jesus says, "And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' [...]" I have a really hard time wrapping my head around the idea that he's saying, "Feel free to call anyone on earth 'father,' [...]" See where I'm coming from? lol
 
concerning going to confession --

2 Corinthians 2: 10
To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave anything to whom I forgave it, for your sakes
forgive I it in the person of Christ;

Key in this passage is Paul saying -- forgive I it in the PERSON of Christ.

oh no *_*
 
My concern is what is really being said here? What should a "father" mean to us and why should we not apply that to our earthly fathers but only to our spiritual Father?
Click to expand...

Earthly fathers are imperfect in one way or more.
Our Father in heaven however, is Set Apart.

Look to Him to be what your earthly father isn't.
In this way, you "call" only your heavenly Father by that title.
"Daddy" or "Abba"

We must become like little children to enter the kingdom, which is "at hand"
Picture yourself when you pray as a 7 year old child, approaching a perfect dad who does no wrong, and wants to teach you by whatever means you make necessary.

No matter how smart, wise, obedient or not we become, we are no more than little children in comparison to Him. Learning how to grow up and be like our big brother Jesus.
 
Jesus’ prohibition not to call anyone on earth “father” must be understood contextually against the common Jewish practice of exalting certain revered rabbinic elders and highly esteemed rabbis of the past, and designating them as “Father” (cf. Mishna, Aboth, “the sayings of the Fathers”). Certainly the prohibition is not intended to forbid the use of “father” in a family unit, or even the metaphorical usage to designate certain spiritual relationships (cf. 1 Cor 4:15; Phil 2:22). But, Jesus does enjoin upon his followers the absolute acknowledgment of God as the one true Father in heaven (cf. 6:9f.)
College Press NIV Commentary, The - The College Press NIV Commentary – Matthew.
 
The context of this verse is key. Jesus' instructions were about taking ungodly pride in what you do and making that your identity.
 
TheAristocat said:
Matthew 23:9 And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.

Anyone have an opinion on this verse? To be honest, I haven't studied it to my own satisfaction. And I hope to do that in this thread. The verse seems pretty clear. And as a result of not studying it in depth yet, I've decided to stop calling my earthly father "father". And unless my understanding of this verse changes the first words out of my child's mouth won't be "dada" but "sir". :D

So what is your understanding of this command? Do you think observing it in the strictest sense would help us to shift our focus to God being our father if he is the only one we call "father"?
Click to expand...


Well you know how the Catholics say "Father John" and calls the Pope the "Holy Father"? Yeah, I'd try to stay away from those titles.
 
I think the Catholics use Acts 7:2 where Stephen says, Brothers, Fathers listen to me! to explain why they can use the word Father for priest.
I heard this from an apologetic.
 
I've never called my dad, 'father.' Problem solved. :D
----(%------)------%
Being seriously now, the Lord's prayer says we aré to hallow our Father in heaven's name. So were not to misassign that authority, aristeo said,
 
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wwjd_kilden said:
I'd rather call my father father than sir.

To me a sir is someone who issues orders, nothing more. (not a much used term here, so different cultural context).
You can obey someone without loving them, and while we should love God more, I find it very disturbing if a father is just someone to obey.
Click to expand...
In the U.S.A., 'sir' is used as a way of both recognizing authority and showing respect.

(I think what TheAristocat said was for the sake of humor... [---> :D ] )

:)

.
 
Attached is a chart depicting the various meanings of the word ab from the Hebrew. It would be אב in the Hebrew "aleph-bet." It is most likely Yeshua, Jesus, was speaking in the Hebrew of Israel of His time here, since it would have been a major offense to speak of things holy in any other language, and His detractors would have found reason to fault Him, and as we all know, He is perfect, amen.

You do not have to know the language to read the chart. I have always thought of the teaching as refering to master or heavenly father, and also I have always given credit to the Heavenly Father that He allows us to honor our father and our mother.............it is not too complicated after realizing just how many definitions there are for the word when recognizing Yeshua, Jesus' native language in the flesh that is.

In Hebrew the letter beth ב may be pronounced as a B or a V, the second set below, as you see, is with the V sounding.
 

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