Question:
Jesus said to call no man “father” so why do Catholics call priests
“father” ?
Matthew 23: 9
“And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is
in heaven.” RSV
Response:
Looking at other Biblical references will help to
show Christ's true meaning.
Jesus could not have been speaking literally as he
would have been contradicting his own prohibition in other passages.
Matthew 19:19
“Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as
yourself.” Cf. Luke 18:20
Ephesians 6:2-4
“ ‘Honor your father and mother’ (this is the first commandment with a
promise), .. .. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but
bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
Luke 16:24
“And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip
the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering
torment in these flames.’ ” Cf. James 2:21
Romans 4:12-18
“.. .. and likewise the father of the circumcised who are not merely
circumcised but also follow the example of the faith which our father
Abraham had before he was circumcised. .. .. 16 .. .. to those who
share the faith of Abraham, for he is the father of us all, 17 as it is
written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’ . .. 18 In hope
he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many
nations” RSV
Acts 7:2
“And Stephen said: ‘Brethren and fathers, hear me. The God of glory
appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia’ ”
This quote below from Ephesians will also help to
bring out Christ’s true and deeper meaning.
Ephesians 3:14-15
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, [Greek ‘pater’ ]
from whom every family [Greek ‘patria’ ] in heaven and on earth is
named .. ..”
RSV [ Original Greek words identified in brackets.]
The original Greek word for “Father” is “pater.”
The original Greek word that is translated as “family” above is
“patria.” This Greek word “patria” is actually based on the word
“pater” from which it comes. Although the word “patria” is sometimes
translated as “family” the word “fatherhood” would be a better
translation since that would show the actual relationship with the
original Greek word for “Father.”
God is the ultimate “Father” in heaven.
Yet, in a secondary sense God’s fatherhood is
manifested in others.
St. Paul is a father in Christ and he calls Timothy
his son.
1 Corinthians 4:15-17
“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. .. .. For this reason I am sending you Timothy, who is my
beloved and faithful son in the Lord; he will remind you of my ways in
Christ (Jesus), just as I teach them everywhere in every church.”
NAB
Christian spiritual leaders are called fathers
because God, who is our perfect Father in heaven, works through them and
in them for our benefit and leads us to Him through these fathers on
earth.
1 John 2:13-14
“I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the
beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the
evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father.14 I
write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I
write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God
abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” RSV
Acts 22:1
“Brethren and fathers, hear the defense which I now make before you.”
1 Thessalonians 2:11
“ .. .. for you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted
each one of you and encouraged you and charged you .. ..”
Let us go back and look at the original verse about
fathers in Matthew 23.
Matthew 23:8-10
“But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you
are all brethren. And call no man your father on earth, for you have
one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called masters, for you have
one master, the Christ.” RSV
“Rabbi” means teacher. Yet Paul also calls
himself a teacher in 2 Timothy.
2 Timothy 1:11
“For this gospel I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher ..
..”
Therefore, Jesus was not speaking literally but
showing how fathers and teachers find their true authority only in God.
Since, the Bible shows that Christian leaders are called fathers it is
most biblical to call priests “father.”
So, the all important question is why do
Protestants NOT call their spiritual leaders “Father?”
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