Call No Man Your Father!
This verse is one of the most quoted, and most misunderstood
by fundamentalists. What does this verse really say?
Call no one on earth your father...
Mt 23:9, "And call no one on earth your father; for one is
your father, who is in heaven." The meaning of that verse
is, 'no earthly father must come before your heavenly father'. This is
shown in Mt 10:37, when He said, "He who loves 'father' or mother
more than Me is not worthy of Me." If you back up to Mt 23:1, Jesus
was actually addressing the 'crowds and His disciples'. It
is clear He spoke to two groups. If you jump to verse 8,
where he said, "As for you (indicating a select group,
NAB), do not be called 'Rabbi' (Rabbi's are teachers, or
the learned in Jewish law and the crowds mentioned in verse 1 certainly
are not teachers, so He was addressing the disciples). You
have but one teacher, and you are all brothers." (He called His disciples
His 'brothers' in many other Bible verses).
* A parent is called
father - Eph 6:4 and Col 3:21, "Fathers do not provoke your children
to anger."
* Ex 20:12, the 4th commandment, honor
your 'father' and your mother.
* In 1Cor 4:14-15, Paul said, '...I
admonish you as my dearest children, ...yet you have not many fathers'.
Who is Paul calling 'Father' here? Is it himself and the other apostles?
* Phil 2:22, As child serves father...
* Act 7:2, and Act 22:1, Brethren and
fathers hear...
* Act 13:17, ...people of Israel chose
our fathers...
* Rom 4:1-18, Abraham is called 'Father' seven times in these verses.
* Rom 9:10, Isaac our father...
* Heb 1:1, ...spoke in times past to
the fathers,
* 2Pet 3:4, ...for since the fathers
fell asleep.
* Mal 1:6, 'A son honors his FATHER...if
then I be a Father...'.
* Isa 22:21-22, '...and he shall be
as a 'Father' to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.
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.'
These verses are a prefigurement of the papacy.
* In Jn 6:49, Jesus Himself said, "Your
FATHERS did eat manna in the wilderness and are dead." He said call
no man your father and here he calls their ancestors 'Father'. Is this
a Bible conflict?
* How about Lk 14:26, Jesus said, "If
anyone comes to me and does not hate (the word 'hate', at the time, meant
to 'love less') his FATHER..." Here Jesus said the word 'father' again.
If you take the literal meaning of 'father' the same as some
take it in Mt 23:9, then you could only conclude that Jesus said,
" You have to love Me more than you love My Father in
heaven." I am sure that is not the meaning of Lk 14:26. Wouldn't
you agree?
* A priest is a spiritual 'Father',
as your blood father is your natural father...
* Judges 17:10, 'Stay with me, Micha
said to him. Be Father and Priest to me...'
* Judges 18:19, 'Come with us and be
our Father and Priest.'
What do most people call their male parent? Sire? Dad?
Pop? Mister? No, most call him 'my father'. Are you sinning every
time you call your male parent 'father'?
Written by Bob Stanley, 1996
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