What does Jesus mean by "Call no man your father" (Matthew 23:9)?

Question

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

Answer 1

If you read the entire context of Matthew 23:1-11. Jesus is basically telling the disciples and crowd following him (summarizing The Message) that the religious scholars and Pharisees were competent teachers in God's Law, and they couldn't go wrong following the word of God; however, they should be very careful about following THEM, because they talked the talk but didn't walk the walk. It was all for show.

Jesus elaborated by giving examples of how they demanded much in terms of making the people follow very exactly laws, and they liked to have lofty titles such as "Doctor" and "Reverend". Jesus warned us not to let people put us up on a pedestal because we have just one Teacher, and we are all (equally) students. He said we should let God be our authority, let Him tell us what to do. No one should use the title "Father" because we have only one heavenly Father. He emphasized that there is only one Life-Leader for believers -- Christ.

So if we want to stand out, we should step down and be servants. If we just be ourselves, God will make good use of our lives.

Hope that helps, and I'm so glad you are seeking...

Answer 2

These verses, warning against the use of various titles are addressed to the disciples alone. While only the title Rabbi has been said to be used in addressing the scribs and Pharisees, the implication is that Father and Master also were. The prohibition of these titles to the disciples suggests that their use was present in Matthews church . The Matthean Jesus forbids not inly the titles, but the spirit of superiority and pride that is shown by their acceptance. Whoever exalts----will be exalted Lk 14:11

Answer 3

Jesus describes as his heavenly bride who are men and women, who have been anointed with holy spirit and given the heavenly calling to serve as kings and priest in Gods kingdom; these people have only one father, a spiritual one, Jehovah God himself.
In the Catholic religion as well as most of Christendom, they feel that everyone who profess Christ and who does good deeds can enter into heaven.
Catholic religion has taken this to the extreme having a man appoint priest to sit at the right had of Christ.

Answer 4

This verse "alone" gives only PART of the teaching of Jesus. He was stating that NONE of us is WORTHY of taking upon ourselves the position of GOD, the one and only Father in heaven. Matt 23:8, states that we are not even to hold ourselves above another by the title of Rabbi or Master. In CELESTIAL wisdom, only ONE "father" can TEACH it, and that father is in heaven. APPLY it to all the religions of the world and you will get your answer to their IGNORANCE. God's TRUE church, are his FAITHFUL upon this planet, and their TEACHER (priest, minister, pastor etc., etc.) is THE FATHER in heaven. Paulian doctrines differ to this truth, but have this flaw because Paul was a mere man, just as many of the apostles gave flawed teachings being Jewish converts. To find the total TRUTH to all Jesius "taught" you have to look to the Egyptian faith and how THEBANS worshipped, which IS the TRUE faith of the BEGINNING. THERE the priests were advisors to the peoples just as they were to the Pharaoh but the PEOPLES worshipped on their own and "in" their own dwellings, not a TEMPLE, CHURCH OR SYNAGOGUE. In the faith "God in heaven is EVERYWHERE." I am a priest of the Egyptian faith in Yezua......

Answer 5

It means what it says: Call no spiritual leader "Father", your only Father with a capital F is our Father God in heaven, not a priest or anyone down here on earth.

Coming from a Roman Catholic turned Gnostic Christian who now refuses to call any priest Father, for my only Father is my Father above.

Answer 6

He is talking about spiritual Father which means that no man can be a spiritual father. And especially not a holy father.

Answer 7

Please read and note the context of Matthew 23:1-12. Jesus begins speaking about the Pharisees, who were a prominent sect of Judaism. They were legalists, sticklers for observance of every detail of the Mosaic Law. They liked to dress and act in such a way as to call attention to themselves. Their religion was one of ostentation—their style of clothing, their principal places at meals, their front seats in the synagogues, and their titles of honor. They even claimed greater respect than that which was given parents. They wanted to be called father. However, Jesus shows that all his followers are equal as God’s children. Any title that suggests the opposite is a haughty usurpation of something that belongs to God. Thus, Jesus forbids the use of the word “father” as a title of honor in a religious sense. Jesus insists that his followers have only one Father in the faith, Jehovah.

Is it not clear that many clergymen are standing on ‘holy ground’ reserved for God and his Son, and that much reverence is diverted from them to imperfect men? True Christians today avoid using flattering religious titles, and they avoid the practice of setting men on ecclesiastical pedestals. Among Jehovah’s Witnesses the only form of address for ministers is “brother.” (2 Peter 3:15) That is in harmony with what Jesus said: “You are all brothers.”—Matthew 23:8, NJB.

Answer 8

He is admonishing those who would raise themselves up as "holier than thou," are spiritually prideful, and boasters. He is saying that we are not to put any man, including ourselves, including the Pope, above God, simple as that. He is not saying that we are not to literally ever call a man father or rabbi or teacher or master; to believe otherwise is to call Him a liar because He Himself calls people father, in both the physical and spiritual sense (in that same chapter, even, in Mark 7, Mark 10, Mark 13, Luke 6, etc.) and doesn't admonish those who refer to "our father David" as they greet Him during His triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The four evangelists speak the same way, Christ's Mother speaks the same way, as does Paul who refers numerous times to our "father Abraham."
More important to the argument is Paul's acknowledging his own spiritual fatherhood, I Corinthians 4:14-17 being among the most explicit in which he says "I have begotten you through the Gospel," translated in the NIV and NASB (among others) as "I became your father through the Gospel." Tellingly, in this verse he even distinguishes between people who teach about Christ and "fathers" in Christ (see verse below) -- i.e., he differentiates between all Christians, who are exhorted to teach about Christ, and "spiritual fathers," who are ordained priests.

In addition, he is constantly referring to his "children," calls Timothy and Oneismus his "sons," and indicates that the other elders (presbyteros, priests) do the same: 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12: "As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children." Spiritual fatherhood is a New Testament reality.



So, decide: was Jesus being figurative in Matthew 23:1-12 and making a point about the spiritually prideful and those who are impressed by them -- or did He contradict Himself when He went on to refer to people as "fathers" in that very same chapter? Was He being literal or were the evangelists correct in referring to both physical and spiritual fathers? Is it OK to consider the presbyters "fathers" or were Paul and the other priests making a big mistake?

Answer 9

Exactly what it says. When we are born again we have only one father that is God and our family is in Heaven as well as fellow Christians. Take care and may God bless you spiritually.

Answer 10

Father was a title reserved for the one which had ultimate authority over you. He is making a statement that means you are to yield completely only to His authority, He is the one with the ability to forgive sins, save souls, and for whom you are to have reverence.