Call No Man Father

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Summary

A defense against Protestant accusations that Catholics are forbidden from calling priests 'father'

Protestants often use one verse to accuse Catholics of disobeying a commandment of Jesus Christ: "Call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven." (Matt. 23:9)

In actuality, the verse is embedded among other commandments:

"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" (Matt. 23:8–10).

Apostles as infractors

The worst infractors of the Protestant understanding of Jesus' commandment against calling no man father are the Apostles themselves.

The quotes listed below from the apostles are hyperbole where they do not have any problems with the father/son spiritual relationship. When Peter calls Mark his son, for example, would it be right to assume that he is his biological father, because he can't mean spiritual father according to Protestant understanding? Following this logic, Mark can't be his spiritual son because we are all only sons of God, we can't be sons of anyone else.

There are two expressions for the fatherhood Pater, what we call God, ancestor, or biological or step-father, and egennêsa meaning 'to physically give birth' or 'begetting' in geneologies, both with multiple meanings of context. Because Protestants insist on literality for this point, egennêsa means 'to give birth'. So either the Apostles are actually women or it has multiple meanings.

1 Cor. 4:14-17 (Saint Paul)

1 Cor 4:14 ouk entrepôn umas graphô tauta all ôs tekna mou agapêta nouthetôn

Interpretation: Not regarding you I write these but as children of me loved warning

• Why would Paul call them his beloved children?

1 Cor 4:15 ean gar {FOR IF} muriouV {TEN THOUSAND} paidagwgouV {TUTORS} echte {YE SHOULD HAVE} en {IN} cristw {CHRIST,} all {YET} ou {NOT} pollouV {MANY} pateraV {FATHERS;} en gar {FOR IN} cristw {CHRIST} ihsou {JESUS} dia {THROUGH} tou {THE} euaggeliou {GLAD TIDINGS} egw {I} umaV {YOU} egennhsa {GIVE BIRTH.}

Interpretation: If for ten thousand tutors you might have in Christ but not many fathers in for Christ Jesus through the good message I you gave birth. Additionally, Paul calls Timothy his beloved son in the lord, thereby making Paul Timothy's beloved father in the Lord.

1 Cor 4:16 (Greek/English Interlinear (tr) NT) 1 Corinthians 4:16 parakalw <3870> (5719) {I EXHORT} oun <3767> {THEREFORE} umaV <5209> {YOU,} mimhtai <3402> {IMITATORS} mou <3450> {OF ME} ginesqe <1096> (5737) {BECOME.}

1 Corinthians 4:17 dia <1223> {ON ACCOUNT OF} touto <5124> {THIS} epemya <3992> (5656) {I SENT} umin <5213> {TO YOU} timoqeon <5095> {TIMOTHY,} oV <3739> {WHO} estin <2076> (5748) {IS} teknon <5043> {CHILD} mou <3450> {MY} agaphton <27> {BELOVED} kai <2532> {AND} piston <4103> {FAITHFUL} en <1722> {IN THE} kuriw <2962> {LORD,} oV <3739> {WHO} umaV <5209> {YOU} anamnhsei <363> (5692) {WILL REMIND OF} taV <3588> odouV <3598> mou <3450> {MY WAYS} taV <3588> {THAT ARE} en <1722> {IN} cristw <5547> {CHRIST,} kaqwV <2531> {ACCORDING AS} pantacou <3837> {EVERYWHERE} en <1722> {IN} pash <3956> {EVERY} ekklhsia <1577> {ASSEMBLY} didaskw <1321> (5719) {I TEACH.}

Philomen 1:10 (Saint Paul)

Philomen 1:10 parakalô se peri tou emou teknou on egennêsa en tois desmois onêsimus

Interpration: I encourage you about the of me child whom I gave birth in the chains Onesimus

Philippians 2:22 (Saint Paul)

tên de dokimên autou ginôskete oti ôs patri teknon sun emoi edouleusen eis to euaggelion (2:22)

Interpretation: The but approval of him you know that as father child with me he slaved for the good message

• Paul doesn't use the typical word for son here, he says patri teknon (father child). Care to share with everyone the typical usage for the word "son"? I guess we could look in 1 Peter 5:13. So of course Mark MUST be Peters biological son.

1 Peter 5:13 (Saint Peter)

aspazetai <782> (5736) {SALUTES} umaV <5209> {YOU} h <3588> {SHE} en <1722> {IN} babulwni <897> {BABYLON} suneklekth <4899> {ELECTED WITH YOU,} kai <2532> {AND} markoV <3138> {MARK} o <3588> uioV <5207> mou <3450> {MY SON.}

• Paul is not a biological father of Onesimus nor Timothy. He is utilizing spiritual rebirth: i.e. spiritual fatherhood.

1 John 2:1 (Saint John)

teknia <5040> {LITTLE CHILDREN} mou <3450> {MY,} tauta <5023> {THESE THINGS} grafw <1125> (5719) {I WRITE} umin <5213> {TO YOU,} ina <2443> {THAT} mh <3361> amarthte <264> (5632) {YE MAY NOT SIN;} kai <2532> {AND} ean <1437> {IF} tiV <5100> {ANYONE} amarth <264> (5632) {SHOULD SIN,} paraklhton <3875> {A PARACLETE} ecomen <2192> (5719) {WE HAVE} proV <4314> {WITH} ton <3588> {THE} patera <3962> {FATHER,} ihsoun <2424> {JESUS} criston <5547> {CHRIST} dikaion <1342> {THE RIGHTEOUS;}

• John calls them his little children as a spiritual father. Later he tells them they know the Father in heaven. John differentiates between the two.

Gal 4:19 (Saint Paul)

tekna mou ous palin ôdinô mechris ou morphôthê christos en umin

Interpretation: Children of me whom again I have birth pains until that might be formed christ in you

2 Tim 2:1 (Saint Paul)

su oun teknon mou endunamou en tê chariti tê en christô iêsou

Interpretation: You then child of me be empowered in the favor the in Christ Jesus

2 Tim 1:2 (Saint Paul)

timotheô agapêtô teknô charis eleos eirênê apo theou patros kai christou iêsou tou kuriou êmôn

Interpretation: Timothy beloved (or loved one) child favor mercy peace from God father and Christ Jesus the master (or Lord) of us

• Tim 2:1 above shores up the meaning from 1:2.

Tit 1:4 (Saint Paul)

titô gnêsiô teknô kata koinên pistin charis kai eirênê apo theou patros kai christou iêsou tou sôtêros êmôn

Interpretation: Titus legitimate child by common trust favor and peace from God father and Christ Jesus the deliverer of us

Resources

• Call No Man Father? (Catholic.com)

Discussion

• Why don't non-Catholics call their leaders Father?
• Excuse me Father.......
• Call NO MAN Father?
• Problem with call no man father argument