Matthew 23:9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
Should Catholics be using the term “father” for the priests or the pope?
On occasion you will encounter one of our separated brethren who will criticize Catholics because they call their priest “father” citing Matthew 23:9: “And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, who is in heaven.” (KJV). If one takes this passage literally and out of the context in which it is used in the Bible, this might seem to be a fair criticism.
What does this individual call their male parent? Daddy? Papa (which, incidentally, is Italian for Pope)? When they fill out a credit application, what do they put in the block which asks for their father’s name – God? Obviously, there is a meaning of this scriptural passage other than the literal one; this meaning is called the contextual meaning. In Matthew 23:9, Jesus is taking the Pharisees to task for requiring the people to perform rigorous tasks while avoiding these tasks themselves. The Pharisees were quick to accept places of honor and marks of public respect, but were not making the burden of the people any lighter. They were not ‘fathering’ or ‘teaching;’ they were not providing the loving example. The contextual meaning of this passage is that there is only one Creator, from whom all ‘fatherhood’ comes (Ephesians 3:14-15). We cannot claim the title of “father” or “teacher” if we do not emulate Gods’ example. This passage does not preclude addressing someone as “father” so long as it is understood that all fatherhood (both biological and spiritual) originates with God the Father. We are all members of God’s family, a fact we acknowledge every time we recite the ‘Our Father’ or the Creed.
Now let’s look at how the term “father” is used elsewhere in Holy Scripture: Paul calls himself a “father” in 1 Thessalonians 2:11: “As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father does his children.” (KJV) and again in 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.” (KJV). In both of these passages Paul considers himself a spiritual father just as the priest is today. This same interpretation is presented by John in 1 John 2:13-14 where he says twice “I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning.” (KJV). Saint Stephen, in his address to the Sanhedrin (Acts 7:1-53), calls people “father” 17 times; he became the first Christian martyr not because of this, but because he was bearing the testimony of Christ.
Finally, you might ask this individual if they are familiar with the New International Version of the Bible (a common very good modern Protestant translation). If they are, refer them to Matthew 23:10, the verse immediately after the one they quoted to you, “Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ.” Even they have Sunday School teachers.
