Why "Call No Man Father" Doesn't Forbid Spiritual Fatherhood
The speakers address the objection that Jesus forbids calling any man "father" by examining the immediate context of Matthew 23:9. They note that the verse before also forbids calling anyone "teacher," which would rule out the title "Doctor" since the Latin word means teacher. This parallel shows the difficulty of a literalist reading.
They cite Acts 7, where Stephen addresses the Sanhedrin as "fathers and brothers," demonstrating that the early Church did not understand Jesus' words as an absolute ban on the honorific use of "father."
The central proof text is 1 Corinthians 4:15, where Paul explicitly calls himself the father of the Corinthians because he begot them through the gospel. Paul presents himself as a father who begets believers through the gospel, claiming a fatherly role in salvation. This directly contradicts a literal reading of Matthew 23:9 that would forbid any spiritual fatherhood.
Key moments
- The objection is that Jesus explicitly says "call no man father" regarding the title, not biological fathers.
- The verse before "call no man father" forbids calling anyone "teacher," and "doctor" in Latin means teacher, so the same logic would forbid the title Doctor.
- In Acts, Stephen addresses the Sanhedrin as "fathers and brothers," showing biblical precedent for the honorific use of "father."
- In 1 Corinthians 4:15, Paul says, "I am your father that I have begotten you in the gospel," explicitly claiming spiritual fatherhood.
- Paul presents himself as a father who begets believers through the gospel, indicating a salvific role that a literal reading of Matthew 23:9 would forbid.