Call No Man Father

by Brandon Jubar

"Call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven" (Mt 23:9).

One common criticism of the Catholic Church by fundamentalist "Bible Christians" is our use of the title "father" in regards to our priests. Their assertion is that this is in direct violation of the words of Jesus. As Catholics, how can we respond to such claims?

Father of Mine

First of all, let's muddy the waters a bit. The fundamentalist argument is based on a belief in the literal interpretation of the Bible. However (this is the muddy part), fundamentalists say that Christ could not have meant that, for instance, a child could refer to the man who sired her as "father". The interpretation must be literal -- but not too literal.

The ambiguously literal interpretation therefore, according to the fundamentalist, is that we should not refer to any man as our spiritual father. Jesus did not mean for us to stop referring to our biological father as "father". This second sentence, of course, makes complete sense and is something that Catholics can definitely agree with.

But if you look at the words of Jesus in context, you will see that he is speaking figuratively. He was condemning the Pharisees who exalted themselves, and who loved "the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, and salutations in the market places, and being called 'rabbi' by men" (Mt 23:6-7). The gist of the message is this: Don't kid yourself into thinking you are greater than all others, for in the end there is only one Father and one Teacher -- one source of truth -- and that is our Lord in heaven.

Teacher, Teacher

When you crack open your Bible, you'll see that the whole passage reads, "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" (Mt 23:8-10).

Now I doubt very seriously that there has ever been a Christian who has not referred to someone as "teacher", which is what "rabbi" means. And if there is a Christian like that, then they must have also refrained from ever referring to anyone as "doctor", which is the Latin word for "teacher". And did you know that "Mister" and "Missus" are simply alternate forms of the word "master"? (Of course, the illogical person could argue that Jesus meant for some of his words to be taken literally while the rest were meant figuratively.) Hmmm. Very interesting.

There are many, many instances throughout the New Testament where Jesus and the Apostles use the term "father" to mean other than biological. Ancestors are frequently called "father", as are other men who are held in high esteem. And Jesus himself sent forth the Apostles to teach to people, which seems to contradict his earlier statement that we have only one teacher (Mt 28:19-20). It is doubtful that Jesus and the Apostles would violate the intent of one of Jesus' teachings, especially so blatantly and frequently.

Spiritual Fathers

The New Testament is also full of instances where the Apostles refer to someone as a spiritual child or "son" in the faith. If St. Paul refers to Timothy as "my beloved and faithful child in the Lord", the implicit understanding is that Paul is the father to this son.

The most telling passage in the New Testament also comes to us from St. Paul: "I do not write this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel" (1 Cor 4:14-15).

Spiritual fathers, like St. Paul, work with God and allow God to work through them, in order to give the gift of spiritual life to people. It is much the same as biological fathers who work with God and allow God to work through them, in order to give the gift of physical life. In both cases, the title "father" is bestowed out of love, appreciation, and respect; but the ultimate honor always remains with God.

Life Applications:

How do you feel about literal interpretation of the Bible?
What do you think Jesus meant when he said, "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell" (Mt 5:29)? Do you think many people follow a literal interpretation of it?
How would you respond to someone voicing these objections to calling a priest "father"?

Copyright 2002 by Brandon Jubar
All rights reserved.