Call No Man Father: The Proper Context

In Eastern Orthodox tradition, laypeople address priests with the honorific “Father”. Father Seraphim, Father Peter, Father Moses, Father Josiah. Certain groups of Protestant Christians insist that Jesus Christ specifically condemns this in Matthew 23:9, when he supposedly says: “call no man father.” But they often fail to take into account the proper context of this misinterpreted (and mistranslated) verse in the Scriptures.

You can read the full passage (Matthew 23:1-12; NKJV) here.

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What does Matthew 23:9 say?

The NIV, NLT, ISV, GNT, Lamsa Bible, Aramaic Bible in Plain English, Godbey New Testament, Mace New Testament, and Worsley New Testament all translate the verse to say, “call no man Father.”

However, in koine Greek, the verse reads as follows: “πατέρα μὴ καλέσητε ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς/ patera me kalesete umon epi tes ges.” (emphasis added). This properly translates to “Call no man your father on the earth” (emphasis added). It does not say, “Call no man father.”

While this may seem like semantics, the implications of this difference are far-reaching, indeed. What is the difference here? It is one between a title or form of address and a relationship. Christ describes and proscribes the latter, not the former. In other words, our Lord did not issue a blanket ban on the use of a title. Such a command would be downright bizarre in Christ’s time. In fact, “father” was the usual honorific for a male person of age. That is why even the rich man in Christ’s parable calls the venerable patriarch “Father Abraham” when he calls out to him for help (Luke 16:24, 30).

Avoid cherry-picking

Far too often, when Christians debate the meaning of a particular verse or passage of Scripture, the wider context is overlooked. This results in cherry-picking and proof-texting, when someone takes verses or passages out of context to attempt to prove a point.

It is important to remember that the Bible is a whole, coherent, connected text. It is not just a compilation of random citations that the Apostles thought would make a great read two thousand years later. As with any words or statements, we cannot simply read Bible verses in isolation. The passage in which Christ mentions calling no man your Father is not exempt. We must remember that centuries of Holy Tradition informed proper interpretation of Scripture. If we hope to understand the proper meaning of Christ’s words here, we must view them in the proper context.

The context of Christ’s words

The Gospel of Matthew was written to a primarily Jewish audience (in contrast to Luke, for example, who wrote to the Gentiles). Christ pronounces seven “woes” upon the Pharisees in His denunciation of them and their Rabbinic piety, which suggests that Matthew is summarizing what Christ said on a variety of occasions. In other words, this is not one long speech from Christ to the Pharisees. It is a warning to His disciples not to follow the practices of the Pharisees and scribes.

One such practice was their obsession with public honor and loyalty. They loved being addressed with the term “Rabbi”, which meant “my master/my great one”. (In Christ’s time, “Rabbi” was an honorific, not the denotation of a clerical office as it is today.) These Rabbis would accumulate disciples and claim a greater respect from their disciples than was given even to a man’s parents. Essentially, they functioned as gurus within Judaism, commanding personal allegiance from their disciples for the privilege of receiving spiritual and eternal life. The Rabbis of the Pharisees claimed personal loyalty from their disciples as their due, in a kind of personality cult. We see this same phenomenon arise in the Protestant world today, with “prophets” like Apostle Kathryn Krick and fringe groups like the Branch Davidians.

Our Lord rejected the warped leadership of the Pharisees, emphasizing that devotion belongs solely to God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. What truly matters is the heart’s loyalty and the relationship between the leader and the led, rather than titles like “Father Tom” vs. “Pastor Tom.”

What else is Christ trying to teach us?

Imagine: a professor announces to his students that he is the one responsible for modern science. He is the creator, commander, and developer of science. This is pride, hubris. After all, how could someone take credit for something that had nothing to do with him? As a teacher, this man is nothing more than an intermediary. In other words, he receives the teachings from elsewhere and delivers them to his students.

The Pharisees behaved in much the same way as this professor. Their hypocrisy, vainglory, and pride consumed them, making them little more than “whitewashed tombs” (Matthew 23:27). As such, they were unfit to serve as spiritual leaders for the people.

This is a lesson from Christ in humility, one proven with hyperbolic statements (as our Lord often does). The full context illustrates that Christ did not mean we could never call someone father or teacher. Otherwise, Matthew would have transgressed Christ’s teaching by using the word “father” 37 times within the first 17 verses of his Gospel. Christ would have contradicted Himself as well, for He says the word father 4 times within a couple of verses (Matthew 15:4-6). Altogether, the word father is mentioned in the New Testament nearly 400 times, mostly by Christ or His Apostles. How could we possibly interpret Christ’s words as literal, given plenty of evidence to the contrary?

The use of “father” in the early Church

In the early Church, many of Christ’s disciples saw themselves as the spiritual fathers of their flocks (i.e. Saint Paul and his spiritual relationship with the Church of Corinth and with Timothy). Christians used familial terms (father, son, children, etc.) to illustrate the nature of their spiritual relationships and stress the closeness and unity of the Body of Christ (Mark 11:10; John 4:12; Acts 7:2; 1 Peter 5:13; 1 Timothy 1:2; Titus 1:4; 1 Corinthians 4:17).

The Orthodox merely continue the ancient Tradition of the Church in calling priests “father”. While each priest may have unique gifts and strengths, they all dress the same and proclaim the same Orthodox Faith. By referring to our priests with the honorific “Father”, we acknowledge their sacred office as servants of God and we look to them as spiritual guides, who help continue the work of Christ and preserve the Church in Truth.

Conclusion

John Calvin, one of the earliest leaders of the Protestant Reformation, can sum up everything beautifully for us: “While Paul claims for himself the appellation of father, he does it in such a manner as not to take away or diminish the smallest portion of the honor which is due God. […] God alone is the Father of all in faith […] But they whom he is graciously pleased to employ as his ministers for that purpose, are likewise allowed to share with him in his honor, while, at the same time, He parts with nothing that belongs to Himself.”

Viewing Biblical phrases in their proper context is essential if we are to continue living the Christian life. In this particular case, the context showed us that Jesus’ admonition to call no man father was not to be taken literally. This removes a substantial weight from our shoulders, and allows us to once again focus on that which is important: becoming closer and closer to God.

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