striktlymi:

If that makes you feel good about your condemnation...good for you!


I will advice that we stop this scripture-twisting just because we want to win an argument.

Your position was very clear from the beginning and it was obvious that you guys misrepresented sacred scriptures...

For your info...we do not attribute the spiritual fatherhood of God to any man...and from your argument you imply that if I call Abraham father then it is wrong. Sorry to say but your argument lack bases.

ijawkid:

I'm centering on the religious context.......my biological father who begot me ofcus deserves that title in the bioligical sense.........I can keep calling my earthly dad Father till he dies......but spiritually speaking no human should be known with that title......we all are brothers.........I call any one I see brother..........scriptures says that.....

Bidam: Graces differ bro...In ministerial context it is not entirely wrong to call someone you submit to "father"...Paul told the corithians "In Christ Jesus i have begotten you through the gospel..."Biblical sonship is a position in Christ, not a gender...ask yourself should timothy call Paul brother? Should Elisha call Elijah brother? Should Joshua call moses brother? Even Jesus who was anointed without measure has to submit to the ministry of John the baptist...A pastor does NOT take the place of God..he is a representative sent by God to guide the sheeps...Jesus said if you have seen me you have seen the Father.

Goshen360:

This translation might help you understand what Christ was saying better then,

New Living Translation (©2007)
And don't address anyone here on earth as 'Father,' for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. - Matthew 23:9

Do you spot any difference from this translation? Jesus didn't differentiate between 'biological' and 'spiritual' father here - He simply said ANYONE or in other translations, he says ANY MAN. Our biological fathers fall into the category of ANYONE or ANY MAN. See, if you catch the difference from NLT translations or I will explain later.

ijawkid:

You don't get it do you..........my bro Jesus has given that admonition.....stop ascribing the title Father to a fellow brother...........rather call the brother by name...... Though spiritually speaking paul was like a Father to timothy(a spiritual mentor), that would never have given timothy the effrontary to be tagging the title FATHER to paul.......no way!!!!........

All Jesus was saying is do not call anyman by the title Father(spiritually speaking)....Jesus gave the reasons.....obey those principles............

All those who keep calling there G.O's DADDY here and there should desist from such..................

I want to hear people call the likes of adeboye,oyedepo,oyakhilome etc by there names or rather brother this and brother that...........we all are brothers........we are all under Christ now...........

ijawkid:

We all know Jesus was speaking from the spiritual perspective and not biological.........

Call no man Father(title)............like I said earlier some call there clerics holy Father sef.............

Goshen360: @ Ijawkid, did you missed the explanation or short exposition up there?

sherylm:
We are not to address anyone by any titles whatsoever, not even MR. as it is short for master. When we call someone doctor, teacher, reverend etc we elevate that persons status above our own, we build sinful pride in them. We are all brothers and sisters and are all on equal ground. Yes, children are to respect and honor their parents, so i believe its ok for a child to use mom and dad, but when we become adults we have to condition ourselves to see them as our siblings, preparation for heaven when we will all be together with our true father....I was always very careful to never say father when i talked about my dad until i learned the truth, i don't think my earthly dad will ever get used to me calling him Douglas, he always laughs.
Peace and Love

easterwick:
christians paul followers
if i talk now una go say mad man
if paul say if you are circumcise christ has nothing to do with you
and he deceive timothy and circumcise him
and suffer not titus from circumcition
most pastor is circumcise by paul like he does to timothy meaning christ profit them nothing
but thank God for jesus christ who ever follows him cannot walk in darknesss
follow jesus christ not paul christ
love and hate is very clear \
love ur enemies my brethren come out of her [church]

Ubenedictus:
So You are creating divisions in scriptures btw paul and Jesus.

[size=15pt]1 Corinthians 4:15
New International Version (NIV)


15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.[/size]

Goshen360:
So you people cannot make out anything good out of the words of Christ and other scriptures? Are you guys saying scriptures contradict? This is how you people go about wrongly dividing the word. You guys better pick up bible concordance and understand each context. People are reading y'all on the Internet o.

Goshen360:
^ ^ ^ You have tithe for me?....if explained Make una put una bible minds together.....scriptures don't contradict each other unless one cannot interpret correctly.

Joagbaje:
We get into error when we look at things from only one perspective . We should look at scriptures from the contex of the writer. If not we will make God contradict himself

Jesus was called father, paul addressed himself as father and called parents fathers too.

1 Corinthians 4:15
After all, though you should have ten thousand teachers (guides to direct you) in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the glad tidings (the Gospel).

Goshen360:
Okay, here is it! I've always maintained that 'context' is everything in interpreting scriptures. Please, people of God, there's a great injustice to rightly dividing the word of truth going on in the body of Christ today and we MUST be very careful how we interpret. Two, God gave us his word AND he also told us how to interpret the word - NO SCRIPTURE IS OF PRIVATE INTERPRETATION. All scriptures agree, not split apart!

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. - Matthew 23:9.

Please, my advice to everyone is, 'IF' KJV English is too difficult for you to grasp, kind use as many as possible translations you can - it's all free on the Internet. Second, the Spirit of God\truth must always guide our interpretation and also, we must endeavor or be diligent to find meanings to words where necessary and use such meaning in context.

Now, what is Christ's emphasis here in this context? Simply, the emphasis is THE FATHER, WHO IS IN HEAVEN. How do we know that as truth? It's by the phrase, 'FOR one is your Father'. It will be be best understood if the word, 'for' is translated 'BECAUSE' as translated in many translations here: http://bible.cc/matthew/23-9.htm

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven.

International Standard Version (©2012)
And don't call anyone on earth 'Father,' because you have only one Father, the one in heaven.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
And don't call anyone on earth your father, because you have only one Father, and he is in heaven.

Again, to reveal that the emphasis of Christ's word is on the heavenly father. Some translations have the first 'father' using 'f' in uppercase\capital letter - 'F'. Hence, we can translate to be,

New Living Translation (©2007)
And don't address anyone here on earth as 'F ather,' for only God in heaven is your spiritual F ather.

International Standard Version (©2012)
And don't call anyone on earth 'F ather,' because you have only one F ather, the one in heaven.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
And you should not call yourselves “F ather”, in the earth, for one is your F ather who is in Heaven.

Weymouth New Testament
And call no one on earth your F ather, for One alone is your F ather--the Heavenly F ather.

Carefully observe the above translations, they all have the first use of 'father' with the 'f' in Capital letter or upper case - "F"ather. Then we are getting close to what Christ was saying. We can therefore proceed to find meaning to the word father as it relates to the EMPHASIS ON GOD.....because he says "BECAUSE or FOR ONE is your FATHER who is in heaven" .

First, Matthew 23:9 is opened on a concordance here: http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Mat&c=23&v=9&t=KJV#conc/9
...and here: http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3962&t=KJV I opened the meanings as listed below:

1) generator or male ancestor
a) either the nearest ancestor: father of the corporeal nature, natural fathers, both parents
b) a more remote ancestor, the founder of a family or tribe, progenitor of a people, forefather: so Abraham is called, Jacob and David
1) fathers i.e. ancestors, forefathers, founders of a nation
c) one advanced in years, a senior

2) metaph.
a) the originator and transmitter of anything
1) the authors of a family or society of persons animated by the same spirit as himself

2) one who has infused his own spirit into others, who actuates and governs their minds
b) one who stands in a father's place and looks after another in a paternal way
c) a title of honour
1) teachers, as those to whom pupils trace back the knowledge and training they have received
2) the members of the Sanhedrin, whose prerogative it was by virtue of the wisdom and experience in which they excelled, to take charge of the interests of others

3) God is called the Father
a) of the stars, the heavenly luminaries, because he is their creator, upholder, ruler
b) of all rational and intelligent beings, whether angels or men, because he is their creator, preserver, guardian and protector

1) of spiritual beings and of all men
c) of Christians, as those who through Christ have been exalted to a specially close and intimate relationship with God, and who no longer dread him as a stern judge of sinners, but revere him as their reconciled and loving Father
d) the Father of Jesus Christ, as one whom God has united to himself in the closest bond of love and intimacy, made acquainted with his purposes, appointed to explain and carry out among men the plan of salvation, and made to share also in his own divine nature
1) by Jesus Christ himself
2) by the apostles

From the highlight in RED which deals with the word meaning as it relates to GOD as being called FATHER. The word father means, creator, upholder, ruler, preserver, guardian and protector. Hence, what is Christ saying since his emphasis in on the heavenly and one Father? Lemme make it plain inserting the meaning to replace the first use of the word father in context,

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And call no man your creator, upholder, ruler, preserver, guardian and protector upon the earth: for one is your creator, upholder, ruler, preserver, guardian and protector, which is in heaven. .

If Jesus said, "call NO MAN...upon the earth...". Our biological father will also fall into this category because he says NO MAN upon the earth while in Matthew 15:3-4, Jesus said,

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.

How do you honour your father without calling him your father and that will contradict Matthew 23:9. Ephesians 6:2-3 says the same thing. Hence, Christ is saying NO EVEN YOUR BIOLOGICAL FATHER should be called our "creator, upholder, ruler, preserver, guardian and protector" BECAUSE (ONLY) ONE IS OUR "creator, upholder, ruler, preserver, guardian and protector", that is GOD, who is in heaven.

omonnakoda:
The simple context is that the "God of men" Of the era i.e. the Pharisees were the subject of Jesus' remarks

Kobojunkiee:
I am afraid you are throughly mistaken there. Jesus Christ taught that to His followers and not the pharisees. If you would review the verses in the same context , you would realize this for yourself.

His followers were with Him even when He was among the Pharisees and Jesus Christ took advantage of these many meetings to teach His followers His New Covenant, a doctrine different from that which was the tradition of the Pharisees of that time.