Expert: Sal - 12/30/2009

Question
Hi Sal,

My wife, an SDA, told me that Catholics are wrong in calling priests father.  She told me that scripture tells us to call no man father.

What would be a good response to tell her?

Thanks a lot,

David


Answer
Dear David:

The words of our savior are certainly enough for the Catholic Church. However, we must, through a proper study of the whole Bible, determine what our Savior meant. The verse you are referring to is found in Matthew 23. “Do not call anyone on earth your father. Only one is your father, the One in heaven” (v. 9). If we were to take these words of our Lord in a strictly literal sense then absolutely no man may be referred to as father. This clearly would be a silly understanding of these words. It would reduce the concerns of our Lord to something trivial. A brief study of the words of our Lord reveals that he had no problem with calling a male parent father. “What father among you will give his son a snake if he asks for a fish?” (Luke 11:11). Other examples include: Matthew 10:21; 15:4-5; 19:15, 19; Mark 7:10-12; 13:12; Luke 6:23, 26; 14:26; 15:12f; 16:27; John 6:49, 58. So what did Jesus mean in Matthew 23:9?

We must look at v. 9 in the context of chapter 23. In vv. 2&3 Jesus confirms the authority of the Old Covenant Church. Then he states his major theme: the hypocrisy of the religious leaders of the day. “But do not follow their example. Their words are bold but their deeds are few” (vv. 3b-4a). Jesus then goes on to contrast the Old Covenant Church leadership (vv. 4-7) with what he expects from his Church leaders (vv. 8-12). The scribes and the Pharisees do things not to help God’s people, but to make themselves look good. They want the places of honor and demand titles of respect-Rabbi, father, and teacher. The New covenant leaders were not to seek after titles (vv. 8-10). In contrast to the scribes and the Pharisees, Jesus’ Church leaders were to be servants (v. 11). “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, but whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (v. 12). The remainder of the chapter is an attack on the hypocrisy of the scribes and the Pharisees. The crux is stated in v. 13: “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you frauds! You shut the doors of the kingdom of God in men’s faces, neither entering yourselves nor admitting those who are trying to enter.” Jesus wants his Church to open, not shut, the doors to the kingdom. How does not calling some one Rabbi, father, or teacher affect that? It doesn’t. So why did Jesus say it? He was using a very popular   method of teaching among the Jews called hyperbole. Hyperbole is using exaggeration to make a point. Jesus’ point is that the New Covenant Church leaders must not be like the hypocritical Old Covenant Church leaders. The scribes and the Pharisees set themselves up as the ultimate authorities. They stressed their perceived superiority.  Elsewhere Jesus instructed the Apostles, “Earthly kings lord it over their people. Those who exercise authority over them are called benefactors. Yet it cannot be that way with you. Let the greater among you be as the junior, the leader as the servant” (Luke 22:25-26).

Our Lord used hyperbole in his teaching. For example, “If anyone comes to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, his brothers and sisters, indeed his very self, he cannot be my follower” (Luke 14:26). Did Jesus really mean that we must hate our families and ourselves in order to be Christians? Did Jesus really mean that we must gouge our eyes out if we look lustfully at a person not our spouse? (see Matthew 5:27-30).

St. Paul also used hyperbole when he said that he was the worst of sinners (see I Timothy 1:15). Or consider: “Indeed, I could even wish to be separated from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen the Israelites” (Romans 9:3). Did St. Paul really mean that he would gladly go to hell?

It is also important to note that the Pharisees wanted to exalt themselves so as to form their own followings. The two great schools of thought in Jesus’ day were the schools of Hillel and Shammai. These men were elevated to god-like status by their followers. The Old Covenant Church was being divided behind charismatic leaders. St. Paul seemed to have a similar problem with the Church at Corinth (see I Corinthians 1:11-13). In Matthew 23:1-12 Jesus is condemning the formation of contradictory schools of thought within his Church. Our Lord forbids exalting oneself over God, taking His authority, and producing schism and heresy thereby dividing the Body of Christ. Protestantism is the history of this process played out.

We have already seen that biological male parents may be called father. What about male ancestors? The Bible is literally filled with references affirming this usage. Our Lord said, “Your fathers ate manna in the desert, but they died” (John 6:49). St. Peter said, “Why, then, do you put God to the test by trying to place on the shoulders of these converts a yoke which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear?” (Acts 15:10-12). Other examples may be found in Isaiah 51:2; Jeremiah 31:32; Zechariah 1:4, 5, 6; Luke 1:12; Acts 3:13, 25; 4:13; 7:11, 12, 15, 19, 32, 38, 44, 51, 52; 22:1, 3, 14; 24:14; 28:1,7, 25; I Corinthians 10:1; Galatians 1:14; Hebrews 1:1; 3:9; I Peter 1:18; II Peter 3:4. Now we have established that both biological male parents and male ancestors may be legitimately referred to by the title of father.

Catholics claim that priests are spiritual fathers and as such may be referred to by the title of father. What does the Bible say? In the Old Testament we read that Elisha called the great prophet Elijah, “My father, my father!” (II Kings 2:12). Elisha, once he replaced Elijah as the religious leader of his day, was referred to as father by the king (see II Kings 6:21). King Aram considered Elisha his spiritual father (see II Kings 8:9). The highest approval of the title of spiritual father comes from God Himself. He told the Israelites, “Look to Abraham your father” (Isaiah 51:2). Other examples of spiritual fatherhood in the Old Testament may be found in I Maccabees 2:65; Judges 17:10; 18:19. In the New Testament we read of prophets, in general, being recognized as spiritual fathers (see Acts 3:25). David is called father (see Acts 2:29), as is Isaac (see Romans 9:10). St. Stephen respectfully referred to his persecutors as fathers (see Acts 7:2). Abraham is called father quite often (see Matthew 3:9; Luke 1:55, 73; 3:8; 16:24, 27, 30; John 8:56; Romans 4:1, 11,12, 16, 17, 18; James 2:21). Was St. John, the Beloved Disciple sinning when he called other Christians fathers? (see I John 2:13,14). Or when he referred to himself as Father John? (see I John 2:1; III John 4). The same could be asked of Father Peter (see I Peter 5:13). St. Paul referred to himself as a spiritual father often (see I Corinthians 4:15, 17; II Corinthians 12:14; Philippians 2:22; I Timothy 1:2, 18; II Timothy 2:1; Titus 1:4; Philemon 10).

I believe that an honest reading of the biblical evidence will produce the result that priests may be legitimately called father. In Matthew 23:9 Jesus is not forbidding calling men father that have a proper claim to literal or spiritual fatherhood. He is issuing a warning against attributing fatherhood, specifically the spiritual type, to those who do not deserve it. “You shut the doors of the kingdom of God in men’s faces.”

Let us also recall that Jesus in the same passage said not to call anyone teacher. Yet he commissioned the Apostles to go and be teachers of the gospel (see Matthew 28:19-20). St. Paul refers to himself as teacher (see I Timothy 2:7; II Timothy 1:11). He also states that there are others within the Church that have the office of teacher (see I Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11).

I believe that it is obvious that in the context of Matthew 23 and the rest of the Bible the argument that Catholic priests cannot be legitimately referred to as fathers just does not hold water.

Have a Blessed New Year,
Sal