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Jesus did not say, "''Call no man on earth, 'father' ''". See the [http://biblehub.com/interlinear/matthew/23-9.htm interlinear English and Greek text] and [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/matthew/23-9.htm ''multiple commentaries on'' Matthew 23:9]. Jesus does not say, "Do not be '''called''' fathers". In verse 10, he says, "''Neither be '''called''' masters''".  

Jesus did not say, "''Call no man on earth, 'father' ''". See the [http://biblehub.com/interlinear/matthew/23-9.htm interlinear English and Greek text] and [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/matthew/23-9.htm ''multiple commentaries on'' Matthew 23:9]. Jesus does not say, "Do not be '''called''' fathers". In verse 10, he says, "''Neither be '''called''' masters''".  

The meaning of this text is that no male parent is to be regarded as the true father of any son or daughter naturally sired by him as middle eastern cultural tradition taught each child to regard him—with absolute claim to their personal loyalty and obedience, above and apart from any other consideration of affection, respect, duty and reverence they might owe to another, to mother or sibling or spouse or children or friend or comrade-in-arms or teacher or commander or king or country, or even life itself. Students who came to regard their teachers and rabbis with reverent affection and loyalty, even awe, for imparting the knowledge of Torah to them, were traditionally encouraged to address them as "my father" and to regard them as their spiritual fathers. Jesus is setting them free of the tradition of unquestioning imitation of those abusers of legitimate Jewish authority who set aside the substance of the teaching of Moses and the scriptures for the sake of their own self-promoting customs and ritual traditions.

The meaning of this text within the historical and cultural context of first century Judea is that no male parent is to be regarded as the true father of any son or daughter naturally sired by him as middle eastern cultural tradition taught each child to regard him—with absolute claim to their personal loyalty and obedience, above and apart from any other consideration of affection, respect, duty and reverence they might owe to another, to mother or sibling or spouse or children or friend or comrade-in-arms or teacher or commander or king or country, or even life itself. Students who came to regard their teachers and rabbis with reverent affection and loyalty, even awe, for imparting the knowledge of Torah to them, were traditionally encouraged to address them as "my father" and to regard them as their spiritual fathers. Jesus is setting them free of the tradition of unquestioning imitation of those abusers of legitimate Jewish authority who set aside the substance of the teaching of Moses and the scriptures for the sake of their own self-promoting customs and ritual traditions.

This text in Matthew has been cited as condemning any use of the word "father" as an address or title of respect to any man, as if it said, "''Call no man on earth, 'father'...''". However, against this defective reading of the meaning of the text, and apart from the fact that a word has been ''removed'' by such a reading (interpretation) of the text, multiple passages in sacred scripture itself demonstrate that the apostles and disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ themselves addressed others as "''father''" and were called "''father''".  

This text in Matthew has been cited as condemning any use of the word "father" as an address or title of respect to any man, as if it said, "''Call no man on earth, 'father'...''". However, against this defective reading of the meaning of the text, and apart from the fact that a word has been ''removed'' by such a reading (interpretation) of the text, multiple passages in sacred scripture itself demonstrate that the apostles and disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ themselves addressed others as "''father''" and were called "''father''".