Changes

Students who came to regard their teachers and [[rabbi]]s 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, to whom they owed everything, honor, reverence, even their lives. The rabbi was also revered as being a figure closer to '''[[God]]''' than anyone else in the community<ref>[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/Rabbis.html Jewish Concepts: Rabbi (jewishvirtuallibrary.org)]</ref>. 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.

Students who came to regard their teachers and [[rabbi]]s 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, to whom they owed everything, honor, reverence, even their lives. The rabbi was also revered as being a figure closer to '''[[God]]''' than anyone else in the community<ref>[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/Rabbis.html Jewish Concepts: Rabbi (jewishvirtuallibrary.org)]</ref>. 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 23:9 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, this is a defective reading of the meaning of the text, because a word has been ''removed'' by such a reading (interpretation) of the text. Against this reading, multiple passages in sacred scripture itself demonstrate that the apostles and disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ addressed others as "''father''" and were themselves called "''father''".  

St. Paul told the Corinthians that though they had many guides, he was their father through the gospel, and he also said he was a father to Timothy. [[Stephen|St. Stephen]] addressed the high priest and members of the council as fathers, and John explicitly addresses the leaders of the Christian community as "fathers". In the same way, for example, no Catholic says to a priest, "my father", but says instead, "Father&nbsp;—&nbsp;(''insert name'')", as a title of respect. There is a substantial difference in saying "my father" and simply saying "Father". See Acts 7:2, 22:1; 1 John 2:12-14; 1 Corinthians 4:14-15; Philippians 2:22; 1 Thessalonians 2:11; Hebrews 13:17. Compare multiple commentaries on the divine origin of the title "father" as ''proper'' to heads of all families in [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/ephesians/3-14.htm Ephesians 3:14] and [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/ephesians/3-15.htm 15]. "''The Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named''."

St. Paul told the Corinthians that though they had many guides, he was their father through the gospel, and he also said he was a father to Timothy. [[Stephen|St. Stephen]] addressed the high priest and members of the council as fathers, and John explicitly addresses the leaders of the Christian community as "fathers". In the same way, for example, no Catholic says to a priest, "my father", but says instead, "Father&nbsp;—&nbsp;(''insert name'')", as a title of respect. There is a substantial difference in saying "my father" and simply saying "Father". See Acts 7:2, 22:1; 1 John 2:12-14; 1 Corinthians 4:14-15; Philippians 2:22; 1 Thessalonians 2:11; Hebrews 13:17. Compare multiple commentaries on the divine origin of the title "father" as ''proper'' to heads of all families in [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/ephesians/3-14.htm Ephesians 3:14] and [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/ephesians/3-15.htm 15]. "''The Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named''."