Changes

The meaning of this text in Matthew 23:9 "''your father''" is that no male parent ''in the most absolute sense is to be regarded most ultimately'' as the true father of any son or daughter naturally sired (procreated) by him. Jesus is correcting a distortion of the meaning of Exodus 20:12. Middle eastern cultural tradition taught each child to regard their natural father 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 possessing a dignity and authority above reproach. 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, as leaders beyond any possible reproach and as ''[[Icon]]s'' of God's Authority on earth.

The meaning of this text in Matthew 23:9 "''your father''" is that no male parent ''in the most absolute sense is to be regarded most ultimately'' as the true father of any son or daughter naturally sired (procreated) by him. Jesus is correcting a distortion of the meaning of Exodus 20:12. Middle eastern cultural tradition taught each child to regard their natural father 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 possessing a dignity and authority above reproach. 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, as leaders beyond any possible reproach and as ''[[Icon]]s'' of God's Authority on earth.

'''Matthew Poole's Commentary''' on Matthew 23 verses 8-10 states unequivocally:{{cquote|It is most certain that our Saviour doth not here forbid the giving of the titles of masters and fathers to his ministers, for then Paul would not have given himself the title of father, 1 Corinthians 4:15; nor called the Galatians his little children, Galatians 4:19: nor called Timothy his son, and himself his father, Philippians 2:22; nor called himself a doctor of the Gentiles, 1 Timothy 2:7 2 Timothy 1:11.}}

'''Matthew Poole's Commentary''' on Matthew 23 verses 8-10 states unequivocally''':'''{{cquote|It is most certain that our Saviour doth not here forbid the giving of the titles of masters and fathers to his ministers, for then Paul would not have given himself the title of father, 1 Corinthians 4:15; nor called the Galatians his little children, Galatians 4:19: nor called Timothy his son, and himself his father, Philippians 2:22; nor called himself a doctor of the Gentiles, 1 Timothy 2:7 2 Timothy 1:11.}}

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 ('''ὑμῶν''' ''hymōn'') 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''". 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. There is a substantial difference in saying "my father" and simply saying "Father". For example, no Catholic, Orthodox, or Anglican says to a priest, "my father, ... ", but says instead, "Father", as a title of respect. In the same way, for example, [[Stephen|St. Stephen]] addressed the high priest and members of the council as fathers, and John explicitly addresses the fathers of the Christian community as "fathers". 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. Most translations of Matthew 23:9 faithfully say "''your father''"; others explicitly omit the word '''ὑμῶν''' "''your''" in translation as an anti-Catholic reading which has no grammatical basis and cannot be justified according to the New Testament Greek text of Matthew 23:9

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 ('''ὑμῶν''' ''hymōn'') 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''". 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. There is a substantial difference in saying "my father" and simply saying "Father". For example, no Catholic, Orthodox, or Anglican says to a priest, "my father, ... ", but says instead, "Father", as a title of respect. In the same way, for example, [[Stephen|St. Stephen]] addressed the high priest and members of the council as fathers, and John explicitly addresses the fathers of the Christian community as "fathers". 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. Most translations of Matthew 23:9 faithfully say "''your father''"; others explicitly omit the word '''ὑμῶν''' "''your''" in translation as an anti-Catholic reading which has no grammatical basis and cannot be justified according to the New Testament Greek text of Matthew 23:9