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NASB | Matthew 23:9 "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 23:9 "Do not call anyone on earth [who guides you spiritually] your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. |
Bible Question: Matthew 23:9 states, "Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven," yet Catholics repeatedly have worshipers refer to the priest(s) as "Father(s)". Are they or are they not breaking the word of God? |
Bible Answer: John Gill writes on this verse, "There is a whole treatise in their Mishna, called Pirke Abot, which contains some of the oracles, and peculiar sayings of these 'fathers', the Mishnic doctors, and which are preferred to the writings of Moses, and the prophets. In this sense, and upon this score, our Lord inveighs against them, and cautions his disciples against giving or taking all such titles, in such sense. 'For one is your Father, which is in heaven'; who is so, both by creation and adoption, and is possessed of all paternal authority; and is to be honoured and obeyed by all; from whom all wisdom and knowledge is derived, and who has the care and government of all in heaven and in earth." Insofar as the Roman Catholic priests adopt the term for the same reason as the Mishnic elders used it, then it would be, indeed, a great error. Certainly anyone claiming this kind of authority demonstrates incredible presumption in the face of the revelation of God in Scripture. This is clear from the context of the passage you are asking about. In Him, Doc |