Call No Man Father

And do not be called teacher

“Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted (Matthew 23:9).”

Recently someone called me “Brother Tryphon”. His having addressed me as “brother”, reminded me of a sheriff deputy, who for years addressed me as “Hieromonk Tryphon”, because he felt he could not be biblical if he addressed me as “father”. This deputy had no difficulty allowing his own boys to address him as dad (father), nor did he have any difficulty referring to anyone in his church who taught Sunday School, as teacher. Yet Christ did not say it was OK to call your own blood father, “father”, nor did He say you could call an instructor, “teacher”. He said, “Do not call anyone on earth your father…. And do not be called teachers”.

The protestant claim that calling priests, “father,” is a violation of Scripture, ignores the fact that Jesus referred to our “father Abraham” (John 8:56), and told the story of the prodigal son, using the term, “father” (Luke 15). Furthermore, Saint Paul said, “I have become your father in Christ”. From the beginning, the Church, from Old Testament times, called those anointed by God as “prophet”, “teacher” (rabbi), and “father.” Like the titles “reverend”, “pastor”, and “brother”, these personal titles have served to convey a certain warmth and honor to those who serve the Lord, and who serve us.

Just as love leads us to call our parent “father”, so too do we show honor and love for those who serve us by calling them “father”. That the Lord Jesus Christ warned against calling men “father” or “teacher”, was a reminder that the leaders of His people should remain pure and humble. His injunction that bishops, priests, deacons, and teachers, should maintain personal character, and godly humility, is obvious. Our Lord could have just as easily instructed his disciples to “call no one reverend, or pastor, or Mister”.

Finally, let us consider hyperbole (an extreme exaggeration) as used, especially in ancient Greek, to drive home a greater point. The Gospel stories are full of them. Jesus told us to cut off our hands and tear out our eyes if they cause us to sin (Matthew and Mark). Did he really mean that, or is he making a greater point? How many self-inflicted, blind, amputee Christians do you see walking around?

The point there is to be wary of how these things can, and do, allow us to sin. The same thing applies to the “call no man on earth father.” Jesus made an analogy using hyperbolic language. Humans have fathers, whether they know or like them. No matter how good a human father is, God is a better, nicer, smarter, kinder, and so on, father. Otherwise, the analogy makes no sense and Jesus wasted his breath. In comparison, an earthly father cannot compete with God. Moreover, if it was a real prohibition, someone really should have chastised St. Paul for neglecting to take into account his references to himself as a father (in the spiritual sense), and remove his letters from the New Testament.

With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

Photo: Coptic priest, Father Anthony Paul of Los Angeles, together with three young Coptic men, visited the monastery on Monday. Father Anthony is a regular reader of my blog articles, so I want to greet him, publicly, on this morning’s blog!

Wednesday June 24, 2015 / June 11, 2015

4th Week after Pentecost. Tone two.
Apostles’ (Peter & Paul) Fast. Food with Oil

Holy Apostles Bartholomew and Barnabas (1st c.).
Venerable Barnabas, abbot of Vetluga (1445).
Uncovering of the relics (1572) of Venerable Ephraim, abbot of New Torzhok (1053).
Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “It is Truly Meet” (“Axion Estin”) (10th c.).
Translation of the relics of Venerable Arcadius, monk of Vyazma and New Torzhok (1077).
St. Niphont patriarch of Constantinople (Romania).
Commemoration of the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel (10th c.) to a monk on Mt. Athos, and the revelation of the hymn “It Is Truly Meet” (Axion Estin).
St. Barnabus of Basa near Limasol in Cyprus (Greek).
Martyr Theopemptus and four otherss (Greek).

Scripture Readings

Romans 11:2-12

2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, 3 “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? 4 But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

7 What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 8 Just as it is written:

“God has given them a spirit of stupor,
Eyes that they should not see
And ears that they should not hear,
To this very day.”

9 And David says:

“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
A stumbling block and a recompense to them.
10 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see,
And bow down their back always.”

Israel’s Rejection Not Final

11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

Matthew 11:20-26

Woe to the Impenitent Cities

20 Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”

Jesus Gives True Rest

25 At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 26 Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.