Matthew 23:9. Your father upon earth. A natural father is not meant. Nor are titles of respect to the aged forbidden. Stephen (Acts 7:2) began his defence: ‘Brethren and fathers,' and Paul too calls himself the spiritual father of the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 4:15), speaks of Timothy as his son in the faith (1 Timothy 1:2; comp. Titus 1:4; 1 Peter 5:13). It rather forbids honoring any one as an absolute spiritual authority, because this opposes the authority of our Father in heaven. Compare the Papal usage in all its forms of priesthood from the one Father (Papa) claiming infallibility, to the parish priest, or ‘Father,' claiming infallibility derived from that source.

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Old Testament