Why shouldn't you give anyone the title of father?

Answer 1

The verse usually cited is Matthew 23:9, which reads: And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Since the sentence begins with "and," it should be obvious that this verse is in the middle of a larger context. In context, Jesus is dealing with a number of false teachings that abounded during that day (and continue to this day). In this particular message, which begins in verse 1, Jesus is talking about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and other religious leaders, who went about proud of their position. Verse 7 mentions that they love to be called "Rabbi" (or "teacher" or "master"). Jesus then contrasts that with the humility He wants His followers to have. 8"But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ.11The greatest among you will be your servant. 12For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. The passage has often been used against the Catholic, Anglican, and Episcopal churches who refer to their pastors using the term "father." (One personal anecdote here involves a friend who mentioned that to a campus Catholic priest. The priest's response was, "OK, just call me 'Brother.'") The idea, in context, seems rather to be that followers of Christ must be humble. Having a title can too often distract people — both those who have the title and those who respect the title — from God. In contrast, Jesus said (in one of the rare verses that can be taken out of context and still be very applicable) "But seek first [God's] kingdom and his righteousness." (Matthew 6:33)