Greetings Mike,

Hope all is well,

I just want to know about the term that is being used in the churches today…”Spiritual father”.

Where is this coming from?  My understanding is that God is Spirit, and He is my Father, therefore He is my Spiritual Father, correct me if am wrong.  The reason am asking is that I see these so-called Spiritual fathers who are in most cases pastors in the churches being idolized too much and worshipped more than God.

Thank you very much,

N____

Hi N____,

Thank you for your question concerning the proper use of the phrase ‘spiritual Father’.

Here is what the Lord tells us about calling ‘men’ “father”:

Mat 23:1  Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
Mat 23:2  Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:
Mat 23:3  All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
Mat 23:4  For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
Mat 23:5  But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
Mat 23:6  And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
Mat 23:7  And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
Mat 23:8  But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
Mat 23:9  And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 
Mat 23:10  Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
Mat 23:11  But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
Mat 23:12  And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

These verses taken alone, without “the sum of God’s Word”, would lead us to deny that we should call any man at any time ‘father’. But it is generally conceded that Christ is speaking spiritually. What is not generally understood is that even spiritually “men on the earth” are to be distinguished from those men who are “seated with [Christ] in the heavens”.

Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 

The short answer to your question is that men in whom Christ dwells, such as the apostle Paul, are fathers to the churches they raised up, but the men who are worshipped by their parishioners as being more reliable, and more authoritative than the Bible itself, are the very “men upon the earth” of whom Christ was speaking who ought never be called ‘father’.

But Matthew 23:9 is not “the sum of God’s word” (Psa 119:160) on the subject of who we can call ‘father’, as these verses demonstrate:

Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his [Christ’s] shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

1Co 4:15  For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 

Paul here is telling us that as the Lord’s Christ, he [Paul and you and I] is seated with Christ in the heavens and in that position he had ‘fathered’ the church at Corinth. Being “[seated] together in the heavens in Christ”, Paul, or you and I are no more a mere “men upon the earth” than was Christ Himself, who was also both simultaniously in heaven and upon the earth, as He told Nicodemus:

Joh 3:13  And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 

Those who are “in heaven”, seated with Christ, are ‘fathers’ of those whom they “beget in Christ”, as did the apostle Paul. The apostle John also informs us that “as He is so are we in this world”:

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 

The Italian word ‘Pope’ means ‘father’, and most Protestants will agree that the Pope is a mere “man upon the earth” who ought not be called ‘father’ because of all the false doctrines of the Catholic church. Yet those same Protestants will agree with the Pope that you and I ought to go forth and kill our fellow man in defense of “God and country” in complete and total rebellion against the words and the example of our Lord and Savior who gave us these commandments:

Mat 5:38  Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
Mat 5:39  But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Mat 5:40  And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.
Mat 5:41  And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
Mat 5:42  Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
Mat 5:43  Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

The point being made by Christ and by John is that the words ‘man’ or ‘men upon the earth’ is not speaking of true men of God at all, but of “men upon the earth” who hate Christ’s commandments telling us “resist not evil… love thine enemies”, etc. as is demonstrated in these verses of scripture:

Mat 10:17  But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;

Mat 15:9  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Those who “teach for doctrine the commandments of men” are the “men” we are not to call father. It is not speaking of men in who Christ Himself dwells, and in whom and through whom He is begetting sons in every generation.

Having said that I want to take this opportunity to point out that there are those who stretch these verses here in Matthew 23 to the extent of teaching that we have no need to be taught by other men, and they strengthen that false doctrine by misapplying this verse of scripture:

1Jn 2:27  But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

There it is! Christ tells us to “call no man father upon the earth”, and here is John telling us “ye need not that any man teach you”. The beast within us rejoices to think that he is now Biblically sanctioned to decide for himself what is and what is not truth, and he truly does not need any of the other parts of the body of Christ to keep him from going astray from the Truth which is in the Word of God, because He “has no need that any man teach [him].

Now if another brother comes to him and tells him that he is teaching a false doctrine to the body of Christ, that brother who has been given such an insidious ‘Lone Ranger’ spirit will tell the brother who approaches him concerning his false doctrine, “Who do you think you are to tell me what is truth and what is error? Why I have ‘the anointing which I received of [Christ], and I have no need that any man teach [me]’.” When “anyone who is called a brother” uses such human reasoning, he has cast aside the Biblical principle which teaches us that Truth is only to be found in “the sum of [God’s] Word”:

Psa 119:160  The sum of thy word is truth; And every one of thy righteous ordinances endureth for ever. (ASV)

1Co 5:11  But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

1Co 5:11 is not instructing us to be rude of uncivil to a heretic, but it is definitely instructing us not eat spiritual food with such a person, which is just a confirmation of Christ’s instructions to regard such a person as “a heathen man and a publican”, and John’s instruction that we are not to bid such a person into our spiritual house or bid him God speed.

Mat 18:15  Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
Mat 18:16  But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
Mat 18:17  And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

2Jn 1:7  For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
2Jn 1:8  Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
2Jn 1:9  Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
2Jn 1:10  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 
2Jn 1:11  For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

Any man who “abides not in the doctrine of Christ” is a “man that is called a brother” but cannot and will not be affected by the many other verses of scripture which tell us plainly that “God has placed in the church… teachers”, and that we should “be persuaded of [and] defer to [our leaders}”

1Co 12:28  And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
1Co 12:29  Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
1Co 12:30  Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

Heb 13:17 Be persuaded by your leaders, and be deferring to them, for they are vigilant for the sake of your souls, as having to render an account, that they may be doing this with joy, and not with groaning, for this is disadvantageous for you. (CLV)

The point the holy spirit is making is:

1Co 12:21  And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

So anyone who comes to you telling you that he or she and Jesus have it all worked out and that they do not need anybody to tell them what it’s all about, that person simply does not know the Christ of the New Testament not the voice of “our Lord and His Christ”.

Act 4:26  The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Rev 12:10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

In Christ we are “His Christ”, the Lord’s Christ, and as such and through Him we can and we do beget sons, and we are both spiritual fathers and teachers, seated with Christ in the heavens.

Your fellow part of the interdependent “one body” of Christ.

Mike