"But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers. 9 And call no one your ‘father’ on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one teacher, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (
Matthew 23:8-12, NET)
1 comment:
In John Mac Arthur's one column commentary on this text he says: "Here Hesus condemns pride and pretense; not titles per se. Paul repeatedly speaks of "teachers" in the church and even refers to himself as the Corinthian's "father" 1 Cr. 4:15). Nor does this prohibition for I'd the showing of respect (cf. 1 Thes 5:11, 12; 1 Tim 5:1). Christ is merely forbidding the use of such names as spiritual titles or in an ostentatious sense that gives undue spiritual authority to a human being, as if he were the source of truth rather than God."
How has John twisted the words of Jesus and the rest of the NT to justify the use of honorific and pedestalizing titles, authority claims, reserving ministry for a few or even just one via the use of an office?
Those of us who recognize the obvious error must be able to articulate to those who have been deceived by this clever nuancing of the text.
Post a Comment