And call no man your father upon the earth
Not but that children may, and should call their natural parents,
fathers; and such who have been instrumental in the conversion of
souls, may be rightly called by them their spiritual fathers; as
servants and scholars also, may call those that are over them,
and instruct them, their masters: our Lord does not mean, by any
of these expressions, to set aside all names and titles, of
natural and civil distinction among men, but only to reject all
such names and titles, as are used to signify an authoritative
power over men's consciences, in matters of faith and obedience;
in which, God and Christ are only to be attended to. Christ's
sense is, that he would have his disciples not fond of any titles
of honour at all; and much less assume an authority over men, as
if they were to depend on them, as the founders of the Christian
religion, the authors of its doctrines and ordinances; and to
take that honour to themselves, which did not belong to them; nor
even choose to be called by such names, as would lead people to
entertain too high an opinion of them, and take off of their
dependence on God the Father, and himself, as these titles the
Scribes and Pharisees loved to be called by, did: and who were
called not only by the name of Rabbi, but Abba, "Father", also:
hence we read of Abba Saul, or "Father" Saul F14; Abba
Jose ben Jochanan, a man of Jerusalem F15, Abba
Chanan F16, Abba Chelphetha, a man of the
village of Hananiah F17; Abba Gorion F18, and
others; and this name was (ybr
wmk dwbk Nwvl) , "a name of honour, even as Rabbi"
F19, and of great authority: the wise
men are said to be (lkh
twba) , "the fathers of all" F20, to whom all gave heed,
and upon whom all depended, as so many oracles. There is a whole
treatise in their Misna, called Pirke Abot, which contains some
of the oracles, and peculiar sayings of these "fathers", the
Misnic doctors, and which are preferred to the writings of Moses,
and the prophets. In this sense, and upon this score, our Lord
inveighs against them, and cautions his disciples against giving
or taking all such titles, in such sense. "For one is your
Father, which is in heaven"; who is so, both by creation and
adoption, and is possessed of all paternal authority; and is to
be honoured and obeyed by all; from whom all wisdom and knowledge
is derived, and who has the care and government of all in heaven
and in earth.