Which "father?"

From PM:

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What do you make of this, in Matthew 23:9, in which Yahshua says, "Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven." Then in Paul's letters, he refers to Timothy as his son.

OK, so there are a couple other paradoxical refs that might fit in the same category here:

2Ki 2:12 And Elisha saw [it], and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.	Him who I honor as a father, as a guide, a head
2Ki 6:21 And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite [them]? shall I smite [them]?	The king, in this case, asking Elisha if he should kill an army of Syrians who Elisha had asked that God would blind, then subsequently led them into the middle of the Israelite army. Anyway, the king was calling Elisha father because he was seeking advice from him.
2Ki 13:14 Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.	A king, again, giving Elishah honor. I am not sure what the "Chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof" refers to except migh and deliverance. Ironically, Joash seems to have given the title lightly... or at least not had great faith in the word of Elishah... read the rest of the passage.
Job 32:21 Let me not, I pray you, accept any man's person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man. For I know not to give flattering titles; [in so doing] my maker would soon take me away.	Note this passage. It seems to be at the very heart of the issue... calling a man "father" in a way that sets him in the place of God. Ancestor worship, typical partiarchal metaphors, etc.
Act 22:1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence [which I make] now unto you.	fathers... here men of honor, ones that benefited him in time past, either as direct instructors, or more generally as men who are the elders and learder of the people. Not a flattering term here, but a term of honor. By implication there is one father, even of these, to whom much mroe honor is due... read the rest of the passage for specifics
Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together.	The nature of our sonship... a second birth. Yes we had a physical father... he in Adam is dead and cannot avail us eternal life. This does not mean that he does not recieve honor, he does, but he is not the father of the second birth. This is the Second Adam... and He is in the Father, and one with Him. Thus the Father of us is God. He is the one that avails everlasting life.
1Cr 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.	Here a specific differentiation between one who might instruct and one that actually "fathered." The one that availed life (in this case, second birth by way of teaching and reciprocal belief). Not asserting authority here, but making the point that if these people ever believed, it was at Paul's teaching, and if they are confused as to doctrine, at least consider the one that originally gave them entrance to belief... and why / how. This may have been the type of "father" that Paul was to Timothy and what he is referring to, but note that Paul also acted as a literal father to Timothy in care and teaching, and possibly providing for him and his widowed mother...
1Ti 5:1 Rebuke not an elder, but intreat [him] as a father; [and] the younger men as brethren; The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.	Here the right manner of responding to an older man when bringing him reproof.
Hbr 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected [us], and we gave [them] reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?	Here a plain differentiation between a physical father and the honor due him, and the Father of all things, and the obvious honor due Him.

Anyway... I hope this demonstrates that there are indeed "fathers" (of several types). Physical fathers (dad, granddad, etc back to Adam) and there are men in out lives that are elders... and others that are elders and powerful to guide and to teach. These deserve honor for what they are, but are no heads, and are not the Creator, nor are they able to give everlasting life. As such, if they should lead you astray, or if they should dishonor God, they are no fathers to you.

On top of this, Jesus (in the passage mentioned) also specifically teaches the disciples not to take such names, but to prefer the station of the servant. Paul is not usurping this, he is, in love, telling Timothy that even though his earthly father forsook him, not to be ashamed... for if anything else, he had Paul as a father.

So... in that light... look at the whole Matthew passage, as I think it establishes the general teaching:

Matthew 23
Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, [that] observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. 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.

But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, [even] Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no [man] your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, [even] Christ.

But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in [yourselves], neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
Woe unto you, [ye] blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! [Ye] fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. [Ye] fools and blind: for whether [is] greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
- Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier [matters] of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. [Ye] blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. [Thou] blind Pharisee, cleanse first that [which is] within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead [men's] bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. [Ye] serpents, [ye] generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and [some] of them ye shall kill and crucify; and [some] of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute [them] from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [thou] that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under [her] wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

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