Audio Download

Call No Man on Earth Father

Re: Matthew 12:48-50

[Study Aired August 2, 2026]

Many people have a question regarding Christ’s words in Matthew 12:48-50. I will back up to verse 46 to get the context:

Mat 12:46  While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
Mat 12:47  Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
Mat 12:48  But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
Mat 12:49  And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
Mat 12:50  For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Christ here has informed us that if we “do the will of [His] Father” we are “[His] brother, and sister, and mother.” Christ did not mention us as His Father because His Father is “the holy spirit of God” and only “His mother and His brethren stood without desiring to speak to Him.”

Eph 4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

So Christ’s Father is not mentioned here in Mattew 12:49-50. Add this to that fact and many, myself included, have taught that it is a sin to ever refer to any man as a father other than one’s physical father:

Mat 23:9  And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

There are two  other statements of our Lord which are not meant to be taken literally, and “call no man on earth father” is one such statement.

“Judge Not”

In Matthew 7:1 Christ tells us:

Mat 7:1  Judge not, that ye be not judged.

This is one very abused verse of scripture which many carnal Christians use to justify avoiding hard, necessary decisions which must be made and enforced within the body of Christ to keep the whole lump from becoming leavened with sin. Here is what Paul told the Corinthian church which was tolerating fornication in their midst:

1Co 5:1  It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.
1Co 5:2  And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
1Co 5:3  For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
1Co 5:4  In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Co 5:5  To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
1Co 5:6  Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

In the next chapter Paul chides the church at Corinth for suing each other instead of going before the church elders with their differences:

1Co 6:5  I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?

Right there in Matthew 7 Christ Himself, after telling us “Judge not that you be not judged”, makes this statement:

Mat 7:15  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 7:16  Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Mat 7:17  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
Mat 7:18  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Mat 7:19  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

How can we possibly “beware of false prophets” if we do not judge them “by their fruits”?

“Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents”

Another statement of our Lord which is not to be taken literally is that the man who was born blind and his parents had never sinned:

Joh 9:1  And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
Joh 9:2  And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
Joh 9:3  Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

Is Christ really telling us “Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents” ever? There are His words! Of course the “sum of God’s Word” (Psa 119:160, ACV) state very clearly:

Psa 14:2  The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
Psa 14:3  They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Paul repeats this fact in the New Testament:

Rom 3:10  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Rom 3:11  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
Rom 3:12  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Had the man who was born blind ever sinned? Has His parents sinned? Of course, they had. Paul bookends this discussion in this same chapter with this inspired Truth:

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

The Bible Means What It Means, Not What It Says

Let’s look at what these two apparent contradictions have in common. In the case of “Judge not that ye be not judged”, Christ was merely making the point that we must be merciful in judgment because we will be judged with the judgment we mete out. We are reminded also that “mercy rejoiceths against judgment”:

Mat 7:2  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

Jas 2:13  For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

Matthew 7:2 is the very next verse, and it explains what Christ meant by ‘Judge not that ye be not judged”.

In the case of the man born blind and his parents not sinning, the point Christ was making is that the Lord had predestined that man to be born blind.

Indeed, it was the holy spirit which inspired the apostle Paul to call Timothy his ‘son’ six different times in his epistles:

Paul refers to Timothy as his “son” (teknon) six times in 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and 1 Corinthians.

Here are those six times which AI provided me when I asked, How many times did Paul call Timothy his son?

“Based on the provided search context, Paul refers to Timothy as his “son” or “child” six times in the letters of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and 1 Corinthians.

1 Timothy 1:2: “my true son in the faith”
1 Timothy 1:18: “my son”
2 Timothy 1:2: “my dear son”
2 Timothy 2:1: “my son”
1 Corinthians 4:17: “my beloved sons” (addressing the whole church, but citing Timothy as his son in the Lord in vs 14-15 context)
Philippians 2:22: “as a son with [his] father” (describing Timothy’s service to Paul)” (End Quote)

The Greek word translated as ‘son’ in each of these verses is ‘teknon‘ which simply means ‘a child’. Look at the first entry. It is typical of the others:

1Ti 1:2  Unto Timothy, my own son [G5043: ‘teknon‘, child male or female] in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

Now look at the definition of the Greek word translated ‘my own’, G1103,:

– Original: γνήσιος
– Transliteration: Gnesios
– Phonetic: gnay’-see-os
– Definition:
1. legitimately born, not spurious
2. true, genuine, sincere
– Origin: from the same as G1077
– TDNT entry: 13:07,1
– Part(s) of speech: Adjective

– Strong’s: From the same as G1077; legitimate (of birth) that is genuine: – own sincerity true.
Total KJV Occurrences: 4
• own, 2
1Ti_1:2; Tit_1:4

• sincerity, 1
2Co_8:8

• true, 1
Php_4:3

Timothy was ‘legitimately and genuinely’ born into Christ through Paul’s ministry. Paul goes on in his epistles to Timothy and others to refer to Titus and Onesimus as his ‘sons’ who he has begotten in Christ:

Tit 1:4  To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Phm 1:10  I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten [G1080: gennao’] in my bonds:

As I recall in a previous discussion, I pointed out that the word ‘man’ in “call no man your father on earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven” refers only to men who have no part in fathering the Lord’s children, and are seeking their own glory.

Mat 23:5  But all their [“Scribes and Pharisees, vs 2] 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.

The Greek word translated as ‘master’ in verses 8 and 10 is G2519, ‘kathegetes‘. It is defined as a “a guide… a leader… a teacher“, and it is equated in the context as being a ‘Rabbi’:

Mat 23:8  But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master [G2519: ‘kathagetes’], even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

‘Kathagetes’ is a contraction of the Greek preposition G2596,  ‘kata’ and the Greek verb, G2233, ‘hegeomai’, to lead, to go before, to be a leader.

– Original: καθηγητής

– Transliteration: Kathegetes

– Phonetic: kath-ayg-ay-tace’

– Definition:

a guide
a master, teacher

– Origin: from a compound of G2596 and G2233

– TDNT entry: None

– Part(s) of speech: Noun Masculine

– Strong’s: From a compound of G2596 and G2233; a guide that is (figuratively) a teacher: – master.

Is Christ actually telling us we are not to have leaders? Of course not!  Such is also the case with telling us not to judge and telling us the man born blind and his parents had not sinned.

We are all aware that the holy spirit tells us that God Himself has placed teachers in the church:

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.

The word translated as ‘teacher’ here in 1 Corinthians 12:28 is ‘didaskalos.’ Nevertheless, both ‘didaskalos’ and ‘kathegetes’ both mean ‘teacher’, and Christ said we are not to call any man our ‘kathagetes’, ‘master’, or ‘teacher’.

So what is the difference between these two words, ‘kathagetes’ and ‘didaskalos’? Here is how AI answers that question:

“The primary difference lies in their connotation of authority and their specific usage in the New Testament. Didaskalos is a general, widely used term for an instructor or master, often associated with the role of teaching within the church to build up the body of believers, similar to the Hebrew Rabbi.  In contrast, Kathegetes carries a stronger nuance of leadership, guidance, and authority, appearing specifically in Matthew 23:8-10 where Jesus warns against seeking such honorific titles for oneself.

“While both words can be translated as “teacher” or “master” in English, Kathegetes is linked to the concepts of lord, master, and overseer, emphasizing the authority of the guide. Didaskalos, however, focuses on the function of instruction and is used extensively in the epistles to describe roles like apostles, prophets, and pastors who serve the community rather than lord it over them. The distinction highlights a theological contrast between self-exalting authority (Kathegetes) and humble, service-oriented instruction (Didaskalos).” (End Quote, emphasis mine)

That difference is not detected when you translate both words simply as ‘teacher’. No one would dare deny that 1 Corinthians 12:28 declares that “God has set… teachers… in the church.” What God has not placed in the church is teachers who think they have dominion over our faith, and Paul was well aware of this difference:

2Co 1:23  Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth.
2Co 1:24  Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

Paul lets us know that we have no dominion over each other such as Rabbis and ‘kathegetes’ exerted over those in their charge. Nevertheless, as a spiritual ‘father’ and a teacher, a ‘didaskalos’, he sets them and us the example which he expects them and each of us to follow.

There are no chapter breaks in the original Greek manuscripts, and the narrative continues in the very next verse of scripture:

2Co 2:1  But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.
2Co 2:2  For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me?
2Co 2:3  And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.
2Co 2:4  For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you. 

What Paul is referring to is what he had to deal with in the first epistles to this church at Corinth. In the fifth chapter of the first epistle of Corinthians Paul expressed his dismay at the fact that he had heard that the whole church was taking pride in their own tolerance of fornication in their midst:

1Co 5:1  It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.
1Co 5:2  And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.

These Corinthians were proud of their tolerance of sin in their midst! Being loving and fatherly does not make one weak and stupid. “We that are strong… receive them that are weak in the faith”, but we do not swap our meat for their herbs, nor the fact that we esteem every day alike for their observance of days, months, times, and years, and esteeming one day above another (Rom 14 and 15 and Gal 4:9-10). Neither are we to tolerate fornication among ourselves.

Nevertheless, we do bear with the weak in faith and acknowledge that “whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” What that means is that we bear with those who are still weak in the faith and give them the time that is needed to mature spiritually.

That is the difference between ‘kathagetes’ and ‘didaskalos’. ‘Kathagetes’ is teaching as an authoritarian, and ‘didaskalos’ is teaching as “a helper of your joy.” That is the same message the Lord is delivering to us when He tells us to “call no man on earth Father…” No verse of scripture stands on its own. Every verse must have at least one or two witnesses. That is why we are told “the sum of Thy Word is Truth”:

2Pe 1:20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

The CLV is a better translation of this verse:

2Pe 1:20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture at all is becoming its own explanation.

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

These principles apply to Matthew 23:8-10 just as much as the rest of scripture, and the rest of the New Testament sees Paul, Peter, and John, one and all, claiming to have begotten children in Christ, and referring to themselves as the ‘gennao’ of those children whom they have begotten.

We have already seen Paul tell us that he had begotten his son Timothy. He also tells us that he had begotten Onesimus:

Phm 1:10  I am appealing to you concerning my child, whose spiritual father I have become during my imprisonment, that is, Onesimus, (NET)

Here is the King James Version of this verse:

Phm 1:10  I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten [G1080: ‘gennao‘] in my bonds:

The NET is a better translation because it applies the meaning of ‘gennao’, meaning ‘to father’.

G1080

γεννάω

gennaō

ghen-nah’-o

From a variation of G1085; to procreate (properly of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively to regenerate: – bear, beget, be born, bring forth, conceive, be delivered of, gender, make, spring.

Total KJV occurrences: 97

It is true, according to AI, that the Greek word ‘gennao’ is used four times in relation to women:

“Specific Instances of Women and gennao

Conception/Begetting: In Matthew 1:20, the verb is used in the passive voice to describe that which was conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit (“the child conceived in her”).

Giving Birth: The verb is used to describe women giving birth in the following passages:

Luke 1:13: Regarding John the Baptist, it says his father will rejoice “when he is born” (or gives birth to him).
Luke 1:57: “Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered; and she brought forth a son.”
Luke 23:29: Jesus refers to women who will say, “Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts which never nursed” (literally: “which never gave birth”).

John 16:21: Jesus compares the disciples’ sorrow to a woman in childbirth who, when she is delivered [G1080, ‘Gennao’], remembers the anguish no longer because of the joy that a child is born into the world. ” (End Quote)

Nevertheless, ‘gennao’ appears 84 times in the New Testament, and 80 of those 84 instances refer to men begetting sons.

The verses which lay this question to rest as to whether we can refer to those who bring us to Christ as our ‘father’ are:

1Co 4:15  For though ye have ten thousand instructors [G3807: ‘paidagogos‘, “schoolmaster”  in Christ], yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I [as your spiritual father] have begotten you through the gospel.

Php 2:22  But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.

Paul was not hesitant to make those statements because he was not seeking to be “called… father.” He was simply pointing out that he had been used by the Lord to father Timothy, Titus, Onesimus and many others in the faith.

Paul, inspired by the holy spirit, did not understand Matthew 23:8-10 to literally mean “call no man on earth father.” It is clear to anyone who does not have an idol of his heart that the sum of God’s Word uses this Greek word ‘pater’ to refer to the apostle Paul as the spiritual ‘pater’ of the Corinthian church; Timothy, Onesimus, Titus and others. What Christ meant, as the contrast between the words translated as ‘teacher’ in 1 Corinthians 12, ‘didaskalos’ and the word ‘kathegetes’ in Matthew 23:10 demonstrate, is that we are not to think that anyone on earth is our ultimate authority or our ultimate ‘Father’. No man on earth has any dominion over our faith. The sum of the Word of God is always the first and only authority of our heavenly Father.

I will conclude with the NET version of 1 Corinthians 4:15:

1Co 4:15  For though you may have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, because I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

While it is true that Christ did not include the word ‘father’ (Greek ‘pater’ in Matthew 12:50), He did inspire Paul to claim to be the ‘father’ of those who came to Christ through his ministry, and he called himself the ‘father’ (Greek “pater”) of the church of Corinth, and the father with whom Timothy was working in service to the Lord. That was the consensus of the elders.

I hope this helps us to see clearly that we need never apologize to anyone for displaying gratitude for what one’s spiritual ‘father’ in Christ has done to bring us to know Christ and His Father.

Your ‘pater’  with whom you labor in the Lord’s service, Mike