[metmom]

Jesus is addressing calling religious/spiritual leaders by the title of *Father*.

That’s all.

Matter of fact, reading that passage indicates that He discouraged the use of ANY titles for religious leaders.

So while Paul may have become Timothy’s spiritual father by leading him to Christ, Timothy should not call him by the title of *father* as part of his name, as in *Father Paul*.

I just don’t see that concept as being that hard. Don’t elevate people or become a respecter of persons.

Plain and simple, Jesus said not co call any man in a position of a religious leader on earth *Father*. Now we can either obey that, or find any and all excuses for not obeying it, and the *everyone else is doing it* excuse is the lamest of them all. I didn’t accept it from my kids either.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Jesus said to call NO man "father," AND to call NO man "teacher," "master," or "instructor".

(He didn't say ".... unless he's actually your father or teacher.")

So that makes His original statement a great deal more strict, more exceptionless than you're implying.

But then--- and here's what I'd call a "clarifying paradox" --- you go through the whole rest of the New Testament and you see Apostles repeatedly calling themselves, and being called, both "father" and "teacher."

You can conclude one of two things: either that

• the Apostles and Martyrs decided to casually blow off what Jesus clearly taught (though they were willing to live and toil and be tortured and die for Him!), OR,

• they correctly recognized Jesus' words as an example of Semitic hyperbole: the well-understood (to them) Middle Eastern cultural trait of creating emphasis by asserting an absolute for rhetorical effect.

I say it's clearly the latter.

This "Semitic hyperbole" thing is for real. My husband and I used to attend a church that had Arab Christian members. Our Syrian friend Sami used to say extravagant things like "That guy's so rich he could buy California and give you back Frisco for small change." Or "Welcome to my house. My wife and I, we give it to you, it's yours. No, really, take anything you like. Stack up the dishes, roll up the carpets and take them. Our home is yours!"

It's dramatic exaggeration, like when Paul says. "Cretans are always liars, vicious brutes, lazy, and gluttons."

Or when Jesus says,that unless you "hate" everyone in your family for the sake of the Gospel, you are not worthy to be a disciple. Anti-religious polemicist want to read this as literal hate; we reply by identifying such sayings as containing a rhetorical emphasis, not referring to literal, mandatory, universal family-hate.

Emphasis. Semitic hyperbole.