Should Christians call religious leaders “Father”?
THE QUESTION
Should Christians call priests or other religious leaders “Father”? What did Jesus mean when He said, “Call no man your father upon the earth”?
SHORT ANSWER
Jesus’ command in Matthew 23:9 warns against giving religious leaders a spiritual title or status that belongs uniquely to God. In a passage condemning prideful religious rank, He told His disciples not to seek exalted titles such as Rabbi, master, or father. Christians should therefore avoid using “Father” as an honorific that elevates clergy into a spiritually superior class or suggests that they stand between believers and God.
Jesus was not forbidding the ordinary word father for a biological parent or every figurative use. Scripture continues to speak of earthly fathers, and Paul described his fatherly relationship to converts. The issue is religious exaltation and misplaced spiritual authority, not the vocabulary of family relationships.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
Jesus addressed scribes and Pharisees who loved public recognition, honored seats, greetings, and titles. He said, “And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven” (Matthew 23:9). He then added, “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant” (verse 11).
The surrounding commands include, “Be not ye called Rabbi” and “Neither be ye called masters” (Matthew 23:8, 10). Jesus was confronting a religious culture in which titles supported pride, hierarchy, and dependence upon human authorities. His followers were to recognize one ultimate Teacher and Father and to pursue humble service.
Elsewhere, the Bible uses father in ordinary and figurative senses. Ephesians 6:2 says, “Honour thy father and mother.” Paul told the Corinthians, “In Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel” and described himself as their father in that sense (1 Corinthians 4:15). Those passages show that Matthew 23:9 is not an absolute ban on pronouncing the word.
KEY SCRIPTURES—KJV
Matthew 23:8–9: “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.”
Matthew 23:10–11: “Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.”
1 Corinthians 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.”
Ephesians 6:2: “Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise.”
1 Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
1 Peter 5:3: “Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.”
BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES
Read the command in its setting
Matthew 23 exposes religious leaders who performed works to be seen, enlarged visible symbols of devotion, sought chief places, and loved honorific greetings. Jesus’ warning about titles belongs to His larger rejection of spiritual pride and status. Isolating verse 9 from that context can either weaken or overextend His point.
God alone is the supreme spiritual Father
Every believer comes to God through Jesus Christ. No priest, pastor, apostle, or teacher becomes the source of another person’s spiritual life or a necessary mediator of salvation. Religious language becomes dangerous when it encourages dependence upon a human leader that should belong to God.
Ordinary family language is not forbidden
Jesus and the apostles repeatedly referred to earthly fathers. The fifth commandment requires honor toward father and mother. Therefore, a child calling his parent “father,” a person speaking about ancestors, or Paul describing fatherlike gospel care does not disobey Matthew 23:9.
A descriptive relationship differs from an exalted title
Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 4:15 describes how he brought the gospel to the Corinthians and cared for them. The passage does not show believers routinely addressing him with the religious title “Father Paul.” Christians should distinguish fatherly influence from institutional honorifics.
The warning applies beyond one denomination
A Protestant pastor may avoid the title “Father” while still demanding unhealthy reverence through titles such as Apostle, Prophet, Bishop, Doctor, or Man of God. The problem is not solved merely by changing vocabulary. Any title can become sinful when it promotes pride, shields a leader from examination, or implies spiritual authority beyond Scripture.
Christian leaders are brothers and servants
Jesus said, “all ye are brethren” and made service the measure of greatness. Leaders have genuine responsibilities, and Christians should honor faithful labor (1 Thessalonians 5:12–13). Yet honor must not become spiritual aristocracy. Pastors remain accountable members of Christ’s body.
Conscience should remain tied to Scripture
Some people use “Father” as a conventional form of respectful address without consciously assigning divine status. Others cannot use it because Jesus’ words appear to prohibit that clerical title directly. Christians should not mock one another, but neither should tradition make Christ’s warning meaningless. A person should never be pressured to use a title that violates a Scripture-informed conscience.
WHERE CHRISTIANS DIFFER
Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians commonly understand “Father” as a respectful description of spiritual care and continuity, comparable to Paul’s fatherly language in 1 Corinthians 4:15. They argue that Jesus prohibited prideful or ultimate claims to authority rather than every religious use of the word.
Many Protestants respond that Matthew 23 specifically addresses religious honorifics and that regularly addressing clergy as “Father” comes too close to the practice Jesus warned against. They note that the apostles are not shown requiring Christians to address them by that title.
Because Jesus directly said, “call no man your father upon the earth” within a warning about religious titles, the safer and more straightforward practice is not to use “Father” as a clerical honorific. That conclusion should be expressed respectfully, without pretending that every person who uses the title intends to replace God.
THE CONCLUSION
Christians should not give religious leaders the title or spiritual status that belongs to God as Father. Matthew 23 warns against honorifics that elevate leaders, feed pride, and obscure the brotherhood of believers under Christ.
The command does not forbid calling a biological parent “father” or describing someone as fatherlike. Its force is spiritual: God is the believer’s supreme Father, Jesus Christ is the one Mediator, and church leaders must serve humbly rather than build a sacred rank around themselves. For that reason, avoiding “Father” as a clerical title is the clearest practice.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
- Read Matthew 23:1–12 as a complete warning against religious pride.
- Do not give any leader unquestioning loyalty or authority above Scripture.
- Use a leader’s name or another respectful form of address if “Father” troubles your conscience.
- Do not insult people who inherited a different religious custom.
- Examine whether titles in your own church promote humility or status.
- Honor faithful leaders while remembering that all believers are brethren under Christ.
- Reject claims that a human priest or pastor is necessary as a mediator of salvation.
- Let leadership be measured by truth, character, service, and submission to Jesus.
RELATED DISCIPLESHIP LESSONS
- How to Submit to Biblical Leadership without Following Error
- Why Every Christian Needs the Local Church
- How to Recognize False Teaching
NEXT STEP
Read Matthew 23:1–12 and list every attitude Jesus condemns and every alternative He commands. Then examine the titles, expectations, and patterns of authority in your church by that standard.