Today in the Christian race, many pastors and even bishops are addressed as Fathers, most precisely, Spiritual Fathers.
This has become a usual practice in that, many churches even see it as an offence for their pastors to be addressed less of that class. According to them, pastors or leaders of the church play fatherly role over the congregation, therefore, it is only normal for such an honour to be given to the pastor.
While, the term ''Father'' has no problem in itself, per se, the intention and purpose for which it is used may contradict the Holy word of God.
Thus, to know this, it is better looking at the word of God and dig out what God has said about the issue.
Pastor as a word simply means ''SHEPHERD''. It comes from a Latin word, which also is pastor. It can be used as a verb as ''Feed''. Hence, Pastor basically connotes leadership or counselling. There are other offices such as Apostle which means a messenger, and so on, but Pastor as an office will be used as a case study because it directly talks about shepherdship. Thus, place in your mind's eye, any leadership position of the church, anywhere you see pastor being mentioned in this write up.
Jesus asked Peter to feed his flock. Being a pastor is not a matter of age, as there no express age limit in Christianity for one to be ordained. However, the same must be mature to lead. For instance, 30 years was given as the limit under the old.
Someone can be ordained a pastor even though younger than other elders in the church. But when ordained, he simply becomes a leader. Being a leader does not necessarily make one a father.
Macron, President of France is quite young as a leader. Him being a leader does not make him father over the elders of the cabinet and his country. He for sure can even seek for wisdom from the elders when the need be. I am using this example, for maybe it will make it clearer.
A pastor is to show humility by greeting his own elders when he sees them and also respect them; though, he knows the word better and teaches them, he recognizes their positions as fathers that they are, and is to intreat them as such. (1 Timothy 5:1).
In Mathew 23: 9, Jesus Christ himself warned the people not to call any man their father upon the earth.
The warning thus goes: CALL NO MAN YOUR FATHER UPON THE EARTH.
Then in addition, Jesus went further to say that: For there is only ONE who is your father, and without doubt, that ONE is God himself.
Now the question to be asked is: Was Jesus saying that we cannot address any human being as our father? Like even our biological fathers? Of course not.
So what then was Jesus Christ saying? What kind of father was Christ talking about?
Now we must look at the context in which Jesus made the statement.
In Mathew 23, Jesus was speaking bitterly against the Pharisees. These people were suppose to teach the truth, but they left the needful and was bothering themselves about how they were to be praised by men, and even desiring to be called fathers and masters, hence, enlarging their coast. Jesus rebuked the people and asked them not to do that.
The first thing we must understand is that, GOD IS A SPIRIT (John 4:24).
The Pharisees, though carnal men, were performing spiritual functions for the people, though in the flesh. So when they demanded such honour of being called fathers, it was from the spiritual aspect they were making this demand. This was why Christ said, 'CALL NO MAN YOUR FATHER, UPON THE EARTH'.
Note the statement: UPON THE EARTH; that is to say, no man on earth is qualified to be addressed as a spiritual father but GOD.
Remember that God cannot be concerned about physical fatherhood. God himself said Abraham will be a father of many nations (Genesis 17:5). The Bible also told us of our fathers of the flesh (Hebrew 12:9).
God is a spirit and those that are to worship him are to worship him in spirit and in truth. Spiritually, we all have only ONE FATHER and that father is GOD (Numbers 27:16). God is the father of all spirits; the father of the spirits of all flesh.
If you see the book of Ephesians 4:4-6, you will see how Paul made this oneness of GOD'S FATHERHOOD clear. ONE BODY, ONE SPIRIT, ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM, and then importantly, ONE GOD and FATHER OF ALL.
Now you see that? Modify the father with the word, 'ONE', that modified GOD. That's English Law of Concord.
God is a spiritual father to not just man but Jesus Christ, and nobody, I mean nobody shares that role with him (Isaiah 42:8) It is ONE SPIRITUAL FATHER.
God is father to Jesus Christ (John 20:17, Mathew 11: 25-27) Jesus is a son; man is a son, and we all are children. Thus, spiritually, all our pastors and all the followers are but Children of God which means by implication that whether pastor, bishop, evangelist or even apostles, we all are brothers or brethren. For none is a spiritual father over the other, save God. Anything other than this means that WE HAVE TWO SPIRITUAL FATHERS which is an error. IT IS ONE FATHER (spiritual).
Also, God being our heavenly father does not mean he is not our spiritual father, for Heaven itself is spiritual and God is a spirit.
As clear as this seem however, people have argued that pastors can be addressed as fathers, and they have justified this from the bible.
Well, a pastor or a church leader may be addressed as a FATHER depending on the reason why he is addressed as such.
There is nothing absolutely wrong in a man of 20 years of age addressing a pastor who is an elderly man of about 70 years, as Father, if the reason for that address is because he is an elderly man. Note, if the reason is because he is older and nothing more.
In this sense, he is more or less still seen as a physical father and not a spiritual one.
Also, where such a leader usually gives advice or maybe takes care of someone much younger, there is nothing wrong if the same is addressed as Father in so far as the fatherhood here is from the physical aspect and not spiritual.
Paul rightly addressed Timotheus as son, because he met him as a young man and took care of him. (1 Corinthians 4: 14-17). Timotheus who was half Greek, followed Paul to some of his missionary journeys until he was made a bishop. Paul while writing to the Church at Corinth addressed them as sons. He said: As my beloved SONS, I warn you. (Verse 15) This never connotes spiritual SONS, for Paul who knew the word so much could never have acted against God's word. Paul was an elderly man and was right to have addressed them as sons. Elderly people who are not our biological parents do that too. i.e., Good morning Sir -- they can give you this in return: Good morning my SON. This is normal and is not out of place.
Paul also addressed the church at Galatia when he said: MY LITTLE CHILDREN. (Galatians 4:19).
Like I said, Paul was an elderly man and was right to have done such. Paul admonished the church that even elders are not to be rebuked, but intreated as Father. (1 Timothy 5: 1).
Father can also be used as the founder of something. For instance, we have father of Sociology; father of Psychology and so on. Paul established the gospel and many have believed and become teachers (Instructors). Establishment here means that he was the first instrument God used to take the word to them. This does not make him the Chief-founder as Christ is the Chief corner stone.
So in 1st Corinthians 4: 14-17, Paul was making it clear that those who brought and established this gospel that they now know are very few (these are the fathers) but many teachers do they have. Hence, Paul could boldy call the Gospel, his own Gospel (2 Timothy 2:8). In a context, we can say the 12 Apostles are fathers of the gospel and through them many have come to know the truth. In other words, through them the gospel went round and today we all have heard of the word, even though God can directly reveal his word.
Paul, never at anytime took the place of a spiritual father over the people but spoke as an elderly man that he was, and one who founded or established the church in those areas.
But this is not what we have today. Today in the Church, pastors are addressed as Spiritual Fathers. Some are even called, DADDY, PAPA and so on while a pastor's wife is addressed as mother or mummy, irrespective of her age. To the extent that even elderly men address young pastors as fathers which is contradictory. This is not right, AS THERE IS ONLY SPIRITUAL FATHER OVER MAN and that one is JEHOVAH, and all others are children.
How many pastors today can permit their members to address them as brothers? Are we not all brethren and God the father?
Judge for yourself!
By Ebi Robert