Call No Man Father

[rockytopva]

It has always been amazing to me to have priests called Father, and then other figures called Bishops and Popes. It would seem like to me the Father would be superior.

8 Be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. - Matthew 23

John Wesley frowned on American Methodism for creating a denominational structure. Francis Asbury was a British-American Methodist minister who became one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States. And to tackle the problem wrote the following letter...

LONDON
September 20, 1788

My Dear Brother:

There is, indeed, a wide difference between the relation wherein you stand to the Americans and the relation wherein I stand to all the Methodists. You are the elder brother of the American Methodists: I am under God the father of the whole family. Therefore I naturally care for you all in a manner no other persons can do. Therefore I in a measure provide for you all; for the supplies which Dr. Coke provides for you, he could not provide were it not for me, were it not that I not only permit him to collect but also support him in so doing.

But in one point, my dear brother, I am a little afraid both the Doctor and you differ from me. I study to be little: you study to be great. I creep; you strut along. I found a school: you a college! [Cokesbury College] nay, and call it after your own names! Oh beware, do not seek to be something! Let me be nothing, and "Christ be all in all!"

One instance of this, of your greatness, has given me great concern. How can you, how dare you suffer yourself to be called Bishop? I shudder, I start at the very thought! Men may call me a knave or a fool, a rascal, a scoundrel, and I am content; but they shall never by my consent call me Bishop! For my sake, for God's sake, for Christ's sake put a full end to this! Let the Presbyterians do what they please, but let the Methodists know their calling better.

Thus, my dear Franky (Francis Asbury), I have told you all that is in my heart. And let this, when I am no more seen, bear witness how sincerely I am Your affectionate friend and brother,

John Wesley

 

[Salty]

I have two fathers and they are both in heaven.

I know that "Father" is a title for a Priest - but I will not use that title to address said priest.
I will use the title "reverend"
(I know - some don't like that either)

And to add - If we ae born again, we are a priest, according to I Peter 2:9
"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people,
that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;"

 

[Oseas3]

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

These are those of whom GOD is the Father:->John 1:12-13
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of GOD. -> the Creator. ->Isaiah 64:8 and John 1:11.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of Grace and Truth.

All the rest, all the others, RELIGIOUS OR NOT, are children of the Devil, like Cain (1 John 3:12), their FATHER is the Devil(Genesis 3:1, the MAN of sin-John 8:44, combined with Revelation 12:9), all of them as dust of the earth were swallowed by the Serpent, the Devil, their FATHER-Genesis 3:14-15 combined with Revelation 12:14-16, take a look).

Be careful, be prepared or else get ready - Revelation 12:7-14