Oh, then Paul lied when he said he was Timothy's father [parent] through the gospel.
1 corinthians 4
14I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.
15For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet
you would not
have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus
I became your father through the gospel. 16Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me.
Paul also says he is teacher, Jesus clearly stated call no man teacher, you have only one teacher in heaven.
1 Timothy 2
7For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
There is also appointment of teachers
1 corinthians 12
28And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations,
various kinds of tongues.
Matthew 23
8“But do not be called Rabbi; f
or One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.
9“Do not call
anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
10“Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader,
that is, Christ.
Paul calls titus his son
Titus 1
4To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
Philemon 1
10I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus,whose father I became in my imprisonment.
Paul is not their parent.
2 corinthians 12
14Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.
Paul continuously refers himself as parent to the congregation.
Peter does the same:
1 Peter 5
13She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and
so does my son, Mark.
John refers to congregation as MY CHILDREN.
1 John 2
1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;
John here refering to people as father's based on spiritual knowledge, You can be an adult not have any bilogical children and you can be a teen who has better understanding of christianity than a old man.
1 John 2
12I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake.
13I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.
14I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
John, Peter and Paul call themselves parents, are called fathers and call their congregation children. Spiritual fatherhood is very real.
The issue is you are taking a western understanding to Aramaic/Hebrew figure's of speech.
Call nothing a bacon cheeseburger unless its from WENDYS!
Its like giving God praise. Call nothing GOOD but GOD!
Jesus says don't even CALL HIM GOOD. Only God. Lets see you keep to that rule.
Non one argued about these things untill 1500s when people began to take advantage over the ignorant.