The False Teaching
Catholic.com: By referring to these people as their spiritual sons and spiritual children,
Peter, Paul, and John imply their own roles as spiritual fathers. Since the
Bible frequently speaks of this spiritual fatherhood, we Catholics acknowledge
it and follow the custom of the apostles by calling priests "father." Failure to
acknowledge this is a failure to recognize and honor a great gift God has
bestowed on the Church: the spiritual fatherhood of the priesthood.
John Paul II (from Crossing the Threshold of Hope,
p.6) Have no fear when people call me "Vicar of Christ," when they say
to me "Holy Father," or "Your Holiness," or use titles similar to
these, which seem even inimical to the Gospel. Christ himself
declared: "Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in
heaven. Do not be called 'Master'; you have but one master, the
Messiah." These expressions, nevertheless, have evolved out of a
long tradition, becoming part of common usage. One must not be
afraid ot these words either.
They
only disclose the fact that they have not a clue as to what the true
gospel is all about -- and this after twenty centuries of polemics!
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Exposing the Error
Catholics
point to the context -- the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees --
and make this relevant only to that situation. But if the Lord
meant only to guide the apostles away from that error, are we not
subject to the very same? Then they appeal to the fact that the
Lord applied the term to human fathers, such as "Father Abraham." Of
course, for Abraham was patriarch of the Jews that were not sons of
God. They also claim a little childs right to call her father,
"father." Yes, for the little child also is not begotten from
above. Then they maintain that God's fatherhood would be
meaningless if the earthly is removed. Of course! Then,
they appeal to Jesus' use of hyperbole -- exageration -- to make a
point. He did such, but it was to express the hard or impossible: Let not your right hand know what your left hand does." But this
commandment is both easy and possible! They also appeal to Paul
and the apostles. But Paul was a false apostle and the others
were influenced by him from an early time. John Paul II can only
appeal to long tradition and common usage.
There is one word of the Lord, Mt.28:20, wherein he tells disciples to
be "teaching them." This contradicts Mt.23:9 and the Lord
never once contradicted himself.
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Declaring the Truth
God
sent Jesus into the world to seek out those that will be his children
and lead them home. His will for us is one thing: Come
home! He can not receive us until, in love for Him, we also share
his will and want to go home as He wants us to come. Until them, we are
dead to Him, are not his children and He is not our Father; we are
bound to this world and the family of this world through the
flesh. All that will share His eternal life must hate life in
this world as Jesus did on the cross. Then we live to him, and he
becomes our Father, for that is to do his will.
Jn.6:40 For this is the will of my father, that everyone beholding the
son and believing in him have zoe-life eternal, and I will raise him up in the
last day.
Mk.3:32 . . . and they say to him: Behold outside your mother and your
brothers and your sisters seek you. And answering
them he says: Who is my mother and my brothers? And having looked around at those sitting near him
round [about] he says: Behold my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of
God, this is my brother and my sister and my mother. He commands these only:
Mt.23:8 . . .all [of] you are brothers. And do not call [anyone]
your father on the earth, for one is your father in the heavens.
It is all about family! More
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