The HARD TRUTH with Dr. Kennedy Musonda, Ph.D.
I opened the series of articles entitled why you should not call your pastor Papa with the following statement, a month ago: “The controversy concerning Jesus’ prohibition in Mathew 23:9 not to call anyone on earth father because there is only one Father who is heaven” continues to rage unabated. My statement proved true because there is no agreed position on this; some readers responded with anger and with some used unpalatable language against the author. As I conclude this topic today, I want to address the most commonly quoted Scriptures or justification for calling a pastor Papa. In response to last week’s article someone even asked me if someone can lose salvation by calling a pastor Papa, which I think is missing the point of the discussion.
There is scriptural evidence in the Old Testament where two people called a prophet Father. In 2 Kings 2:12, Elisha called Elijah, Father; in 2 Kings 6:21 &13:14, the King of Israel called Elisha Father. There is also scriptural evidence in which Paul called the Corinthian Church as a father (1 Corinthians 4:14-15) to them and also called Timothy and others as sons 1 Timoth 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:2; Tit.us 1:4; Philemon. 1:10) . How do we reconcile with Jesus forbidding his disciples and the followers to calling religious leaders father?
First. Paul used the title father metaphorically when referring to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 4:15) He also used the metaphor of mother, referring to how he took care of the Thessalonian church (1Thes. 2:7-8 NIV). The implication here is that just like a normal father protects and provides for his children or a mother cares for her children, ‘spiritual fathers/mothers’ should have the same attitude and not use their position to control and take advantage of the flock for financial gain. Paul called the same spiritual children as brothers and sisters more than 100 times if you look at all his writings but only called them his children once in 1 Corinthians 4:14-15. These days, I rarely hear men and women of God calling church members brothers and sisters and yet this is the basic relationship in the Kingdom of God and not the position. Jesus said “be ye not called Rabbi because you are all brothers and sisters” (Matthew 23:8).
It is also important to note that Paul was using the ancient Jewish father/son relationship concept for the metaphoric spiritual father/son and not the Papa concept used by the Scribes and Pharisees as it is being used toady. A father made a huge investment on a long-term basis in the son in the ancient Jewish culture so that the son can know the Word of God, gain vocational skills and maintain family traditions. The son in the end had to be like the father. Based on the Jewish culture of father/son relationship, Paul called Timothy his dear son. Paul explained in his calling Timothy as a son in Phillipians 2:22 that “But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.” Calling a person a spiritual son or even a spiritual daughter is not a casual statement. It is a statement laden with responsibility and long-term commitment to seeing that that person mature and take over responsibility from you or take over a significant portion of your ministry responsibility.
In public Paul did not call Timothy son like the Papas today do. It is only in personal letters that he called Timothy, son. In public letters, Paul called Timothy by ‘respectable’ titles that show ministry equality. He called him “my fellow bond-servant of Jesus Christ” (Phi. 1:1) – a term that has profound implications. He also called him “our brother, minister of God and fellow laborer in the Gospel” (1 The. 3:2). In Romans 16:21, Paul called Timothy “my co-worker.”
To reconcile the two opposing views, I believe that spiritual fatherhood should not be a title but should reflect along-term relationship between a spiritual leader and the people he is mentoring. Pharisees and Scribes demanded to be called Paps, Rabbi and Masters as titles just like many of today’s Papas are doing. Is it not enough to be called pastor, prophet or Bishop? What is the motive behind being called Papa? Spiritual father/son should reflect a leaders’ influence on the lives of those he is discipling as he genuinely demonstrates the life of Christ in the his life. This is only possible when you have a close relationship with ‘spiritual sons’ like biolobical children have a close relationship with their parents in a normal family. But there are many leaders today who are spiritual bosses and not servant leaders – a model of leadership Jeus instituted in His Church. I have been in father/son relationship with my pastor for a very long time but he has never called me son, neither have I called him Papa. When he went oversees for ministry for more than three months, he left the church in my hands and he found it intact. Therefore, in spiritual matters, call no one on earth papa, except God, as instructed by Jesus.
Author: Dr. Kennedy Musonda an international development consultant holds a Bachelor and Master of Social Work, a Bachelor of Arts in Theology, a Postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Ph.D. in Business Administration.
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