ABrotherInChrist's Blog

[ABrotherInChrist]

I just posted on the other forum about this, but it's still running through my head. Bear with me.

Originally Posted by Matthew 23:8-12 (NIV)

"But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

I've been getting more and more burdened by people referring to Lee, Titus Chu and others as their "spiritual father". Jesus in this passage (read the chapter in its entirety) is lambasting the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and evil ways. As part of this he states:

1. We are not to be called "Rabbi" (or master)
2. We are not to call anyone on earth "father"
3. We are not to be called "teacher"

We need to take this to heart. If we disregard this plain teaching, we end up with us revering our "spiritual father" here on earth. We end up holding teachers in too high of regard (for instance, Witness Lee). By doing this, we are completely off track with where God wants us to be. God wants us to be following God, not other humans.

Originally Posted by 1 Corinthians 3:5-7 (NIV)

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.

Paul has made it clear to us in this passage... The person that led you to Christ is immaterial. The person who watered the seed in you... immaterial. The person who shepherds you... immaterial. God made it grow The servant He choses to use are nothing, only God is important in this equation.

I know that this is a bit of a thought shift to some, but we need to stop venerating other human servants of God. Give God all the glory, only He is worthy of it.


Anyways, that's what's been bugging me lately.