In today's fast-paced environment, we all have a tendency to lean toward opinions we acquire on a variety of topics, then accept those beliefs as reality over time. Indeed, if I base this on the studies I've done on comparable ideas and opinionated comments from many Christians at all stages of their spiritual walk over the decades. The truth is that they delve into what they build as a belief system without exposing themselves to the facts that Bible Scholars would spend time and effort researching.
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This article, on the other hand, was not meant to disparage anyone or to point fingers or to claim that one person, little or large group or meeting, or even church teaching, is superior.
It's all about assisting people in growing spiritually in their relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and becoming more dependant on the Holy Spirit as they study the meaning of ancient scripture.
I started posting this article since I get a lot of mail on my Facebook groups, which is understandable given that I have over 140,000 members on my groups and pages. Most of the time, I manage because I pray about a lot of what I get before I give a reader an answer or a suggestion. One of the persons I've been prompted to communicate with recently was Elizabeth, a kindhearted lady with a desire for God – and that's all I'll say about her since I don't want to shame or expose her here.
In our correspondence, she mentioned that her pastor had mentioned to some members of the congregation that he was willing to take on the position of Spiritual Father in order to teach and guide some of his members. That irritated Elizabeth, who responded with Matt 23:8-10, 8. “However, you are not to be addressed as ‘Rabbi,' because you have only one Teacher and are all brothers. 9 And do not address anyone on earth as “father,” since you only have one, and he is in heaven. 10 You are not to be called instructors, because you only have one, the Messiah.”
Now, before I get into the heart of this message, I'd like to give a few direct quotes from our correspondence over the next few days.
On the last point about becoming a spiritual father, I wrote: I'm not sure if that particular reference occurs in scripture, but Paul refers to Timothy as his son numerous times in books 1 and 2 of Timothy. Spiritual Fathers are people I refer to as such. Many of the people I contact with on Facebook refer to me as their Spiritual Father or Pappa.
Elizabeth, was my response at the time. I recommend that you conduct some research on Matt 23 and perhaps obtain some suggestions from other Bible commentators and commentaries about how this fits in with the rest of scripture. I don't have time to complete it right now, but I will in the coming days. It's not always wise to take things at face value without first understanding the context in which they were written. I'll contact you.
The Apostle John describes three different levels of spiritual growth in 1 John 2:12-14. He refers to his readers as “dear children” throughout the message. He does, however, stray from his customary address here, adding “fathers” and “young men” to his standard “loved children.” When you take a look at the book as a whole, it appears that this passage doesn't belong where it is. Despite this, verses 12-14 contain two references to “beloved children,” “fathers,” and “young men.” Repetition was employed to convey emphasis in Hebrew culture and Greek language; the writer was emphasizing, “This is really essential, don't miss this.” As a result, we'll take a deeper look at this message to discover what John had to say to both his contemporaries and us, today's readers.
“I write to you, my children,” John begins in verse 12, “because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.” “I write to you, fathers,” he says, “since you have known him who is from the beginning.” “I write to you, young men, since you have vanquished the evil one,” he concludes the progression. John distinguishes disparities in levels of maturity among Christians by utilizing chronological age terms. John not only revisits the categories, but he also arranges the levels in a non-chronological order. The “fathers” are once again sandwiched between the “loved children” and the “young guys.” Why would he do such a thing? I believe that as we continue to study the passage, it will become evident that God has something special to say to us about the role of the father in particular.
“Children” have come to a saving knowledge of Christ; “young men” are strong in the Word of God and have successfully waged the spiritual fight; and “fathers” know God intimately and have had a deeper and broader relationship with the “I AM”-the God of eternity (see Exodus 3:14-15). Let's look at why I believe the Spirit of God led John to communicate the levels in a different order than they were supposed to be communicated.
God is exposing a crucial aspect of being a spiritual parent in this passage. We will miss the essential point if we do not notice it. This crucial fact is that your mature features and intimate contact with the “I AM” do not make you a spiritual parent. The child and father were brought together by John so that we might observe the importance of reproduction in reaching and expressing maturity. Because you've also been used to generate spiritual children, you're a spiritual father. A spiritually mature man has no spiritual children and cannot be regarded a spiritual father unless he reproduces and disciples Christlike maturity in others. Spiritual children having a deep and intimate relationship with God the Father are the offspring of a spiritual father. These youngsters and young men's spiritual development must continue in order for them to become spiritual dads who reproduce spiritual offspring.
We must develop children who have been saved into young men who know God's Word and can fight spiritual battles, and fathers who have walked closely with God for a long time and have been used to reproduce the next generation of spiritual fathers. If males aren't reproducing spiritually, they haven't reached complete spiritual maturity and aren't reproducing.
Over the course of his 53-year sales career, Peter Collins has concentrated on assisting and bringing out the best in others, whether it's through training or mentoring salespeople, managers, or providing business consulting to small and medium-sized businesses. Peter has earned a reputation as a nationally and internationally published author since the 1970s, with 68 business books among his 133 novels published over the past 48 years (but he is mainly known for one book based on the Audio Tape series of the same name, Over 50 Ways of Closing the Sale). Peter has also authored 30 Christian novels. In the late 1970s, one of Peter's novels sold nearly 2 million copies and is currently selling well through second hand web marketers around the world. In his personal life, Peter has been sought after as a motivator and encourager who, despite his busy schedule, has freely given of his time and abilities. Through his teaching, training, growth, and ongoing mentoring, he has subsequently aided churches, pastors, community and charitable groups, as well as individuals.
What is a spiritual parent?
Second, a spiritual parent's purpose isn't to invent a new way to construct your own kingdom; it's to follow the biblical model of deploying and releasing individuals in God's Kingdom. In biological families, some parents find it difficult to let go of their children. They want them to be able to realize their own unmet aspirations and desires. This is never a good idea. Conversations with mature children are significantly different than guidelines for toddlers and teenagers. This type of discipleship that I'm writing about is done with adults. I have a number of spiritual fathers to whom I go for guidance, counsel, and prayer. I don't always go to ask for their permission. Each of them provides me with something unique. We can't expect our spiritual dads to be everything for us; they can only be themselves and the gifts that God has bestowed upon them. It is listening to and comprehending Jesus' followers, rather than attempting to mold them into your image. They have a divine destiny; your goal is to assist them grow into the image of Jesus, not to mold them into your image.
Finally, every child requires both a father and a mother.
When both parents are absent, a single parent's child requires aunts, uncles, grandparents, and close family friends to help fill in the gaps.
Many people might be offended by this, but I feel it is psychologically necessary to understand why the Catholic Church perceives Mary the way it does.
We all require both a father and a mother.
I believe that the father/mother traits are present in the Trinity, not just in male and female designations.
You can't help but think about the Holy Spirit, the God of all comfort, the Spirit living in us, and a slew of other analogies – as well as Jesus and how he loves.
Paul is definitely neither male nor female when he writes.
I occasionally need to hear my mother's voice.
We shall become lop-sided if we only hear the male side of God.
Fourth, spiritual parenting entails spiritual sons and daughters accompanying you in your environment to observe you.
We all have things we do without thinking that are second nature to us, but they are not to others.
I'm a voracious reader, but I'm not an intellectual.
To understand something, I need to get my hands on it and do it.
Reverse engineering has been a big part of my education.
I'd start trying something, and it'd work well enough that I knew I'd hit on something, so I'd read nonstop.
Having your spiritual offspring present in various situations gives them a variety of lessons.
Where did the term spiritual father come from?
“My'spiritual father,' Prophet Kamadzi (not real name), has enabled me to be established in Jesus Christ,” Kadotho (not actual name) informed a friend.
Among born-again Christians in the country, the term “spiritual father” is widely used. Christians nowadays look to spiritual dads or moms for prayers, breakthroughs, and blessingsbasically anything from God.
Kenneth Kamundi, a teacher at Chanza Primary School in Chiradzulu and a member of the Church of Central Africa Presbytery (CCAP) in Ngolonje, stated he had never seen such a description in the Bible.
People use this catchphrase because it is not about physicality, according to Kamundi, who has a spiritual father.
“If it's in the Bible, I haven't found it yet, but the Bible hasn't held any relevance for me thus far. “There is a father in the Bible,” he stated, citing 1 Corinthians 2 as an example.
A'spiritual father,' according to Kamundi, is a mentor who helps you grow in the Lord. Including: “I've been with this man, whom I refer to as my “spiritual father,” for five years. He's always been there, pointing me to Jesus.”
Spiritual does not mean “of spirit,” but rather “of spirit.” Is God a spiritual being? Kamundi stated that the Holy Spirit exists, that the Lord is spirit, and that the term “spiritual father” is not used.
“Timothy was even referred to by Paul as his son in the Lord, and Timothy may have written, “Paul, my father in the Lord.” He answered, “That's the name.”
Clement Kafoteza, a faithful member of Michiru CCAP in Blantyre, believes there is only one spiritual fatherGod.
“God is clearly identified as the parent in Matthew 23. I've heard stories about spiritual women and husbands who are actually devils. Is this man a spiritual father of God or not?” Kafoteza inquired.
When asked who provides mentorship and assists someone in becoming completely formed in Christ, he said “instructors.”
According to Tony Kasale, a BCA resident of Bangwe, Blantyre, there is no definite word for'spiritual father' in the Bible, although various Bible activities are equated to the term.
“There is no such thing in any of the Bible editions I've looked through. “The way Paul spoke to Timothy, the son in the Lord or in faith, has an element of'spiritual father,'” he stated.
But there is faith, and the texts are basic and easy. When Paul refers to Timothy as a son in the Lord, where does the word “spiritual” come from? He defined the term as “human thinking” in order to distinguish it from “physical thinking.”
Kasale stated: “Despite several tutors, Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 4:15 that he became the father through the gospel in Christ. God, Himself, or Paul could be the father here.”
Christians who embrace the term “spiritual father,” according to Thundu CCAP member Ben Benson in Blantyre, have lost focus.
When asked if the Bible recognizes a parent and if this contradicts what Jesus Christ says in Matthew 23, Benson answered that most Christians do not focus on the Bible.
“Are'spiritual dads' from God, even if there is only one father in a family? God is the only thing we have. “Those who recognize'spiritual fathers' should re-establish their Christian lives,” he advised.
The term “spiritual father” is biblical, according to Prophet Francis Samuel of Light of Life International Church (Lolic) in Chemusa, Blantyre.
“People don't get it because they haven't read the tale of Elijah and Elisha in 2 Kings 2, where the term'mentor' is used.
“You agree to learn his culture if you submit to him. The spiritual father can be from your own country or from another place. “Elisha's spirit was with Gehazi when Gehazi collected items from Naaman,” he remarked, referring to the account of Naaman in 2 Kings 5.
When asked about Matthew 23, which forbids calling anybody father, Samuel responded that you can't know God without knowing a man.
He said that a spiritual father is the same as a spiritual father in the Lord.
“Moses had never heard of the God of Israel before leaving Egypt. Jethro was the one who led him to the God of Abraham. He maintained that “Jethro tutored Moses.”
“Dads that lead their children astray are spiritual illness, not spiritual fathers. “Be careful who you surrender to; spiritual fathers abound, but God's presence is not,” he cautioned.
When it comes to anointing, people who have been anointed by their spiritual fathers look for justification in John and Jesus' baptism. According to Samuel, John was only there to fulfill the scriptures, not to mentor Jesus.
“It's impossible, because John is the light's witness. What role may a witness play in mentoring the primary light? Impossible. “They say things like that to fit their own agenda,” he explained.
The term “spiritual father” is biblical, according to Pastor Gift Tikiwa of Faith Life Church in Limbe, however it is translated as “father in the Lord” in the Bible.
“The presence of spiritual fathers is unavoidable. The Israelites used to refer to God as “the God of our Fathers.” The Bible teaches us to honor our parents in the Lord, the dads, in Ephesians 6, stated Tikiwa.
He explained that the term “spiritual father” is used in our modern culture to imply spiritual fatherhood rather than biological fatherhood. In 1 John 2:13-14, the Lord is described as a father figure. This is the one from whom you will receive direction and mentorship from the Lord.
The Bible, according to Tikiwa, declares that we all fall short in His eyes, and that only God is above judgment.
He stated that man is spiritual, whereas God is spirit. He continues by quoting 1 Corinthians 3:1: “And I couldn't speak to you as spiritual people, but as carnal people, as babes in Christ.”
“They permit worship, but we must remember that we have a heavenly Father to whom we must all obey. Some people refer to me as their spiritual father, yet I've never been close to them when it comes to spiritual matters. He emphasized, “Being a father entails a lot; don't get carried away; others are educators.”
What do you mean by spirituality?
Spirituality is defined as the awareness of a feeling, sense, or belief that there is something more to being human than sensory experience, and that the greater total of which we are a part is cosmic or divine in nature.
Who is a father in the Lord?
According to Marianne Thompson, God is referred to as “Father” throughout the Old Testament with a distinct sense of familiarity. In addition to being “Father” to all mankind in the sense that he created (and so “fathered”) the world, the same God is also the law-giver to his chosen people in a unique way. He has a special, covenantal father-child relationship with the people, giving them the Shabbat, stewardship of his prophecies, and a unique heritage in the things of God, calling Israel “my son” because he freed the descendants of Jacob from slavery in Egypt according to his covenants and oaths to their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. “For You are our father,” says Isaiah 63:16 (JP), “for Abraham did not know us, nor did Israel recognize us; You, O, are our father; our redeemer of old is your name.” The fatherly duty of guardian is assigned to God, according to Judaism. He is known as the Father of the Poor, the Guardian of the Orphan and the Widow. As the instructor and aid over Israel's judge, he is also known as the Father of the King.
According to Alon Goshen-Gottstein, “Father” is generally a metaphor in the Old Testament; it is not a proper term for God, but one of several titles by which Jews refer to and talk of God. According to Mark Sameth, references to God the Father convulsing in labor, giving birth, and suckling (Deuteronomy 32:13, 18) point to a priestly belief that “God the Father” is a dual-gendered deity, which was noted in the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries by Guillaume Postel and Michelangelo Lanci, respectively. Fatherhood is understood in a more literal and substantial sense in Christianity, and it is explicit about the need for the Son as a means of reaching the Father, resulting in a more metaphysical rather than figurative interpretation.
Who is a spiritual daughter?
Sinttal, which means “spiritual daughter,” is a phrase used to describe a female shaman who has been accepted into her spiritual mother's divine lineage.
What does father represent in the Bible?
The importance of a father's position in the family cannot be overstated. He is expected to be the family's leader and defender, as well as an example of Christ's love through loving the children's mother. He must also be steadfast in his beliefs and raise his children to know right from wrong.
Paul's letter to the Ephesians is found in Ephesians 5:25-37.
Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and sacrificed himself for her.
What is a spiritual mentor?
The Holy Spirit, the mentor, and the mentee form a spiritual mentoring relationship. The mentee strives to learn what God is already doing in his or her life through this relationship, and thereby grows in friendship with God, identity in God, and knowledge of God's call.
What is the difference between a mentor and a spiritual father?
The most important distinction between a mentor and a spiritual father is that a mentor, in general, leads the mentee through a specific stage of life. A spiritual father has a closer relationship with his “kid” and concentrates on spiritual enrichment and development throughout their lives.