Matthew 23:8-10
But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus is directly challenging the heart of spiritual authority. He's not just saying "don't use titles," but rather, "don't seek the kind of status and independent authority that 'Rabbi' implied, because true spiritual authority and fatherhood belong only to God and Christ." The call for everyone to be "brothers" underscores that true discipleship is about humble equality under one divine teacher.
Jesus is addressing a crowd, including his disciples, and specifically calling out the hypocrisy and pride of the scribes and Pharisees. He warns his followers against imitating their behavior, which includes seeking titles and positions of honor. This verse immediately follows Jesus' condemnation of those who "love the places of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues" and "want to be called 'Rabbi' by people."
Ever feel like certain titles or labels automatically put people on a pedestal or create distance? Jesus addresses this head-on.
Jesus tells his disciples, 'But you are not to be called rabbi...' The word 'rabbi' meant 'my great one' or 'teacher' and was a title of high honor and authority in that time, often implying a special, almost unquestionable, level of understanding.
Think about it: the scribes and Pharisees Jesus was just critiquing loved these titles (Matthew 23:6-7). They reveled in being called 'Rabbi,' 'Father,' and 'Master.' These titles set them apart, establishing a hierarchy that Jesus wanted to dismantle among his followers. He was highlighting how these honorifics could breed pride in the one addressed and a sense of inferiority or blind obedience in those who used them.
The core issue wasn't the job of teaching itself, but the ambition and pride that clung to the titles. Jesus wanted his disciples to avoid anything that would elevate them above others or obscure the absolute authority of God.
If no one is 'Rabbi' but Christ, then what does that make us to each other?
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Jesus immediately follows the command about titles with a powerful declaration: '...for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.' This isn't just a suggestion; it's the theological foundation for why those titles are inappropriate.
This radical equality means that any sense of superiority or authority among believers must be understood within the framework of service, not domination. True greatness in God's kingdom isn't about titles, but about humble service (Matthew 23:11).
Understand the original words
adelphos · Greek Noun
Refers to the familial bond and spiritual equality of believers within the kingdom of God. This term highlights that all followers of Christ relate to one another as equals under the headship of God.
kathēgētēs · Greek Noun
One who instructs, guides, or provides authoritative knowledge, particularly concerning the Scriptures. Jesus claims this role exclusively for himself, rejecting human attempts to monopolize spiritual truth.
patēr · Greek Noun
A term of deep reverence and authority, originally denoting a biological progenitor, but used here to describe spiritual authority over the lives of others. Jesus asserts that ultimate spiritual paternity belongs to God alone.
kathēgētēs · Greek Noun
A title for one who leads, guides, or serves as a master in doctrine. It denotes a position of supreme leadership and guidance that belongs rightfully to the Messiah.
Christos · Greek Noun
The Greek translation of the Hebrew 'Messiah,' meaning 'the Anointed One.' It refers to the promised King and Savior of Israel, whose authority supersedes all human teachers and leaders.
Jesus' instruction not to be called 'Rabbi' arose in a context where this title had become a symbol of status and authority, often divorced from genuine humility and service. He was calling His followers to a radically different model of leadership, grounded in brotherhood and submission to God alone.
c. 200 BC - 100 BC
Rise of 'Rabbi' as Title
The title 'Rabbi', meaning 'my great one' or 'my teacher', began to be used for respected Jewish teachers and scholars. This reflected a growing emphasis on oral tradition and rabbinic authority.
c. 10 BC - AD 30— this verse
Jesus' Public Ministry
During this period, Jesus taught and ministered, directly challenging the religious establishment and its practices. His teachings often contrasted with the popular understanding and application of the Law.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Ch. 5-7)
Jesus delivered teachings that redefined righteousness, including warnings against hypocrisy and the misuse of religious authority, laying groundwork for later pronouncements.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus' Final Week in Jerusalem
Jesus confronted the religious leaders, including scribes and Pharisees, in Jerusalem, exposing their hypocrisy and their misuse of titles and authority, culminating in His Olivet Discourse (Matthew 23-25).
Jesus, after washing the disciples' feet, instructs them that if He, their Lord and Teacher, has washed their feet, they also ought to wash one another's feet, highlighting that true greatness is found in humble service, not titles.
1 Corinthians 12:28This passage lists various roles within the church, including teachers and helpers, emphasizing that God has placed them in the body as He willed, suggesting that these are God-given functions, not titles to be sought for personal glory.
Galatians 3:28Paul states there is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female, for all are one in Christ Jesus, reinforcing the idea of spiritual equality and brotherhood that transcends earthly titles and distinctions.
Colossians 1:18This verse declares Christ as the head of the body, the church, and the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, in all things He may have preeminence, underscoring His unique authority and position as the ultimate teacher and leader.
calvinMatthew 23:1-12: "Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,"
- Then Jesus spoke to the multitude, and to his disciples, 2. Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in the chair of Moses. 3. Observe and do, therefore, all things whatever they command you to observe; but do not according to their works; for they say and do not. 4. For they bind heavy and intolerable burdens, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they refuse to touch them with their finger. 5. And they do all their…
ellicottMatthew 23:8: "But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren."
(8) Be not ye called Rabbi. —The teaching of our Lord was not without its foreshadowings in that of the better scribes, and a precept of Shemaiah, the predecessor of Hillel, lays down the rule that “men should love the work, but hate the Rabbi-ship.” One is your Master.—The word, as found in the better MSS., is used in its old sense as “teacher.” He was, as the disciples called Him, the Rab…
Jesus is directly challenging the heart of spiritual authority. He's not just saying "don't use titles," but rather, "don't seek the kind of status and independent authority that 'Rabbi' implied, because true spiritual authority and fatherhood belong only to God and Christ." The call for everyone to be "brothers" underscores that true discipleship is about humble equality under one divine teacher.
Jesus is addressing a crowd, including his disciples, and specifically calling out the hypocrisy and pride of the scribes and Pharisees. He warns his followers against imitating their behavior, which includes seeking titles and positions of honor. This verse immediately follows Jesus' condemnation of those who "love the places of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues" and "want to be called 'Rabbi' by people."
Jesus is addressing a crowd, including his disciples, and specifically calling out the hypocrisy and pride of the scribes and Pharisees. He warns his followers against imitating their behavior, which includes seeking titles and positions of honor. This verse immediately follows Jesus' condemnation of those who "love the places of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues" and "want to be called 'Rabbi' by people."
"But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ." — Jesus is directly challenging the heart of spiritual authority. He's not just saying "don't use titles," but rather, "don't seek the kind of status and independent authority that 'Rabbi' implied, bec…
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