If I may interject in this discussion.
The argument seems to be about the meaning of "Father" but I think the real issue is the meaning of "call".
I said to mjrhealth (post #328):
We don't call our priests father. We address them as father. There is a difference.
You may think I am playing with words here but I was trying to highlight the issue of what is meant by "call". I think it those who throw this topic at Catholics who are playing with words - committing the fallacy of equivocation.
The Collins Concise Dictionary gives 28 [yes, twenty eight] different meanings to the verb “call”. Some of these are specialist terms (e.g. to “call” at poker), but a couple are relevant here:.
8. (tr) to name or style: they called the dog Rover.
9. (tr) designate: they called him a coward.
or as the Concise Oxford English Dictionary [less comprehensive with only 8 meanings] puts it:- “[3.] give a specified name to. address by a specified name, title, etc.”
According to a Greek Orthodox priest, who is also a Greek translator, the word translated “call” in Mt 23:9 is misunderstood. I do not understand the technicalities of Greek but apparently the word used (kalesete) is not any of those used to imply a name or title, but means summon or call forth and is in the second person aorist active subjunctive plural form (and no, I don’t understand what that is!).
It’s Strong G2564
kaleo
Akin to the base of G2753; to “call” (properly aloud, but used in a variety of applications, directly or otherwise):—bid, call (forth), (whose, whose sur-) name (was [called]).
G2753
keleuo
From a primary word kello (to urge on); “hail”; to incite by word, that is, order:—bid, (at, give) command (-ment).
It’s the same word that is translated call in Mt 9:13, Mk 2:17 & Lk 5:32. “For I came not to call (kalesai) the righteous, but sinners.”
Or in Lk 14:7-24 where it is translated as ‘invited’ (6 times)
This would be the following from the Collins Concise Dictionary
1. to speak out or utter (words, sounds etc.) loudly so as to attract attention
2. (tr) to ask or order to come
or as the Concise Oxford English Dictionary put it:- “[1.] cry out to (someone) in order to summon them or attract their attention.”
This is a different meaning of “call” to that used when Protestants say Catholics call their priests father. Following this understanding means there is no contradiction in scripture, or in Catholics “calling” their priests father.
Take this example:
As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. (Mt 4:18-21).
The first usage of "call" (Simon who is called Peter) uses "call in the sense of named or addressed and it is legomenon (Strong 3004). It is the same as when Catholics 'call' (address) their priests 'father'. It is the same word used here:
"and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called [legomenos] Christ" (Mt 1:16)
The second use of call is when he "called" James and John. Clearly in this case he is calling out to them to attract their attention, to call them to him. The Greek is ekalesen (Strong 2564), the same verb (and hence sense) that Jesus used in Mt 23:9 (and Mk 2:17 & Lk 5:32)
