Messianic Myths (Part 6) "Call No Man Rabbi" -- What Did Yeshua Mean?

[Rebbe]

MESSIANIC MYTHS OF THE 21ST CENTURY (PART 6)

"CALL NO MAN RABBI."
What Did Yeshua Mean?

Copyright © BRI 2012,2018 All Rights Reserved Worldwide
by Les Aron Gosling, Messianic Lecturer (BRI/IMCF)

CAUTION: BRI/IMCF Yeshiva notes are not available to the general public. They are not for distribution. They are not for reproduction. The notes may also bear little or no resemblance to the actual recorded BRI/IMCF Yeshiva lecture.

Over many years one of the most consistent aspersions cast upon this Messianic Rebbe and this Work of God is the entirely negative view -- from some of the more grossly biblically ignorant in the Christian/Messianic Community -- concerning our understanding of the Lord Yeshua's commandments recorded in Matthew 23.8-10. This accusation reaches right back to our early period of ministry when we first were hosted on another site on the Internet.

Yeshua, according to the nay-sayers, forbade any man to be called "Rabbi" or teacher. Let us examine these three verses in Matthew Levi's Gospel, and then ask some questions about this section and its surrounding texts. I will utilise the highly questionable AV.

"But be ye not called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ."

According to those who lay stress on this commandment of Messiah, nobody should be called a teacher which in the Second Temple period was intended by the term "Rabbi."

Now, I can't speak for anyone reading this -- I can only speak for myself -- I have no awkwardness about calling a rabbi a rabbi. And I have no hesitation about calling a medical specialist "Doctor" -- even if this appellation was stolen and applied to themselves by medical practitioners from Christian theological Doctors of Divinity. If I attend a surgery I will call the MD, "Doctor," without any feelings of guilt. I also would have no hesitation in speaking of my Dad as "father." That is because I was acknowledging him as the man who "fathered" me (brought me into an existence as a human being). All of these titles are marks of due respect. Of course, times change, and today we speak of men as "Mr" (Mister) without fully appreciating that this is also a title of Office in medical quarters called hospitals -- a title of a highly qualified surgeon in the UK, Republic of Ireland and occasionally in Australia and New Zealand. But now its also arrogated by people totally unqualified in medical matters. (The same applies to similar medical appellations like Miss, Mrs, Ms et al.)

What do biblical personalities in the NT corpus think of Yeshua's command? Have his apostles taken him literally?

Well, Matthew (who records this especial command by Christ) never hesitates to speak of (and recount episodes involving the use of) the term "father." See for example the following texts which I am not going to write out in full here because I am far too lazy, and I wish to bless readers by encouraging them to actually use their Bibles! Mt 2.22; 4.21,22; 8.21, 10.21. See? Matthew Levi had no probs in speaking of "fathers."

Stephen, the first recorded Christian martyr, had no issues in speaking of "fathers." See Acts 7.2,4,14,16. Obviously, neither did the physician (doctor) Luke because it was Luke who penned Acts and made proper use of the word "father." Indeed, it is Luke who continues to speak of Timothy's "father" in Acts 16.1,3 and "the father of Publius" in Acts 28.8.

The Lord Yeshua also never hesitated to use the terms (which some say he forbade others from doing) in referencing preferential normalcies of the day. Please take the time to educate yourself by looking up the following sacred Scriptures and remember this is Yeshua speaking: Mt 10.35,37; 15.4,5,6; 19.5,19,29; 21.31. Was Our Lord going right against his own commandment that he issued to others? Was he expecting others to be more righteous than himself? This action regarding normalcy by Yeshua is repeated throughout the Gospels -- all of them! (Use a concordance to try to disprove my assessment! You won't be able to do it!)

So far we have found that Matthew, Luke, Stephen and even the One who originally cautioned his disciples about the use of certain terminology ALL violate this procedure. Not only is this the case, but Yeshua HIMSELF personally violates this seeming expectation that he gave to his students. Where is this recorded?

In John 3.10. Yeshua is addressing a man known as Nakdimon (our versions call him Nicodemus). This man was the celebrated Nakdimon ben Gurion -- the older brother of Josephus Flavius who gave us the Antiquities and the War of the Jews. And HOW does Yeshua address this most important individual who figures in a celebratory way in secular Jewish history? Why, he speaks of him to his face as "THE Teacher of Israel" (Jn 3.10 Greek). Not just "a teacher" or "any rabbi" but the formidable, excellent, numero uno "THE MASTER" -- THE TEACHER -- and yes "THE RABBI." And it was a mark of respect from Yeshua toward Nakdimon in his appointed "Office."

So, now that's Matthew Levi, Stephen, Luke, Yeshua, John (who records the incident between his Lord and Nakdimon) and now we look at James the half-brother of the Saviour of the world. James wrote:

"Was not Abraham our FATHER justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?" (James 2.21).

So the list has grown larger with Matthew Levi, Stephen, Luke, Our Lord Yeshua, John, and James. It does not stop here. The unknown author of the circular Letter to the Hebrews also adds his literary efforts to the list. He speaks of Melchi'zadok's lack of a "father" and Levi "in the loins of his father" when Abraham met this "heavenly" priest (Hebrews 7.3,10) and furthermore encourages Christians if they are chastened by God because "what son is he who is not chastened by his father?" (Heb 12.7). No uncertainty about using the obvious appellation of a progenitor!

Penultimately, we come to the emissary Rav Shaul. Was he indecisive about speaking of the gifted Office of teachers/rabbis let alone the position of "father" (singular in "one who begets") and the "fathers" (plural as in spiritual and/or historical)? Once more, refer to your Bible concordance: 1 Timothy 5.1; 1 Thessalonians 2.11; Philippians 2.22; Ephesians 5.31; 6.2; Galatians 4.2; Romans 4.1,11,12,16,17,18; 9.10. According to some ignoramuses it is not OK to call someone else, or be known as holding an Office by the designation of "father" or "Rabbi" (Teacher/Master) but it is OK to write concerning these same designations! What utter tripe!

But there is still one more awesome and most Wondrous testimony that we have so far ignored in our list. We have specifically mentioned Matthew Levi (and by implication and/or inference also Mark who equally covered these issues in his Gospel), Stephen, Luke, Our Lord Yeshua, John, and James along with the unknown author of the circular Letter to the Hebrews, and now Paul. So who is left as a witness to the Truth of the matter?

Finally, the holy Spirit! The Ruach HaKodesh -- GOD IN THE FEMININE GENDER OF PERSUASION AND EMPOWERMENT produced (gave birth to) an ekklesia -- a Messianic Community in which one of the most influential and powerful Offices was established: that of Teacher! See Ephesians 4.11 and Romans 12.7.

There are some who would assess (argue is perhaps more appropriate) that according to the apostle John we no longer need teachers to guide us in our Nazarene Walk. They are fond of quoting 1 John 2.27 to the effect that we have no need for any man to teach us. Intriguingly, they take the statement (text) out of immediate context (which then becomes a pretext) and fail -- SOMEHOW!!! --  to realise that John then spends an entire epistle TEACHING THEM. Yes, the very ones who "have no need" (apparently) "that any man teach" them are then being taught by the same man who penned the original assertion. How dull and uninteresting their lives must be (either IN or OUT of Christ)!

Certainly there does not appear to be any cringing or fear involved with all the above apostles and even in Yeshua himself -- as they seem to be blatantly disobeying these strict regulations of the Lord. Even the One who gave these instructions in Matthew's account doesn't seem to "bat an eyelid" when he goes against his own edicts!

So what DID Messiah intend to convey in his reproach against being called Rabbi or Father? The entire section dealing with these strict (and his position is very strict indeed) instructions speaks of the ATTITUDE on lording it over others in an assembly of disciples (students) and becoming swelled-headed in the holding of an Office in the Messianic Community. Yeshua forbade his disciples to imitate the behaviour of the rabbis. Read the entire section in Matthew and please allow it to sink in once and for all (Matthew 23.8-10).

I will note Professor Kenneth Wuest's translation at this conclusion.

"The men learned in the scriptures and the Pharisees occupy the professorial chairs of authoritative teachers whose responsibility it is to interpret Moses. All things therefore as many as they say to you, do, and as a habit of life with a solicitous care observe, but stop doing according to their works, for they are always discoursing and not doing. Moreover, they are always binding together burdensome burdens and placing them upon the shoulders of men, but they themselves are not willing to remove them with their finger. Furthermore, all their works they do with ostentation for the purpose of being contemplated in the admiring glances of men, for they make broad their amulets and enlarge the tassles of their garments. Moreover, they are fond of the most prominent places at the dinners, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and of being accorded deferential respect and regard when they are greeted in the market places, and to be called by men, Rabbi. But as for you, do not seek to be called Rabbi, for one is your Teacher, and all of you are brethren. And do not begin to call anyone your father upon the earth, for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called Master and Guide, [an "Instructor" -- Schonfield's Original New Testament translation] because One is your Master and Guide ["Instructor"], the Christ. But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and whoever shall humble himself shall be exalted."

Well and good. BUT I can still hear the protests levelled at me concerning any Messianic teacher being "called rabbi." (These same characters would not hesitate to call a medical practitioner "Doctor" when visiting his surgery anticipating his professional expertise! But rabbis were, and are, Doctors of the Torah so there seems to be an inconsistency in this matter of recognising appellations.)

What Yeshua is doing in Matthew 23 is EXAGGERATING a command in order to get a point across to his students. It's not an unusual teaching practice and it is found in the Second Temple period. It's called a Semitism! But most (if not all) Messianic believers and Christians have never known of the existence of such a practice.

Simply put a Semitism is a lever used by rabbis and others in the first century Jewish milieu, an exaggeration to make a point or to grant an impression which may or may not be valid. Today we would call such a thing, a "lie." But lie is far too strong a word. I have often used such a lever in my own lectures to illustrate something which otherwise may prove to be quite beyond the understanding of a student normally to grasp.

This practice, I repeat, wasn't viewed as a lie in the days of Yeshua, believe it or not. I have written about this over a period of 40+ years. Isn't it about time some believers started listening to what I have been saying AND PROVING for such a lengthy period?

In today's day and age a Semitism may sound terribly out of place. And in fact, it well can be. Can we illustrate precisely an incident wherein Yeshua utilised another opportunity for exaggeration apart from Matthew 23?

There are indeed a number of incidents where Yeshua used Semitisms in his ministry. A prime example of Yeshua's use of such a lever, as I have mentioned innumerable times, is seen in his parable of the mustard seed (Mt 13.31,32). How so?

[1] Yeshua said the mustard seed is the smallest of seeds (which it isn't)...

[2] and it grows into the largest of trees (which it doesn't. In fact, it is only a small shrub).

[3] He then proceeds to tell us that the birds of the air nest in its branches (an utter impossibility. If they were to do this there wouldn't be much of the shrub left).

It is simply the overstating of a case in order to establish a vital principle.

Again, and even more importantly, at the conclusion of his ministry the Lord Yeshua appears to be leading his faithful disciples astray when they ask him if he is at that time going to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover (Jn 7.6-13). Knowing that a cabal within the Sanhedrin authority was out to assassinate him his response made it candidly clear that he was not intending to visit Jerusalem for the feast. He gave this impression in order that rumours would spread indicating his inability to attend (even though scrupulous attendance was expected of all male representatives of a household in the Torah). By utilising such a "ploy" Yeshua would then be free to turn up at Jerusalem at a time of his own discretion. It was a good strategy and it worked. He left for Jerusalem immediately after they departed. (The NIV tames the incident considerably.) Read it for yourself. I am not making this up!!

The time has come for repentance among those who would insist that certain appellations -- "labels" as one spiritual imbecile referred to it -- are to be discarded in order to accord with the instructions of Yeshua (which they totally misunderstand). Intriguingly, there are even one or two Messianic "teachers" who avoid the designation "Rabbi" or even "Rebbe" and instruct their students and followers to desist from the temptation to access my "suspicious and heretical" -- Messianic Myths of the 21st Century -- lectures, and other expositions, study guides, and public IMCF sites and yet at the same time proudly, smugly and with frequency update their FB pages with photos and videos of themselves resolutely adorned with Jewish regalia and being surrounded with Jewish emblems, magen David's, talliths and menorah's thus legitimately substantiating their professed Jewishness. Sort of get the impression that they are the very ones who do such things "with ostentation for the purpose of being contemplated in the admiring glances of men, for they make broad their amulets and enlarge the tassles of their garments. Moreover, they are fond of the most prominent places at the dinners, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and of being accorded deferential respect and regard" for being a Jewish "teacher" (Rabbi) -- perhaps better, a Clayton's teacher: the teacher (Rabbi) you have when you haven't got a teacher (Rabbi).

Time to get real. Time to get back to the ORIGINAL Gospel of the biblical revelation which cries aloud for the salvation of all humankind, and acclaims the return of the Sh'khinah of God to the bosom and embrace of FatherMother God Anochi I-Source.

Rebbe