What is a spiritual father?

For they were his own children in the faith, and their soul prosperity was his deep concern. He was not merely acting as an "instructor" as so many are inclined to do, communicating knowledge apart from a true interest in the state of the souls of those whom they instruct. The thousand of these are not worth the value of one man of God who has a father's heart. And having begotten them in Christ Jesus, through the gospel, he would not cease to care for them.

The apostle, in accepting, yea, claiming, a place of present contempt in the world's eyes for the chief emissaries of the Lord, in contrast with the ease and honour which the Corinthians lived in and valued, the fruit of the false teaching in their midst, had put the case in such a form as could not fail to appeal, and deeply, to every heart that loved Christ. He now, with the quick sensibility of genuine affection, seeks to reassure them. If he had wounded any, were not his wounds those of a friend? "Not to abash you do I write these things, but as my beloved children I admonish [you]; for if you should have ten thousand child-guides in Christ, yet not many fathers, for in Christ Jesus through the gospel I begot you. I beseech you then, become imitators of me." (Ver. 14-16.) A false teacher flatters his party, and abuses those who oppose his aims. He who is faithful to the Lord loves the saints; but this very love makes him vigilant, and gives moral courage to deal with what is offensive to Him. Yet his reproof is for those ears who need it, not for others to lower in their eyes such as may be censured.

It is well to observe that there is no depreciation of christian teaching or teachers in comparison with gospel work, such as the common version naturally insinuates. It is an appeal to the love which ought to bind specially the converted souls to him who was the means of bringing them to God; and not in any way a formal comparison of the relative value of this gift with that. Hence there is the avoidance of the word διδασκάλους, or teacher, and the use of the somewhat slighting term, παιδαγωγούς, as applied to those at Corinth who had done too much to occupy and turn away the saints there. Some of these might affect the law, others philosophy; but all sought to keep the brethren who listened to them in their leading-strings. They had little enjoyment of, or confidence in, the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and hence sought to direct the thoughts and ways of their admirers, as do guardians, or παιδαγωγοί, with the young entrusted to their charge. But this savours more of Jewish or Gentile modes, than of the gospel or its liberty; and the apostle could not but remind them that he it was who begot them through the gospel. Only one could feel for them as a parent — himself; yet was it against him especially that these leaders of cliques had sought to alienate his "beloved children." It is the interest of such a guardian to retain his charge in subjection as long as possible; while a father's joy is to see his children grow up intelligent as well as affectionate, maintaining the family character. Hence he adds, "I beseech you then, become imitators of me," a word which he urges again at the beginning of 1 Cor. 11, with the beautiful proviso, "even as I also [am] of Christ." Disinterested love is bold, and can speak freely. Certainly he sought not theirs but them, and the cross in practice, not earthly ease or honour or gain. Had they not lost their sense of what becomes the Christian? Let them follow him in self-renunciation for Christ.

Such titles as Rabbi (Teacher) or Father or Master (Leader) are neither to be given to men, nor are men to accept them. The Lord is plainly speaking in a spiritual sense, for of course a natural father is entitled to be called such by his children. But designations which put one in any place of spiritual prominence are to be totally refused. Men may invent variations of these such as "reverend," which is worse, for the title means "worthy of reverence."

On the other hand, scripture is clear that there are those who are in a spiritual way "fathers" (1Cor.4:15), "teachers", "Pastors," "evangelists" (Ephesians 4:11), and "leaders" (Heb.13:17--J.N.D.trans.), but to give or to accept a title as such is strictly forbidden by the Lord. Only Christ has a right to the title "Teacher" or "Leader," and only God the Father in heaven is entitled to being designated "Father." "All ye are brethren," He insists; that is, none are above others, but on the same plane.

(1) The fathers. "I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the beginning." (v. 14.) This term fathers marks out attainment, and that alone. It by no means therefore follows that "fathers" are old believers, though it will be generally true that the "fathers" will mainly be composed of such. Still, it is to be remembered that many old Christians — old in the sense of the length of time they have been believers — are yet but babes, while in some cases those who are comparatively young believers, may, from their rapid growth in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus, be found among the "fathers." The important thing is to see that this class includes all, of whatever age, who are distinguished by the spiritual characteristic of knowing Him that is from the beginning.

First, there are the "fathers," those who have matured in the experimental knowledge of God — the fruit of experience. Walking with God in practical subjection to His word as used by the Spirit, acquaintance with God has developed in them the realization of the unchanging character of "Him that is from the beginning," the apprehension that He is the one and only-abiding reality. As that, He is the object that stands out distinctly before them, attracting their thoughts and satisfying their hearts. Outside of Him there is nothing to desire; apart from Him there is nothing worth trying or seeking after. He alone can and does satisfy both mind and heart. Such are the fathers. Alas, how few there are! How few have so matured in the knowledge of Christ, that it is a practical reality that He is everything! But what wise counselors are the real fathers! What safe leaders and guides! May God grant us more of them.

These are but illustrations by which the apostle, as led of the Spirit, expressed the character of his ministry amongst the Thessalonian saints. But how much they reveal of the exercises of his heart in his service in their midst while preaching unto them "the Gospel of God"! First, then, he employs the figure of a nurse - he was gentle among them "as a nurse cherisheth her children." Tender fostering care, combined with watchful love, thus marked him, as he sought, on the one hand, to minister the suited nourishment, and, on the other hand, to guard them from every hurtful and malign influence which was calculated to impede their growth. Secondly, he says, "As ye know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, that ye should walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto His kingdom and glory." In this illustration we have implied that spiritual relationship which had been divinely formed between Paul and these believers. It was through his instrumentality that they had been converted. (Chap. 1:5-6.) They were therefore his children in the faith; and, sustaining this relationship towards them, he was invested with a special responsibility. He therefore sought to train them up in the way they should go; and to this end he exhorted them, when he saw the need of urging them forward; comforted them if they were depressed, despondent, or sorrowful; and charged them individually as to their responsibility, while explaining to them that the standard set before them was, that they should walk worthy of God who had called them unto His kingdom and glory. It was with paternal affection and solicitude that he enforced these things on his beloved children, begotten through the gospel; anxious only that God might be glorified in their walk and conduct, and that they might be stimulated to this through the maintenance of communion with God in the purpose and object of their heavenly calling. As we meditate upon it, we can only exclaim, "What a pattern ministry!" and, at the same time, earnestly pray that many of the Lord's servants may be characterised by these features of the apostolic example.

The word of God is that by which we are born anew. "Being born again — not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible — by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." (1 Peter 1:23.) This living and abiding word has not only a moral effect upon us, making us to write the sentence of our spiritual death upon ourselves; it has also, in the hands of God, a life-giving power. Using it as a means, God brings us by it into His family; "Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth." ( James 1:18.) In His sovereignty, and of His free grace, God chose to give us the new life by His word. The apostle Paul says, that through the word which he preached, his spiritual children were begotten. "In Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel." ( Cor. 4:15.) God used the word spoken by His servant to give life to sinners dead in their sins, and, we may add that thus a peculiar tie of spiritual affection bound the apostle to those to whom he was so used — a tie which will be recognised in eternity.

Verse 19. "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you." These are strong and strange words to be addressed to really Christian ears, yet not inconsistent with his former recognition of them as believers. He has already reminded them of their filial relationship in Christ to God; he now interposes between their new teachers and themselves his decisive claim, as their spiritual father in the gospel, to their obedient regards. They had not many such (1 Cor. 4:16); and if they asked their hearts they would find that it was better with them while they honoured him, by cleaving to his words, than since they had followed their strange guides. He was their father in the faith of Christ, and felt towards them as a father should; while his disappointment, as he saw them carried away by divers and strange doctrines, caused him to suffer in his spirit more than a mother's pangs on their account. For if they continued as they were their hope was gone. Already they were in a state which laid upon his love a second time the burden of travailing for their salvation. He had done this once, when first he preached the word of life among them. He had then by the grace of God converted them from Gentile ignorance. He has now to toil for their deliverance from Jewish pride and spiritual self-complacency; and their latter state was worse and more perilous than the first, since with a name to live they were lying still among the dead. For Christ has no place, nor can have, in a heart which goes about to establish its own righteousness. Paul's anxiety is not that they should believe upon the name of Christ, but that He should be formed in them. They had once believed, and even as legalists they were confessing still, though wrongly; the name of Jesus Christ; but what was in them, and came therefore out of them, while thus minded, was not Christ, but their own deluded selves. So long as Christ was dwelling in their hearts by faith they spake of blessedness; and if that speech had died upon their lips, it was because the truth which gave it life and meaning no longer had the mastery of their hearth. They were drawing back; and that it might not be unto perdition, he plants himself thus earnestly and passionately to withstand them in the retrograde path which they are now so desirous to take.

b, for the, spiritual generation of the Christian. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "In Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel," 1 Cor. 4. 15; and of Onesimus he says, "whom I have begotten in my bonds," Philemon 10 signifying that he had been the means of their conversion; for the Christian is begotten of God. 1 John 5:18; 1 Peter 1:3.

A. Not so, though comparisons are odious; and it is the plain call of grace for the teacher to uphold the evangelist, as for the evangelist to give all honour to the teacher. Each fills up a different and all-important part of ministerial work, each a gift from Christ for the perfecting of the saints to the edifying of His body. But while the evangelist might be a babe, the teacher needs ripe spiritual intelligence. The truth, however, is that the apostle by ten thousand "instructors" in Christ does not refer to the teachers, but to the meddlesome talkers at Corinth, to whom he gives the rather slighting title of παιδαγωγοί (as in Gal. 3:24). So was called the slave that led the child to and from school, a boy-ward, not his teacher. Paul had toward the Corinthian saints the affections of a father.