A commonly quoted verse from protestants, which they will think is to be taken literally and out of context from what is being said.
9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.
This chapter illustrates and elaborates about the problem of hypocrites in positions of religious authority.
1 Then said Jesus to the crowds and to his disciples,
2 "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat;
3 so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice.
It isn't a literal instruction that you can't use the word father unless you are referring to God.
You can tell it's not meant to be taken literally because of numerous uses of the word father to refer to men in the Bible.
Jesus confirms the commandment:
19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Jesus refers to "Father Abraham":
24 And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.'
Jesus uses hyperbole.
29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.
30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
St. Stephen calls Jewish leaders "fathers"
2 And Stephen said: "Brethren and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,
St. Paul calls Jerusalem Jews "fathers"
40 And when he had given him leave, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people; and when there was a great hush, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying:
1 "Brethren and fathers, hear the defense which I now make before you."
Abraham is called "the father of us all"
16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants--not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, for he is the father of us all,
17 as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations" --in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
I became your father in Christ through gospel.
14 I do not write this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children.
15 For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
My true child in the faith
2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
My true child in our common faith
4 To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
We have earthly fathers to discipline us.
7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers to discipline us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?
If anyone comes to Me without hating his father...
26 "If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
We treated you as a father treats his children
11 for you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you
Whose father I became in my imprisonment
10 I appeal to you for my child, Ones'imus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment.
I write to you, fathers, because you know Him
13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father.
14 I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
