Matthew 23:10

Verse 10. Neither be ye called masters] καθηγηται, leaders. God is in all these respects jealous of his honour. To him alone it belongs to guide and lead his Church, as well as to govern and defend it. Jesus is the sole teacher of righteousness. It is he alone, (who is the word, light, and eternal truth,) that can illuminate every created mind; and who, as Saviour and Redeemer, speaks to every heart by his Spirit.

Though the title of Rabbi, mentioned above, was comparatively recent in the time of our Lord, yet it was in great vogue, as were the others-father and master, mentioned in this and the following verse: some had all three titles, for thus in Bab. Maccoth, fol. 24. It is feigned," says Dr. Lightfoot, "that when King Jehosaphat saw a disciple of the wise men, he rose up out of his throne, and embraced him, and said, אבי אבי רבי רבי מרי מרי, Abbi, Abbi! Rabbi, Rabbi! Mori, Mori! - Father, Father! Rabbi, Rabbi! Master, Master!" Here then are the three titles which, in Mt 23:7-8; Mt 23:10, our blessed Lord condemns; and these were titles that the Jewish doctors greatly affected.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

23:10 Teacher: This title denotes the function and office of leading others into knowledge about God. Jesus, not the scribes and Pharisees, is the teacher of God’s will (5:17).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mat 23:10. Καθηγηταὶ, guides)[990] i.e leaders, authorities. There is a gradation in these phrases: Rabbi, Father, Guide. They were titles of spiritual eminence amongst the Jews. The same principle is enforced in 1Co 3:5-6.[991]

[990] E. V. “Masters.”—(I. B.)

[991] In the original, “quae destruitur etiam 1Co 3:5, s.:” lit., “which [sc. spiritual eminence] is demolished also in 1Co 3:5-6.”—(I. B.)

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 23:10 . καθηγηταί , kindred with ὁδηγοὶ (Mat 23:16 ), guides, leaders in thought, desiring abject discipleship from followers. Gradatio: Rabbi, pater, ductor , Beng. The threefold counsel shows the intensely anti-prelatic spirit of Jesus. In spite of this earnest warning the love of pre-eminence and leadership has prevailed in the Church to the detriment of independence, the sense of responsibility, and loyalty to God. ὁ Χριστός : in this place though not in Mat 23:8 a part of the true text, but possibly an addition by the evangelist (“a proof that Matthew here speaks, not Jesus,” H. C.).

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

It seemeth that the Scribes did very greedily hunt after such titles, whom verse 16 he calleth blind guides.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

(10) Neither be ye called masters.—The word is not the same as in Mat_23:8, and signifies “guide,” or “leader;” the “director” of conscience rather than the teacher. (Comp. Rom_2:19.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10. masters] Rather, leaders, guides, it is not the same word as in Mat_23:8.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Neither be ye called masters,.... Or guides and leaders; not but that, the ministers of the word are in a sense such; it is their business to lead and direct souls to Christ, to guide their feet in the way of peace, and to go before them, as examples to them, in word, in conversation, faith, and purity; but then they are to guide them according to the word of God, and not their own dictates; and teach them to observe the rules, and obey the ordinances of Christ, and not what are of their own inventing and prescribing; and to enforce the authority of their great Lord and Master, and not their own; and direct men to a dependence on Christ, as head of the church, who is the one Lord, as his faith is one, and his baptism one also: "for one is your master, even Christ"; which is said before, in Mat 23:8 but being a matter of so much importance to the honour of Christ, and men being so apt to set up for masters themselves, in opposition to him, or in conjunction with him, or above him, it was necessary to repeat it; for in an authoritative sense he is the one, and only master of the assemblies.

but being a matter of so much importance to the honour of Christ, and men being so apt to set up for masters themselves, in opposition to him, or in conjunction with him, or above him, it was necessary to repeat it; for in an authoritative sense he is the one, and only master of the assemblies.

Matthew 23:11

mat 23:11

mat 23:11

mat 23:11But he that is greatest among you,.... Either who really is so, having more grace, and greater gifts bestowed upon him, than others; which doubtless was the case of some of the disciples, or who desired to be the greatest, was ambitious of, and affected a superiority over others, and to be in the highest post and place, as it is certain some of them did. This was what they were often contending about among themselves, who should be greatest: and Christ here seems to have regard to that vain spirit, which appeared among them; and his view is, to check and restrain it: "shall be your servant"; or "let him be your servant". Service is the way to honour; he that would be most esteemed ought to do the most work; and the man that has the most grace, and the greatest gifts, ought to employ them for the use and benefit of others; See Gill on Mat 20:27.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

Ver. 10. One is your Master] Where then are magistri nostri parisienses? our doctores resolutissimi? our masters of opinions, whose word must stand for a law, whose tenets must pass for oracles? {a} By the canon law, Omnes sanctiones apostolicae sedis irrefragabiliter sunt observandae. The pope may not be disobeyed.

{a} Quibus nihil placet nisl quod e capitis sui liripipio ipsi protulerint. Muchesias.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Neither be ye called masters - That is, leaders, guides, for this is the literal meaning of the word. It refers to those who go before others; who claim, therefore, the right to direct and control others. This was also a title conferred on Jewish teachers.

Neither of these commands forbids us to give proper titles of civil office to men, or to render them the honor belonging to their station, Mat 22:21; Rom 13:7; 1Pe 2:17. They prohibit the disciples of Jesus from seeking or receiving mere empty titles, producing distinctions among themselves, implying authority to control the opinions and conduct of others, and claiming that others should acknowledge them to be superior to them.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Neither be ye called masters; kayhghtai : leaders, guides.

This is just what the Pharisees claimed to be. (see ver. 16 and Rom_2:19, Rom_2:20) One is your master (Kayhghthv , Leader), even the Christ. Hero Jesus announces himself, not only as their Teacher, but as the Messiah, their Ruler and Guide. He is censuring that sectarian spirit which began in the primitive Church, when one said," I am of Paul; another, I of Apollos," etc., (1Co_1:12) and has continued to this day in the division of the one body into innumerable sects and, parties, ranged under various leaders, and generally bearing their founder"s name. "What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? Ministers through whom ye believed; and each as the Lord gave to him". (1Co_3:5) How mournful to think that Christ"s great prayer for unity (Joh 17) is still unfulfilled, frustrated or delayed by man"s self-will!

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10. καθηγητής. ‘A guide,’ then a dignified name for ‘a teacher,’ used in this sense by Plutarch of one who did not care to be called a παιδαγωγός and so adopted the more high-sounding title of καθηγητής· τροφεὺς Ἀλεξάνδρου καὶ καθηγητὴς καλούμενος. Strabo, p. 674, says of one of the Stoic philosophers at Tarsus, καίσαρος καθηγήσατο καὶ τιμῆς ἔτυχε μεγάλης. In the N.T. the word does not occur again. It is discarded as a title. In Soph. Greek Lex. it is said to be used for an abbot or prior of a monastery in a Synaxarion (see note ch. Mat 18:20). καθηγητὴς is modern Greek for ‘professor.’

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10. And be not called leaders: for one is your leader, even Christ.] καθηγητής and διδάσκαλος (v. 8) are probably renderings of רב, If so, the two verses are duplicate versions of one saying. See Dalm. Words, 340.

(L)

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Masters [καθηγηται] . Lit., leaders.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.