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Monday, July 14th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

Good News Translation

Matthew 23:10

Nor should you be called ‘Leader,' because your one and only leader is the Messiah.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Church;   Ecclesiasticism;   Hypocrisy;   Minister, Christian;   Pharisees;   Pride;   Satire;   Teachers;   The Topic Concordance - Calling;   God;   Greatness;   Jesus Christ;   Servants;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Pharisees, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Pharisees;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Father;   Matthew, gospel of;   Teacher;   Tradition;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Anger;   Christ, Christology;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Church;   Supralapsarians;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Judas of Galilee;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Master;   Matthew, the Gospel of;   Salutation;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Hypocrite;   Judas Iscariot;   Scribes;   Sin;   Text of the New Testament;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Ambition;   Brotherhood (2);   Courage;   Discipleship;   Discourse;   Doctrines;   Equality;   Error;   Example;   Fellowship (2);   Humility;   Law of God;   Man (2);   Master ;   Mission;   Paradox;   Preaching Christ;   Pride (2);   Religion (2);   Righteous, Righteousness;   Sanctify, Sanctification;   Winter ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Master;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Pharisee;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Scribe;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Matthew, the Gospel of;   Peter, Simon;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
You are not to be called instructors either, because you have one Instructor, the Messiah.
King James Version (1611)
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, euen Christ.
King James Version
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
English Standard Version
Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.
New American Standard Bible
"And do not be called leaders; for only One is your Leader, that is, Christ.
New Century Version
And you should not be called ‘Master,' because you have only one Master, the Christ.
Amplified Bible
"Do not let yourselves be called leaders or teachers; for One is your Leader (Teacher), the Christ.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.
Legacy Standard Bible
Do not be called instructors; for One is your Instructor, that is, Christ.
Berean Standard Bible
Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ.
Contemporary English Version
None of you should be called the leader. The Messiah is your only leader.
Complete Jewish Bible
Nor are you to let yourselves be called ‘leaders,' because you have one Leader, and he is the Messiah!
Darby Translation
Neither be called instructors, for one is your instructor, the Christ.
Easy-to-Read Version
And you should not be called ‘Master.' You have only one Master, the Messiah.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Be not called doctors: for one is your doctor, euen Christ.
George Lamsa Translation
Nor be called leaders, for one is your leader, the Christ.
Lexham English Bible
And do not be called teachers, because one is your teacher, the Christ.
Literal Translation
Nor be called leaders, for One is your Leader, the Christ.
American Standard Version
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your master, even the Christ.
Bible in Basic English
And you may not be named guides: because one is your Guide, even Christ.
Hebrew Names Version
Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Messiah.
International Standard Version
Nor are you to be called 'Teachers,' for you have only one teacher, the Christ![fn]
Etheridge Translation
Neither be ye called Medabronee : [fn] for One is your Guide,-the Meshicha.
Murdock Translation
And be ye not called guides; for one is your Guide, the Messiah.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Neither be ye called maisters: for one is your maister [euen] Christe.
English Revised Version
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your master, even the Christ.
World English Bible
Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Neither be ye called Masters; for one is your Master, even Christ.
Weymouth's New Testament
And do not accept the name of `leader,' for your Leader is one alone--the Christ.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Nether be ye clepid maistris, for oon is youre maister, Crist.
Update Bible Version
Neither be called masters: for one is your master, the Christ.
Webster's Bible Translation
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your master, [even] Christ.
New English Translation
Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,' for you have one teacher, the Christ.
New King James Version
And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.
New Living Translation
And don't let anyone call you ‘Teacher,' for you have only one teacher, the Messiah.
New Life Bible
You are not to be called leader. There is only one Leader and He is Christ.
New Revised Standard
Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Neither be called leaders, for, your leader, is one, the Christ;
Douay-Rheims Bible
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your master, Christ.
Revised Standard Version
Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Be not called masters for there is but one youre master and he is Christ.
Young's Literal Translation
nor may ye be called directors, for one is your director -- the Christ.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And ye shal not suffre youre selues to be called masters, for one is youre master, namely, Christ.
Mace New Testament (1729)
neither take the title of masters, for you have but one master, who is the Messias.
Simplified Cowboy Version
Don't let anyone call you 'teacher' either. You only have one Teacher and he's the Boss's Son.

Contextual Overview

1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples. 2 "The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees are the authorized interpreters of Moses' Law. 3 So you must obey and follow everything they tell you to do; do not, however, imitate their actions, because they don't practice what they preach. 4 They tie onto people's backs loads that are heavy and hard to carry, yet they aren't willing even to lift a finger to help them carry those loads. 5 They do everything so that people will see them. Look at the straps with scripture verses on them which they wear on their foreheads and arms, and notice how large they are! Notice also how long are the tassels on their cloaks! 6 They love the best places at feasts and the reserved seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to have people call them ‘Teacher.' 8 You must not be called ‘Teacher,' because you are all equal and have only one Teacher. 9 And you must not call anyone here on earth ‘Father,' because you have only the one Father in heaven. 10 Nor should you be called ‘Leader,' because your one and only leader is the Messiah.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Matthew 23:8 - be Matthew 26:18 - The Master 1 Corinthians 12:5 - but

Cross-References

Genesis 23:1
Sarah lived to be 127 years old.
Genesis 23:3
He left the place where his wife's body was lying, went to the Hittites, and said,
Genesis 23:4
"I am a foreigner living here among you; sell me some land, so that I can bury my wife."
Genesis 23:18
It was recognized as Abraham's property by all the Hittites who were there at the meeting.
Genesis 24:10
The servant, who was in charge of Abraham's property, took ten of his master's camels and went to the city where Nahor had lived in northern Mesopotamia.
Genesis 34:20
Hamor and his son Shechem went to the meeting place at the city gate and spoke to the people of the town:
Genesis 34:24
All the citizens of the city agreed with what Hamor and Shechem proposed, and all the males were circumcised.
Job 29:7
Whenever the city elders met and I took my place among them,
Isaiah 28:6
He will give a sense of justice to those who serve as judges, and courage to those who defend the city gates from attack.
Matthew 9:1
Jesus got into the boat and went back across the lake to his own town,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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 Matthew 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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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, Matthew 22:21; Rom 13:7; 1 Peter 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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 23:10. 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 Matthew 23:7-8; Matthew 23:10, our blessed Lord condemns; and these were titles that the Jewish doctors greatly affected.


 
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