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I have heard from both believers and Messianic communities that some believe it is not and some believe it is wrong to call someone Rabbi, Father or Master because Yeshua stated in Mat 23: 8-10 "But be not ye 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."
 
However this is untrue and scripture has been yet again misinterpreted.  In John 3:10 Yeshua calls Nicodemus a great teacher which in Hebrew is Rabbi.   If Yeshua stated in Mat 23 to not call anyone teacher then Yeshua just contradicted himself.
Joh 3:10 Yeshua answered, "You are a great teacher in Israel, and you don’t know this?"
 
Be patient with me and I will explain with evidence why this is not the case when Yeshua claimed do not call anyone Rabbbi (Teacher), Master and Father in Mat 23:1-11
 
We have to start in the beginning of Mat 23:1-2 "Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,  Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat"
 
Yeshua was talking about Pharisees who sit in the council of the Sanhedrin courts.  It is stated that is it is preferable that the Sanhedrin contain Kohen-priests and Levites as members.
Deu 17:9 "And thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and enquire; and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment"
 
Yeshua later then states…
Mat 23:3-4 "All things, then, which they give you orders to do, these do and keep: but do not take their works as your example, for they say and do not.  They make hard laws and put great weights on men’s backs; but they themselves will not put a finger to them."
 
The Sanhedrin are literally judges comprised of 23 seats per province.  Each province of 23 judges had three individuals one is the “Head of the Sitting” (Rosh HaYeshiva) which later was referred to as the “President” (Nasi) and the other two were vice-presidents.   Each of the provinces of 23 seats had three judges in order for any sentence to be valid. (Keuvim “The Writings” 86a).  If the head judge is not present in the court then no sentence can be passed on anyone who is in court for their trial.  If sentence had passed without the head judge then the sentence would be invalid (Sanhedrin 1:4; 5:3).
The requirements of a Sandrine are the following (Sanhedrin 7b; Sanhedrin 2:1-7)…
    Judge must be wise and sensible
    Learned in the law and full of knowledge
    Acquainted to some extent with other subjects such as medicine, arithmetic, astronomy and astrology.  (This is why when Yeshua healed people and Yeshua told them to go to the chief priest to be examined it is because members of the Sanhedrin were doctors)
    The judge cannot be old
    Not be childless
    Pure in mind
    Pure from bodily defects
    A man of stature and imposing appearance.
    Wisdom
    Humility,
    Fear of God
    Disdain of money
    Love of truth
    Love of people
    Good reputation
    A judge must have a good eye
    Humble soul
    Must be pleasant in company
    Speak kindly to people
    Must be very strict with himself and conquer lustful impulses
    Have a courageous heart to save the oppressed from the oppressor’s hate and cruelty and persecution
    And eschew wrong and injustice
 
Yeshua was telling the people around him and his disciples in Mat 23:3-4 that those Judges in the Sanhedrin their actions do not align with what the court of the Sanhedrin.  These judges were hypocrites.  
 
Josephus (Jewish Encyclopedia) stated that during the second Temple that some of the Sanhedrin left its original seat, being compelled to do so by the Pharisees, who, on gaining the upper hand, would not permit secular Sanhedrin to sit in the sanctuary while the Sanhedrin still sat in the Temple.
 
Realize this that the Pharisees were gaining seats in the Sanhedrin and the court system is corrupt.  The Sanhedrin is no longer following justice but partiality.
Mat 23:5-7 "Everything they do is just to show off in front of others. They even make a big show of wearing Scripture verses on their foreheads and arms, and they wear big tassels for everyone to see. They love the best seats at banquets and the front seats in the meeting places. And when they are in the market, they like to have people greet them as their teachers."
 
Later Yeshua states to not call anyone Rabbi (Teacher) or father or Master in Mat 23:8
Mat 23:8-11 "But be not ye 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. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant."
 
Yeshua was not stating that you do not call anyone Rabbi (Teacher), Father or Master.  Yeshua was directing his comment to the corrupt Sanhedrin because during the temple when Yeshua was in ministry the Sanhedrin would do ordinations were preformed orally, granting the subject title of “Rabbi” and declaring that he is “ordained with the right to judge cases involving fines.”  Remember the Pharisees were always trying to find a way of fining Yeshua.
 
This now makes total sense.  Those that are in the Sanhedrin especially those of Pharisees who take seats in the Sanhedrin are now judges are called Rabbis.  Yeshua is saying to the people and his disciples to not call these men Rabbi because they are corrupt, they do not hold to their own laws they are not the law giver.
 
Some Christian’s take the verse 9 of Mat 23 that they cannot call anyone father.  Yeshua was not making the point to not call anyone father especially if you have a earthly father, but not to call those in the Sanhedrin father.  The reason why Yeshua stated this is because only during the time of the second that the vice-presidents was with the nasi.  This is why every province had 3 head judges.  That these vice presidents were called “ab bet din”.  Which is translated “father of the court”.  
Yeshua was claiming that you do not call these men “ab bet din” because God is the father of the law not the Sanhedrin, they are supposed to make sure that the law is not made unjust to the just.  The nasi and the ab bet din  would go to the hall of hewn stone (the court) it was R. Nathan officiated as the second president (ab bet din) side by side with R. Simeon b. Gamaliel II who was the president (nasi; Hor. 13b).  In the Mishnah (Hag ii 2) five pairs of scholars are enumerated who were at the head of the Great Bet Din at the time of the Second Temple.
 
Yeshua also used do not call anyone Master.  Again this was for the ab bet din who were the second ranking sage of the Sanhedrin was appointed to the Nasi.  He was known as the “Master of the Court” (av beit din).  Both he and Nasi were voting members of the Sanhedrin.  
 
Because the Sanhedrin were becoming corrupt because many did not follow vision and values of the court system, there was partiality to the rich and the poor, the Sanhedrin were given the titles of Rabbi, Father of the courts and Master of the court, and Yeshua set them straight because it is only God who does not give partiality.  God is not a corrupt judge as Yeshua was pointing out to the people and his disciples that the Sanhedrin were noting abiding the law of Moses in the court system but rather using God’s law to fulfill their own desires.  When Yeshua stated in Mat 23 he was making a statement to the Sanhedrin not to those who have a Rabbi in synagogues or have earthly Fathers or Masters which is another name for employer.
 
Therefore, it is not wrong to call a Rabbi, Rabbi which is his official title.  A Rabbi who is not corrupt is a teacher of the law, just like Yeshua is a Rabbi, John the baptizer and also Yeshua said Nicodemus is a Rabbit a teacher of the law.
 
Shalom,
Mario