Rob,
Why play devils advocate; that is a dangerous game, the devil does not need your help to create
havoc with the flock. These are some of the scriptures you quoted. What is wrong with any of the
word usage here; no one is expressing reverence for the person being addressed here. More the
expression is one of someone guarding weaker ones as opposed to demanding Worship.I Samuel 7:3:
And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, saying, If you are returning to Jehovah with all your heart,
put aside the alien gods from among you, and the Ashtoreths. And prepare your heart to Jehovah,
and serve Him only, and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
Matthew 4:10:
Then Jesus said to him, Go, Satan! For it has been written: "You shall worship the Lord your God,
and you shall serve Him only." Deut. 6:13
Luke 4:8:
And answering, to him, Jesus said, Get behind Me, Satan! For it has been written: "You shall worship
the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve."
Are the Scriptures saying not to use the word Father; or Admonishing not to reverence any human
rather To Worship Only God. Nowhere in these Scriptures are the Apostles saying to worship them.
Quite to the contrary; they are exhorting the brethren, to focus on The Lord Jesus Christ1 John: 13-17
13-Fathers, I write to you because you have known Him from the beginning. I write to you, young men,
because you overcome the evil one. I write to you, young ones, because you have known the Father.
14-Fathers, I have written to you because you have known Him from the beginning. I have written to you,
young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
15-Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him,
16-because all that which is in the world: the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,
is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17-And the world is passing away, and its lust. But the one doing the will of God abides forever.
1Cor: 4: 14-16
14-I do not write these things shaming you, but warning you as my beloved children.
15-For if you should have myriads of teachers in Christ, yet not many fathers; for I fathered you in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
16-Because of this, I urge you, be imitators of me.
Just my 2 cents, hope it helps.george.