God the Father is a title given toGod in Christianity. In mainstreamtrinitarianChristianity, God the Father is regarded as the FirstPerson of theTrinity, followed by the Second Person,Jesus Christ theSon, and the Third Person,the Holy Spirit.[1] Since the second century, Christiancreeds included affirmation of belief in "God the Father (Almighty)", primarily in his capacity as "Father and creator of the universe".[2]
Christians take the concept of God as the father of Jesus Christ metaphysically further than the concept of God as the creator and father of all people,[3] as indicated in theApostles' Creed where the expression of belief in the "Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth" is immediately, but separately followed by in "Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord", thus expressing both senses of fatherhood.[4]
In much of modern Christianity, God is addressed as the Father, in part because of his active interest in human affairs on the earth, in the way that a father would take an interest in his children who are dependent on him and as a father, he will respond to humanity, his children, acting in their best interests.[5][6][7] Many believe they can communicate with God and come closer to him throughprayer – a key element of achieving communion with God.[8][9][10]
In general, the titleFather (capitalized) signifies God's role as the life-giver, theauthority, and powerful protector, often viewed as immense,omnipotent,omniscient,omnipresent with infinite power andcharity that goes beyond human understanding.[11] For instance, after completing his monumental workSumma Theologica, Catholic St.Thomas Aquinas concluded that he had not yet begun to understand "God the Father".[12]
Although the term "Father" impliesmasculine characteristics, God is usually defined as having the form of a spirit without any human biological gender, e.g. theCatechism of the Catholic Church No. 239 specifically states that "God is neither man nor woman: he is God".[13][14] Although God is never directly addressed as "Mother", at times motherly attributes may be interpreted inOld Testament references such as a hymn of praiseIsa 42:14,Isa 49:14–15 orIsa 66:12–13.[15]
In theNew Testament, the Christian concept of God the Father may be seen as a continuation of the Jewish concept, but with specific additions and changes, which over time made the Christian concept become even more distinct by the start of theMiddle Ages.[16][17][18] The conformity to the Old Testament concepts is shown inMatthew 4:10 andLuke 4:8 where inresponse to temptation Jesus quotesDeuteronomy 6:13 and states: "It is written, you shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve."[16]1 Corinthians 8:6 shows the distinct Christian teaching about theagency of Christ by first stating: "there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we unto him" and immediately continuing with "and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him."[17] This passage clearly acknowledges the Jewish teachings on the uniqueness of God, yet also states the role of Jesus as an agent in creation.[17] Over time, theChristian doctrine began to fully diverge from Judaism through the teachings of theChurch Fathers in the second century and by the fourth century belief in theTrinity was formalized.[17][18]According to Mary Rose D'Angelo and James Barr, the Aramaic termAbba was in the early times of the New Testament neither markedly aterm of endearment,[19][20][21] nor a formal word; but the word normally used by sons and daughters, throughout their lives, in the family context.[22]
According toMarianne Thompson, in theOld Testament, God is called "Father" with a unique sense of familiarity. In addition to the sense in which God is "Father" to all men because he created the world (and in that sense "fathered" the world), the same God is also uniquely the law-giver to hischosen people. He maintains a special,covenantal father–child relationship with the people, giving them theShabbat, stewardship of hisprophecies, and a unique heritage in the things of God, calling Israel 'my son' because he delivered the descendants of Jacob out of slavery in Egypt[23] according to his covenants and oaths to their fathers,Abraham,Isaac andJacob. In theHebrew Bible, Isaiah 63:16 (JP) reads: "For You are our father, for Abraham did not know us, neither did Israel recognize us; You, O [YHWH], are our father; our redeemer of old is your name." To God, according to Judaism, is attributed the fatherly role of protector. He is titled the Father of the poor, of the orphan and the widow, their guarantor of justice. He is also titled the Father of the king, as the teacher and helper over the judge of Israel.[24]
According to Alon Goshen-Gottstein, in the Old Testament "Father" is generally ametaphor; it is not a propername for God but rather one of many titles by which Jews speak of and to God. According to Mark Sameth, references to God the Father convulsing in labor, giving birth, and suckling (Deuteronomy 32:13, 18) hint to a priestly belief, noted in the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries byGuillaume Postel andMichelangelo Lanci respectively, that “God the Father” is a dual-gendered deity.[25][26][27][28] In Christianity fatherhood is taken in a more literal and substantive sense, and is explicit about the need for the Son as a means of accessing the Father, making for a moremetaphysical rather than metaphorical interpretation.[3]
There is a deep sense in which Christians believe that they are made participants in the eternal relationship of Father and Son, through Jesus Christ. Christians call themselvesadopted children of God:[29][30]
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
In Christianity the concept of God as the Father of Jesus is distinct from the concept of God as the creator and Father of all people, as indicated in theApostles' Creed.[4] The profession in the creed begins with expressing belief in the "Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth" and then immediately, but separately, in "Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord", thus expressing both senses of fatherhood within the creed.[4]
Since the second century,creeds in theWestern Church have included affirmation of belief in "God the Father (Almighty)", the primary reference being to "God in his capacity as Father and creator of the universe".[2] This did not exclude either the fact the "eternal father of the universe was also the Father of Jesus the Christ" or that he had even "vouchsafed to adopt [the believer] as his son by grace".[2]
Creeds in theEastern Church (known to have come from a later date) began with an affirmation of faith in "one God" and almost always expanded this by adding "the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible" or words to that effect.[2]
By the end of the first century,Clement of Rome had repeatedly referred to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and linked the Father to creation,1 Clement 19.2 stating: "let us look steadfastly to the Father and Creator of the universe".[31] Around AD 213 inAdversus Praxeas (chapter 3)Tertullian is believed to have provided a formal representation of the concept of theTrinity, i.e. that God exists as one "substance" but three 'Persons': The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and with God the Father being the Head.[32][33] Tertullian also discussed how the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.[32] While the expression "from the Father through the Son" is also found among them.[34][35][36]
TheNicene Creed, which dates to 325, states that the Son (Jesus Christ) is "born of the Father before all ages", indicating that theirdivine Father-Son relationship is seen as not tied to an event within time or human history.
As a member of the Trinity, God the Father is one with, co-equal to, co-eternal, andconsubstantial with the Son and the Holy Spirit, each Person being the one eternal God and in no way separated: all alike are uncreated and omnipotent.[31] Because of this, the Trinity is beyond reason and can only be known by revelation.[38][41]
The Trinitarian concept of God the Father is notpantheistic in that he is not viewed as identical to the universe or a vague notion that persists in it, but exists fully outside of creation, as its creator.[37][42] He is viewed as a loving and caring God, a Heavenly Father who is active both in the world and in people's lives.[37][42] He created all things visible and invisible in love and wisdom, and created man for his own sake.[42][43]
The emergence of Trinitarian theology of God the Father inearly Christianity was based on two key ideas: first the shared identity of theYahweh of theOld Testament and the God of Jesus in theNew Testament, and then the self-distinction and yet the unity between Jesus and his Father.[44][45] An example of the unity of Son and Father isMatthew 11:27: "No one knows the Son except the Father and no one knows the Father except the Son", asserting the mutual knowledge of Father and Son.[46]
The concept of fatherhood of God does appear in the Old Testament, but is not a major theme.[44][47] While the view of God as the Father is used in the Old Testament, it only became a focus in the New Testament, as Jesus frequently referred to it.[44][47] This is manifested in theLord's Prayer which combines the earthly needs of daily bread with the reciprocal concept of forgiveness.[47] And Jesus' emphasis on his special relationship with the Father highlights the importance of the distinct yet unified natures of Jesus and the Father, building to the unity of Father and Son in the Trinity.[47]
The paternal view of God as the Father extends beyond Jesus to his disciples, and the entire Church, as reflected in the petitions Jesus submitted to the Father for his followers at the end of theFarewell Discourse, the night beforehis crucifixion.[48] Instances of this in the Farewell Discourse areJohn 14:20 as Jesus addresses the disciples: "I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you" and inJohn 17:22 as he prays to the Father: "I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one."[49]
A number of Christian groups and communities reject the doctrine of a co-equal Trinity, and generally teach that God the Father is supreme, but nontrinitarian Christian groups differ somewhat from one another in their views regarding God the Father and Christ the Son.[50]
InMormonism, including its largest denominationthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), the most prominent conception of "the Godhead" is as a divine council of three distinct beings: the Father (who is also referred to asElohim), the Son Jesus (who is identified withJehovah of the Old Testament), and theHoly Spirit. The Father and Son are considered to have perfected, physical bodies, while the Holy Spirit has a body of spirit.[51] LDS Church members believe God the Father presides over both the Son and Holy Spirit, where God the Father is greater than both, but they are one in the sense that they have a unity of purpose.[52][53] Most denominations in theLatter Day Saint movement also believe God (often referred to as Heavenly Father) has at least one spouse referred to asHeavenly Mother, and together they are calledHeavenly Parents.[54][55][56]
TheAssemblies of Yahweh arenontrinitarian, believing that theFather is greater than the Son in all things, and that the Holy Spirit is not equal to the Father, and is not an actual person, but is God's "power" or "character" in action. They refer to God the Father as "Yahweh".[57] The Yahweh Assemblies and otherSacred Name groups generally teach that Christ the Son was God's first and prime creation, and was used to create everything else.[58] They believe that the Messiah, whom they call "Yahshua" or "Yeshua" or "Yehoshua", died for man's sins, and is to be honored as the Anointed Lord, but that God the Father (Yahweh) is the True God that all "true worshippers" ultimately serve and worship. They teach that the Father is the only eternal one.[59]
InJehovah's Witness theology, only God the Father (Jehovah) is the one true almighty God, even over his Son Jesus Christ. They teach that the Logos is God's Only-begotten Son, and that the Holy Spirit is God's active force (projected energy). They believe that the Father and the Son are united in divine purpose, administration,legislation, andman's salvation, but are not one being and are not equal in power. While the Witnesses acknowledge Jesus’ pre-existence, perfection, and unique "Sonship" from God the Father, and believe that the Logos had an essential role in creation and redemption, and is the Messiah, they believe that only the Father is without beginning. They say that the Son was the Father's only direct creation, before all ages. While both Persons are highly honored, taught, and preached, in their interpretations ofJohn 17:3 andJohn 14:28, God the Father is emphasized in Jehovah's Witness meetings and services more than Christ the Son, as they teach that the Father is greater than the Son.[60]
Oneness Pentecostalism teaches that God is a singular spirit who is one person, not three divine persons, individuals or minds. God the Father is the title of the supreme creator. The titles of the Son and Holy Spirit are merely titles reflecting the different personal manifestations of the One True God the Father in the universe.[61][62][page needed]
Althoughsimilarities exist among religions, the common language and the shared concepts about God and his titleFather among theAbrahamic religions is quite limited, and each religion has very specific belief structures and religious nomenclature with respect to the subject.[63] While a religious teacher in one faith may be able to explain the concepts to his own audience with ease, significant barriers remain in communicating those concepts across religious boundaries.[63]
Greco-Roman pagans believed in an originaltriad. Over time, the names and gods of the triad were changed—except forJupiter, which means "Father Jove" and comes fromProto-ItalicDjous Patēr, fromDjous (“day, sky”) +Patēr (“father”), fromProto-Indo-EuropeanDyḗws (literally “the bright one”), root nomen agentis fromDyew- (“to be bright, day sky”), andPh₂tḗr (“father”).
InHinduism,BhagavanKrishna in theBhagavad Gita, chapter 9, verse 17, stated: "I am the Father of this world, the Mother, the Dispenser and the Grandfather", one commentator adding: "God being the source of the universe and the beings in it, He is held as the Father, the Mother and the Grandfather".[64] A genderlessBrahman is also considered the creator and Life-giver, and theShakta goddess is viewed as the divine mother and life-bearer.[65][66]
Unlike in Judaism, the term "father" is not formally applied to God by Muslims, and the Christian notion of the Trinity is rejected in Islam.[67][68] Even though traditional Islamic teaching does not formally prohibit using the term "Father" in reference to God, it does not propagate or encourage it. There are somenarratives of the Islamic prophetMuhammad in which he compares the mercy of God toward his worshipers to that of a mother to her infant child.[69]
Islamic teaching rejects the Christian father-son relationship of God andJesus, and states that Jesus is a prophet of God, not the Son of God.[67] Islamic theology strictly reiterates theAbsolute Oneness of God, and totally separates him from other beings (whether humans, angel or any other holy figure), and rejects any form ofdualism or Trinitarianism. Chapter 112 of the Quran states:
Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “He is God—One ˹and Indivisible˺; God—the Sustainer ˹needed by all˺. He has never had offspring, nor was He born. And there is none comparable to Him.”
In Judaism, the use of the "Father" title is generally ametaphor, referring to the role as Life-giver and Law-giver, and is one of many titles by which Jews speak of and to God.[3] The Jewish concept of God is that God is non-corporeal, transcendent and immanent, the ultimate source of love,[70][71][72][73] and a metaphorical "Father".[3]
According to Ariela Pelaia, in a prayer ofRosh Hashanah, Areshet Sfateinu, an ambivalent attitude toward God is demonstrated, due to his role as a father and as a king. Free translation of the relevant sentence may be: "today every creature is judged, either as sons or as slaves. If as sons, forgive us like a father forgives his son. If as slaves, we wait, hoping for good, until the verdict, your holy majesty."[citation needed] Another famous prayer emphasizing this dichotomy is calledAvinu Malkeinu, which means "Our Father Our King" in Hebrew. Usually the entire congregation will sing the last verse of this prayer in unison, which says: "Our Father, our King, answer us as though we have no deed to plead our cause, save us with mercy and loving-kindness."[74]
TheGuru Granth consistently refers to the creator as "He" and "Father". This is because the Granth is written in north Indian Indo-Aryan languages (mixture ofPunjabi and dialects of Hindi) which have no neutral gender. Since the Granth says that the God is indescribable, God has no gender according to Sikhism.[75]
God in theSikh scriptures has been referred to by several names, picked from Indian and Semitic traditions. He is called in terms of human relations as father, mother, brother, relation, friend, lover, beloved, husband. Other names, expressive of his supremacy, arethakur,prabhu,svami,sah,patsah,sahib,sain (Lord, Master).[75]
For about a thousand years, no attempt was made to portray God the Father in human form, because early Christians believed that the words of Exodus 33:20 "Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see Me and live" and of theGospel of John 1:18: "No man hath seen God at any time" were meant to apply not only to the Father, but to all attempts at the depiction of the Father.[76] Typically only a small part of the body of Father would be represented, usually the hand, or sometimes the face, but rarely the whole person, and in many images, the figure of the Son supplants the Father, so a smaller portion of the person of the Father is depicted.[77]
In the early medieval period God was often represented by Christ as theLogos, which continued to be very common even after the separate figure of God the Father appeared. Western art eventually required some way to illustrate the presence of the Father, so through successive representations a set of artistic styles for the depiction of the Father in human form gradually emerged around the tenth century AD.
By the twelfth century depictions of a figure of God the Father, essentially based on theAncient of Days in theBook of Daniel had started to appear in French manuscripts and in stained glass church windows in England. In the 14th century the illustratedNaples Bible had a depiction of God the Father in theBurning bush. By the 15th century, theRohan Book of Hours included depictions of God the Father in human form oranthropomorphic imagery. Though the depiction remains rare and often controversial inEastern Orthodox art, by the time of theRenaissance artistic representations of God the Father were freely used in the Western Church.[78]
^Mary Rose D'Angelo, "Abba and 'Father': Imperial Theology and the Jesus Traditions",Journal of Biblical Literature, Vol. 111, No. 4 (Winter, 1992), pp. 615–616
^Bauckham, Richard (2011).Jesus. Oxford University Press. p. 65.ISBN978-0199575275.
^Marianne Meye Thompson,The promise of the Father: Jesus and God in the New Testament ch. 2 God as Father in the Old Testament and Second Temple Judaism p.35 2000. "Christian theologians have often accentuated the distinctiveness of the portrait of God as Father in the New Testament on the basis of an alleged discontinuity."
^abcGeoffrey W. Bromiley,International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: E–J (March 1982)ISBN0802837824 pp. 515–516
^abGilles Emery O. P. and Matthew Levering,The Oxford Handbook of the Trinity (27 October 2011)ISBN0199557810 p. 263
^Critical Terms for Religious Studies. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1998.Credo Reference. 27 July 2009
^abAlan Richardson and John Bowden,The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Theology (1 January 1983)ISBN0664227481 p. 36
^Catholic catechism at the Vatican web site, items:242245237
^abcJohn Koessler,God Our Father (13 September 1999)ISBN0802440681 p. 68
^Catholic Catechism items:356 and295 at the Vatican web site
^abcVeli-Matti Kärkkäinen,The Trinity: Global Perspectives (17 January 2007)ISBN0664228909 pp. 10–13
^William A. Dyrness, Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, Juan F. Martinez and Simon Chan,Global Dictionary of Theology (10 October 2008)ISBN0830824545 p. 169–171
^Geoffrey W. Bromiley,The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia 1988ISBN0802837859 pp. 571–572
^abcdVeli-Matti Kärkkäinen,The Doctrine of God: A Global Introduction 2004ISBN0801027527 p. 37–41
^Robert C. Neville,Symbols of Jesus (4 February 2002)ISBN0521003539 pp. 26–27
^Daniel B. Stevick,Jesus and His Own: A Commentary on John 13–17 (29 April 2011) EeardmansISBN0802848656 p. 46
^Paul Louis Metzger,Trinitarian Soundings in Systematic Theology 2006ISBN0567084108 pp. 36, 43
^"Godhead",True to the Faith, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2004. See also:"God the Father",True to the Faith, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2004
^"ONE. See God, Godhead; Unity",Guide to the Scriptures, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2005
^Berger, David; Wyschogrod, Michael (1978).Jews and "Jewish Christianity". [New York]: KTAV Publ. House.ISBN0870686755.
^Singer, Tovia (2010).Let's Get Biblical. RNBN Publishers; 2nd edition (2010).ISBN978-0615348391.
^Singer, Tovia (2010).Let's Get Biblical – In depth Study Guide. Outreach Judaism (1998).ASINB0006RBS3K.
^Kaplan, Aryeh (1985).The real Messiah? a Jewish response to missionaries (New ed.). New York: National Conference of Synagogue Youth.ISBN978-1879016118.The real Messiah (pdf)
^Ariela Pelaia –What Is Rosh HaShanah?Archived 20 December 2016 at theWayback Machine – The Jewish New Year of Rosh HaShanah – Rosh HaShanah Liturgy – About.com – Judaism. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
^abReal Sikhism – God – Who is God? What does God look like? – Real Sikhism – Exploring the Sikh Religion. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
^James Cornwell, 2009Saints, Signs, and Symbols: The Symbolic Language of Christian ArtISBN081922345X p. 2
^Adolphe Napoléon Didron, 2003Christian iconography: or The history of Christian art in the middle agesISBN076614075X p. 169
^George Ferguson, 1996Signs & symbols in Christian artISBN0195014324 p. 92
