GOD, THE FATHER
The Bible speaks of God the Father as the first Person of the Trinity. Christians believe in one God who exists as three divine Persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. This mystery of the faith, known as the Holy Trinity, cannot be fully understood by the human mind but is a key doctrine of Christianity.
The Bible presents an evolving depiction of God as the Father. The Old Testament frequently uses awe-inspiring titles to refer to God, such as Creator, King, Judge, and Lord. He establishes a covenant with the Israelites, acting as their protector and provider. References to God as “Father” appears in the Old Testament, but they carry a sense of distance and reverence. Jesus serves as the bridge to a stronger relationship with God the Father in the New Testament.
Here are some important Bible verses related to God the Father:
1. Provider and Protector:
– God the Father is depicted as the Creator of the universe and all life within it (Gen 1:1-31).
– He sustains and protects His creation (Ps 104; Mt 10:29-31; Phil 4:19).
– He encourages us (Ps 10:17).
– He comforts us (2 Cor 1:3-4).
– He disciplines us (Heb 12:10).
2. Our Relationship with God as Father:
– Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father who art in heaven” (Mt 6:9). This fatherhood is distinct from earthly fathers.
– We approach our heavenly Father with childlike trust and confidence, knowing that He cares for us and hears our prayers (Mt 21:22).
3. God’s Fatherly Omnipotence:
– Unlike ordinary fathers, God is endowed with infinite power.
– God reveals His fatherly omnipotence by caring for our needs (CCC 270).
– Over a lifetime of prayer, we experience His care and recognize His might. He doesn’t withhold anything good from us.
OLD TESTAMENT
In the Old Testament, God is Father because he is our creator. “Is he not your father, your creator, who formed you and established you?” (Deut 32:6). Malachi 2:10 asks: “Do we not all have one father? Did not one God create all of us?” The Israelites, who had a covenant relationship with God, considered God as their father and themselves as the first-born children of God. Quoting God, Moses told the Pharaoh of Egypt: “Israel is my firstborn son” (Ex 4:22). Other people are also children of God. However, the firstborn had special privileges including inheritance of a double portion.
God the Father is the creator of heaven and earth and everything in it. That does not mean that only God the Father was at work. The Father involved the Son and the Holy Spirit in the act of creation. The participation of the three persons in one God is clear in the creation account of man. God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness” (Gen 1:26). This verse shows that God is a plurality of persons, each communicating with the other while remaining one God. Paul writes about Jesus’ involvement in creation: “For in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, rulers, authorities, powers; all things were made through him and for him. He is before all things and in him all things hold together” (Col 1:16-17). The Holy Spirit’s involvement in the creation effort is clear from Genesis 1:2: “The earth had no form and was void; darkness covered the deep, while the spirit of God hovered over the waters.” Psalm 104:30 says: “When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and the face of the earth is renewed.” Thus, we see the unified work of the three persons of the Holy Trinity in the act of creation.
Our heavenly Father is omnipotent because He who created everything in this universe has power and control over everything. He can do anything He wishes. This universal power of God is seen expressed in various parts of the Holy Bible. For example: “Ezra said, ‘LORD, you alone are the LORD, you made the heavens, the heaven of heavens and all their stars, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all, and all the angels of heaven adore you’” (Neh 9:6).
Since people consider God as Father, it shows a loving relationship between God and humanity like the relationship between parents and children. Since God is above and beyond sexual classification, God’s parental tenderness also includes the image of motherhood. Through Isaiah, God said, “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you” (Isa 66:13).
God establishes covenants with His people, promising blessings and guidance (Gen 17:1-8, Ex 19:5-6). He provides the Law to guide His people (Ex 20:1-17). Israel is referred to as God’s firstborn son, indicating a special relationship (Ex 4:22-23).
NEW TESTAMENT
The New Testament brings a new dimension through the teachings of Jesus. Jesus uses the intimate Aramaic term “Abba” to refer to God, which translates to “Father” and emphasizes a close, personal relationship. He encourages his followers to pray to God using the same term, establishing the “Our Father” prayer (Mt 6:9) as a cornerstone of Christian practice. This prayer showcases God’s role as a provider for our daily needs and emphasizes themes of forgiveness and love.
FATHER AND THE SON GOD
The word for “Jesus” in Hebrew is Joshua, which means “God saves.” This name is highly appropriate for Jesus, the God who came to save us. The title of Jesus is Messiah in Hebrew and Christ in Greek, which means anointed. God anointed kings, prophets, and priests in Israel through His representatives. Christ combined all these positions in himself and accomplished the mission that his Father had entrusted to him. God the Father anointed Jesus through the Holy Spirit when John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the River Jordan. Hence, on the day of Pentecost, Peter preached, “You know how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power” (Acts 10:38). The baptizer heard the Father’s voice declaring, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased” (Mt 3:17). The Holy Spirit anointed Jesus, appearing in the form of a dove. Thus, the Most Holy Trinity manifested to John at the start of Jesus’ public ministry.
God the Father declared Jesus as his beloved son in front of the apostles Peter, James, and John saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him” (Mt 17:5). At Caesaria Philippi, Peter declared his belief in Jesus, stating, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16). Thus, the New Testament discloses the distinct sonship of Jesus to the Father and emphasizes the necessity of obeying him.
Kyrios (the Lord) was the Greek word used for the name of God. YHWH himself had revealed this to Moses. The title “Lord” shows the sovereignty of God. The New Testament uses the same term “Lord” for Jesus, acknowledging his divinity. Thomas addressed Jesus, “My Lord and my God” (Jn 20:28) affirming the divinity of Jesus.
JESUS: THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD
The Old Testament attributes “son of God” to the angels, the kings, the chosen ones, and the children of Israel (CCC-441). They are creations of God and not sons in the strict sense. However, Jesus is the eternally begotten Son of God. Begotten means fathered or generated by procreation. So, Jesus as the begotten son of God means he is also God. No one else can claim this position.
Jesus was with the Father from all eternity. When we recite in the profession of faith, “born of the Father before all ages,” we must not take it in the worldly sense of giving birth, though there is a father-son relationship between the two persons of the Most Holy Trinity. “In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God” (Jn 1:1-2).
Jesus said, “As I came from the Father and have come into the world, so I am leaving the world and going to the Father” (Jn 16:28). “He who sees me, sees him who sent me” (Jn 12:45). Hence, Jesus is God who came from God the Father.
Though Jesus had a human birth in Bethlehem from Mary, he eternally coexisted with His Father in heaven. To beget and to create have different meanings. To beget is to procreate someone of the same kind as the parents beget human babies. Thus, God begets the Son, who is also God. But when we make something, we are producing it differently from ourselves, just as a sculptural work of art is the creation of a sculptor. Thus, God created Adam and Eve in His image and likeness (Gen 1:27) but were substantially different from Him. So, unlike Adam and others, the Sonship of Jesus is unique in that he is the only begotten Son of God (Jn 3:16).
The Son is “consubstantial with the Father.” Thar means “in the Father and with the Father the Son is one and the same God” (CCC #262). The reason is that unlike other “sons of God” whom God created; Jesus is the eternally begotten son of God. Thus, Jesus and the Father are substantially one.
CATHOLIC TEACHING ON GOD THE FATHER
The Nicene Creed, recited in Catholic Mass, begins with “I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) explains that God’s fatherhood is both creative and adoptive. He is the creator of all and adopts believers into His family through grace (CCC 238-242). The doctrine of providence teaches that God the Father continually upholds and governs all of creation with wisdom and love (CCC 302-305).
God the Father is the first Person of the Holy Trinity. He is distinct but consubstantial (of the same substance) with the Son and the Holy Spirit. God’s fatherhood is fully revealed through His Son, Jesus Christ, who calls believers to recognize God as their Father (CCC 240).
The Catholic Church follows the Trinity doctrine, a central belief in Christianity that surpasses human comprehension. The Trinity states that God exists as three distinct persons – Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit – but is one God in essence. Each person of the Trinity is fully God, existing in perfect unity and love.
The Father is viewed as the ultimate creator and origin of everything that exists. He is the initiator of creation, redemption (through Jesus’ sacrifice), and sanctification (the process of becoming holy). Catholic prayers often address God as “Father,” reflecting the teachings of Jesus and emphasizing this close relationship.
REFLECTION
God desires a personal relationship with every individual, showing His willingness to communicate and establish covenants with humanity. His fatherhood is a testament to His unwavering love and mercy, urging believers to place their trust in His providential care and to imitate His holiness and righteousness as His children (1 Pet 1:15-16).
Believers, as part of God’s family, have the responsibility to promote unity, love, and support within their faith community. Trust in God’s plan and providence is especially emphasized during hardships. As our heavenly Father, God always has the best intentions for us, and His power sets His fatherhood apart from any earthly fatherhood. We are encouraged to approach Him with faith, knowing that He will provide, protect, and care for us.
Through prayer and life experiences, believers can experience God’s fatherly care, recognizing His omnipotence as He meets our needs. God’s fatherhood is transformative, characterized by an everlasting love that urges believers to gather in united adoration of the Father, as essential as prayer itself.
God the Father is not merely an earthly father; He is all-powerful and always caring for His children. The Bible emphasizes God’s love and concern for humanity by referring to Him as Father, akin to a parent’s love for their child. This is a core message of Christianity – that God’s love is boundless and extends to everyone.
The concept of God as Father dismantles any perception of Him as distant or unapproachable. This fatherly image makes God more relatable and opens the door for a personal connection through prayer and communication. Knowing God as Father gives believers a profound sense of belonging and purpose, affirming that they are not simply creations but part of God’s family, loved unconditionally. This shapes their understanding of themselves and their place in the world.
As children of God, believers are called to live according to His will, reflecting His love and compassion in the world. This involves following God’s teachings, striving to do good, and treating others with kindness and respect.
In summary, the Bible and Catholic teaching present God the Father as the Creator, Sustainer, and loving Parent who desires a deep and personal relationship with His children. Believers are called to trust in His love, live in His ways, and extend His love to others.