📖 Biblical Definition
God the Father is the first person of the Holy Trinity -- the eternal, uncreated source from whom the Son is begotten and the Spirit proceeds. He is the Father of Jesus Christ by nature and the Father of believers by adoption. Jesus taught His disciples to pray "Our Father in heaven" (Matthew 6:9). The Father's relationship to the Son is eternal, not created -- "before the world existed" the Father loved the Son (John 17:24). Believers receive the "Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!'" (Romans 8:15). God's fatherhood is not a metaphor borrowed from human experience -- rather, all human fatherhood is a shadow of the eternal Fatherhood of God (Ephesians 3:14-15).
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
Father: he who begets a child; the nearest male ancestor; the first person of the adorable Trinity.
expand to see more
FA'THER, n. 1. He who begets a child. 2. The first person of the adorable Trinity. 3. The first ancestor; the progenitor of a race or family. Note: Webster placed God's Fatherhood in the highest category -- the eternal begetting of the Son, from which all other fatherhood derives its meaning.
📖 Key Scripture
• Matthew 6:9 — "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name."
• Romans 8:15 — "You have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!'"
• Ephesians 3:14-15 — "I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named."
• John 17:24 — "Father... you loved me before the foundation of the world."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
God's Fatherhood is being erased in the name of gender-inclusive theology.
expand to see more
Progressive theology seeks to eliminate or minimize the title "Father" for God, claiming it is patriarchal, culturally conditioned, or triggering for those with bad earthly fathers. Some denominations have replaced "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" with "Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer" -- a move that destroys Trinitarian theology by replacing personal, relational names with functional descriptions. God did not call Himself Father because of human culture -- He called Himself Father because He IS Father eternally. To rename God is not progressive theology; it is idolatry -- the creation of a god in our own image. Jesus Himself called God "Father" over 170 times in the Gospels. To reject this name is to reject the revelation of Christ Himself.
Usage
• "God the Father is not a metaphor drawn from human experience -- all human fatherhood is a dim reflection of the eternal Father from whom every family is named."
• "To call God 'Mother' or 'Parent' instead of Father is not inclusive -- it is a rejection of the name by which God chose to reveal Himself."