Where was the first reference to God as a Father made? I believe Jesus to be God, but I do not know why He called God the Father, the Father. I know that Jesus was first called the Son of Man in the Book of Daniel and I can understand that. But I would like to know if Jesus was trying to teach us about family relationships and who better to have as the father than the God-head. Am I wrong?
2006-09-26 05:49:19 · 21 answers · asked by Carl 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
This is an essay that should explain it in detail. The second is a site where many articles on the Trinity can be found.
2006-09-26 05:51:45 · answer #1 · answered by BABY 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I don't feel like scanning the Gospels to find the first reference to God the Father as God the Father. It is mentioned 170 times in the four Gospels, though. If you have a Bible nearby, you can find the first reference.
Jesus called God his Father because God the Father, by way of miracle, conceived his Son via the Holy Spirit with a human woman. Thereby, Jesus is literally fathered by God.
The Father is not greater than the Son, and the Son is not greater than the Father. See John 5:23, for example. So, you're right: They are co-equal. ... How can this be? Because it is. An unsatisfying answer to you, perhaps...but that is the answer. They are both God, and so therefore neither is above or below the other. Just as a human father passes on his qualities to a human son, God the Father passed on his qualities to his divine Son.
Jesus was not trying to teach us anything about relationships in this regard. I am not sure what you mean by this question. Could you rephrase it?
2006-09-26 06:03:09 · answer #2 · answered by Gestalt 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the Subjective God to whom Jesus referred, evolved. (The Objective God was always there.) The most wise and the most advanced Soul of all became Divine as first, that is why he is referred to as the "Father". Jesus has reached divinity as second. Hence he is referred to as the "Son". At the time of his life as Jesus, he was not yet Divine, he was an avatar (a very advanced Soul). By reaching Divinity Jesus became one with the acting God, the "Father". The third Soul destined for Divinity (the "Holy Ghost") is currently completing his path, and when this Soul becomes Divine, the three Divine Souls, the trinity, will become One God.
2006-09-26 08:45:59 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God is Jesus's Father, yes God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are all one ( trinity), you can't have one without the other. you should read more than just the book of daniel, in the Holy Bible it says that God is Jesus's father. You will have to read more for yourself.
2006-09-26 05:55:15 · answer #4 · answered by charmaine_pennon 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
God is called the Father, because He is.
He is the Father of all living things. This includes Jesus. "the only Begotten"
Begotton according to the dictionary is "causes life to become" (Col 1:15, Rev 3:14, Prov 8:30)
Prior to Jesus being created, Jehovah was alone.
Then with Jesus' help as a master worker,
All other things were created. Col 1:16
Rev 4:11 “You are worthy, Jehovah, even our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created.”
Ps 110:1 Jehovah (Jesus' father) said to my Lord (Jesus) sit at my right hand. Yes it is a father son relationship, but not a trinity.
As to family relationships Christians are called Jesus' brothers.
We will never be Jehovah's brother. We are adopted as sons and children, but never elevated to brother.
Jehovah will always be our Heavenly Father.
http://www.watchtower.org/
2006-09-26 07:39:50 · answer #5 · answered by TeeM 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no words The Father as in father-son in the old test. But there is this." The Lord said to my Lord;" sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet." (psalm 110:1) Also God does refer to His spirit in Genesis 1:2 and to Him self as "us" in genesis 1:26 indicating a(at least) duality, while Jesus indicates a trinity. So if there is a Lord and a Lord and a Spirit, thus a trinity.
2006-09-26 06:17:51 · answer #6 · answered by TYRONE S 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Trinity = God (the Father), Jesus (the Son) and the Holy Spirit. The word Trinity does not show up in the Holy Bible, however keep reading (I've included scripture)...
God is a triune Spirit ((Father, Son and Holy Spirit)).
Someone said this (Yahoo! Answers):
The Trinity is like a three leaf clover. One leaf represents the Father, one the Son (Jesus) and one the Holy Spirit. They are all one...not separate.
(NIV) John 9:35- ((Note verse 37))
Spiritual Blindness
35Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
36"Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him."
37Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you."
38Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him.
(NIV) John 10:30 "I and the Father are one."
(NIV) Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in [ Or into; see Acts 8:16; 19:5; Romans 6:3; 1 Cor. 1:13; 10:2 and Gal. 3:27.] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is telling his disciples (and) us to baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit...I'm thinking because it's in red letters and Jesus said it...It is true!
P.S. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1) - Cite This Source
Trin‧i‧ty Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[trin-i-tee] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun, plural -ties for 2, 4.
1. Also called Blessed Trinity, Holy Trinity. the union of three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost) in one Godhead, or the threefold personality of the one Divine Being.
2. a representation of this in art.
3. Trinity Sunday.
4. (lowercase) a group of three; triad.
5. (lowercase) the state of being threefold or triple.
2006-09-26 05:56:52 · answer #7 · answered by Salvation is a gift, Eph 2:8-9 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Each member of the Trinity is equal, one with the other. They do have different roles, however.
The Father is the head positionally, but not of substance.
You are right about the familial relationship. Paul was speaking about that here: "For the husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. It is he who is the Savior of the body." (Ephesians 5:23)
Jesus has willingly submitted Himself to the Father, who assumes the role as head. Jesus is the head of the church. And so on.
The Holy Spirit speaks what He hears. That is His role. (John 16:13) He is equal with the Father and the Son, but His role is also different. And because they have perfect love for one another, there is no conflict.
2006-09-26 05:56:33 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
John chapter 10 verse 30
I and my Father are one.
I John chapter 5 verse 7
For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
Isaiah, chapter 9 verse 6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
2006-09-26 06:06:44 · answer #9 · answered by Born Again Christian 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Maybe this will help.
Jesus is God's son, he said so himself
Jesus is not equal to God, he said so himself
Jesus and God are 2 distenct and seperate beings, again Jesus said so himself.
See the below references for further information:
The New Encyclopædia Britannica says: “Neither the word Trinity, nor the explicit doctrine as such, appears in the New Testament, nor did Jesus and his followers intend to contradict the Shema in the Old Testament: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord’ (Deut. 6:4). . . . The doctrine developed gradually over several centuries and through many controversies. . . . By the end of the 4th century . . . the doctrine of the Trinity took substantially the form it has maintained ever since.”—(1976), Micropædia, Vol. X, p. 126.
The New Catholic Encyclopedia states: “The formulation ‘one God in three Persons’ was not solidly established, certainly not fully assimilated into Christian life and its profession of faith, prior to the end of the 4th century. But it is precisely this formulation that has first claim to the title the Trinitarian dogma. Among the Apostolic Fathers, there had been nothing even remotely approaching such a mentality or perspective.”—(1967), Vol. XIV, p. 299.
In The Encyclopedia Americana we read: “Christianity derived from Judaism and Judaism was strictly Unitarian [believing that God is one person]. The road which led from Jerusalem to Nicea was scarcely a straight one. Fourth century Trinitarianism did not reflect accurately early Christian teaching regarding the nature of God; it was, on the contrary, a deviation from this teaching.”—(1956), Vol. XXVII, p. 294L.
According to the Nouveau Dictionnaire Universel, “The Platonic trinity, itself merely a rearrangement of older trinities dating back to earlier peoples, appears to be the rational philosophic trinity of attributes that gave birth to the three hypostases or divine persons taught by the Christian churches. . . . This Greek philosopher’s [Plato, fourth century B.C.E.] conception of the divine trinity . . . can be found in all the ancient [pagan] religions.”—(Paris, 1865-1870), edited by M. Lachâtre, Vol. 2, p. 1467.
John L. McKenzie, S.J., in his Dictionary of the Bible, says: “The trinity of persons within the unity of nature is defined in terms of ‘person’ and ‘nature’ which are G[ree]k philosophical terms; actually the terms do not appear in the Bible. The trinitarian definitions arose as the result of long controversies in which these terms and others such as ‘essence’ and ‘substance’ were erroneously applied to God by some theologians.”
2006-09-26 05:58:13 · answer #10 · answered by mglee1966 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I think while Jesus was man, He referred to God the Father as Father because as a man, that's how He should have. But yes, what a wonderful example of fatherhood.
2006-09-26 05:54:03 · answer #11 · answered by Grandma Susie 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋