In these last articles about the trinity, the concentration will be placed upon the doctrine of the deity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There is little disagreement over this subject of the deity of the Father. Most cults attack the deity of the Son and most eastern mystics attack the deity of the Holy Spirit. The trinity, however, ties the Godhead into one unmistakable union. And that undeniable thread that links them is the doctrine of the deity of each. The Father is not the entire Trinity just as the Son is not the Trinity nor the Spirit the Trinity.
The term deity is found in the NASB translation of the word Greek theotes meaning "the state of being God, or Godhood," and is translated by other versions as "Godhead" (Col. 2:9). The term comes to the English form the Latin divinitas "divinity," whose root is deus meaning "god." The state of being God means going back to the Bible and recognizing what He has to say about Himself, His attributes, name, and acts attributed to Him.
Deity of the Father
The deity of the Father is generally undisputed. Only one of the divine persons is the trinitarian Father, but the three persons in one essence constitute the providential and universal Father.1 The term Father is sometimes used synonymous with God. The term Father is also used to distinguish the person of the Father. For example, Jesus addresses "My Father" (John 14:27; 15:1, 8). Notice that Jesus is referred to as Father, but the Father is never referred to as Son.
The Hebrew word for father 'ab is the first word in the Hebrew dictionary and, according to the great Hebrew grammarian Gesenius the word has the following meanings in the Old Testament: (1) Of any ancestor, as in father, grand-father, great-grandfather, or collectively ancestors; (2) Used of the founder, or first ancestor, of a nation, (Gen. 10:21; 17:4, 5; 19:37; 36:9, 43; Josh 24:3). "Here belongs Gen. 4:21, 'the father of all who handle the harp and pipe,' i.e. the founder of the family of music; inventor of the art of music." ; (3) Of the author, or maker, of anything, specifically of the Creator, Job 38:28, "has the rain a father?" i.e. Creator. And in this sense God is said to be "the father of men," Isa. 63:16; 64:7; Deu. 32:6[?] comp. Jer. 2:27. All these tropical uses come from the notion of origin; (4) Father is applied to a bringer up, nourisher, as bestowed his benefits like a parent, Job 29:16, "I was a father to the needy; Ps. 68:6, "a father of the fatherless; Isa. 9:5, the Messiah is called "eternal Father" of the people. By the same metaphor God is called the Father of the righteous, and of the kings of the earth, both of whom are called sons of God, 2 Sam. 7:14; 1 Ch. 17:13; 22:10; Ps. 89:27, 28 [these passages refer to Christ the Son of God]. (5) It is used of a master, or teacher, 1 Sam. 10:12; and hence, priests and prophets, as addressed by the name of father out of respect, even by kings, 2 Kg. 2:12; (6) Specially the father of the king, a name given to his supreme counselor, Gen. 45:8; (7) It is further used to express intimate connection and relationship; Job 17:14.2
Dr. Chafer identifies the concept of the Fatherhood which he derives from Ephesians 3:14-15, "For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name." The phrase "every family" can be rendered "every fatherhood [patrina from the root of the Greek pater "father"]. This fatherhood of God has four distinct aspects: (1) God as the Father of all creation; (2) God the Father of Israel; (3) God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; and (4) God as the Father of all who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior.
- God as Father of all creation. God is Father of mankind by creation (Acts 17:28-29; Luke 3:38). Both angels and men are referred to as "sons of God" (cf. Job 1:6; Gal. 3:26). Likewise, Paul speaks of men as "offspring of God" (Acts 17:29). Moreover, God as the Father over all creation is made clear in 1 Cor. 8:6, "But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things."
- God as Father of Israel. In the Old Testament God declares He is the Father of Israel (Isa. 63:16; 64:8; Hos. 11:1). Exodus 4:22 says, "Thus says the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn." He sustains this relationship because the nation was created by Him (Deut. 32:6; Mal. 2:10). "Israel as God's firstborn possesses a privileged position (Ex. 4:22; Jer. 31:9) and as such owns great promises (Jer 3:19). As a son Israel is to honor and serve God (Ex. 4:23; Mal 1:6). Just as a natural father rears his children, so God desires to sustain Israel and make him great (Jer. 3:19; cf. Ps. 103:13; Prov. 3:12)."3 This special relationship will find ultimate meaning in the Davidic Millennium as the promise is fulfilled, "I will be his [Israel's] father, and he shall be my son" (2 Sam. 7:14). The Biblical covenants relating to Israel, chiefly the Abrahamic covenant will be fulfilled.
- The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:3). "The relation of the Second Person to the First Person has from all eternity been that of a Son, and, like all else relates to the Godhead, is not only eternal but is unchangable. He did not become a Son of the Father, as some say that He did, by His incarnation, or by His resurrection, nor is He a Son by mere title, nor is He temporarily assuming such a relationship that He may execute His part in the Covenant of Redemption….Theologians generally have been emphatic in their insistence that the divine sonship is from all eternity."4 Some theologians and the cults have attempted to begin the role of the Son at some point in time either at the creation, the incarnation, or at some a subsequent point of special recognition such as His baptism, His death, resurrection, or ascension. But scripture is clear that He is a Son from all eternity past (John 8:58; 17:5, 24) and as such, He is the "only begotten Son" (Ps. 2:7; John 3:16). "He was the Only Begotten of the Father from all eternity, having no other relation to time and creation than that He is the Creator of them. It is evident that the Father and Son relationship sets forth only the features of emanation and manifestation and does not include the usual conception of derivation, inferiority, or distinction as to the time of beginning. The Son, being very God, is eternally on an absolute equality with the Father. On the other hand, the First Person became the God of the Second Person by the incarnation. Only from His humanity could Christ address the First Person as "My God."5 The terms Father and Son are anthropomorphic, that is, God uses the illustration of a human father-son relationship to bring understanding of the infinite to man's finite mind.
- The Father of all believers. By creation God is the Father of all, but by His grace He is the spiritual Father of believers. Believers become sons of God by their second birth into the family of God (John 1:12; Eph. 2:19; 3:15; 5:1). By contract, those who do not have their identity in Christ are sons of the devil (Mat. 13:38; John 8:44; Eph. 2:2). The child of God then has a legal right being adopted, to an inheritance in God (Rom. 8:16-17; Eph. 1:14; 1 Pet. 1:4).
The deity of the Father is summarized by the fact that only He is capable of creating all things. That only He and He alone has selected Israel as a people and brought them through the trials of bondage and freedom, captivity and release. The One who makes covenants and keeps them with a nation and with the whole earth is the unique One who can alone fulfill those covenants. Likewise, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ has the meaning of a special relationship. A unique relationship as Jesus is the only begotten, and there is no other relationship like it. And finally, as Father of all believers means He alone is the one who salvation rests. There is salvation because there is the Father and the Son without them, there is no salvation, and only God can save.
3 Stanley Toussaint in Charles Pfeiffer, Howard Voss, John Rea, gen. ed., Wycliffe Bible Dictionary (Peabdy: Hendrickson, 1999), p. 596
