God the Father is a title given to God in various religions, most prominent in Christianity. In mainstream trinitarian Christianity, God the Father is considered to be the first person of the Trinity, followed by the second person of God the Son (Jesus Christ) and the third person of God the Holy Spirit. Since the second century, Christian creeds include affirmation of belief in "God the Father (the Almighty)", especially as his capacity as "Father and creator of the universe". However, in Christianity the concept of God as the father of Jesus Christ goes further metaphysically from the concept of God as the Creator and the father of all men, as shown in the Apostles' Creed where the expression of faith in "the Almighty Father, the creator of heaven and earth" immediately , but separately followed by in "Jesus Christ, His Only Begotten Son, our Lord", thus revealing the two feelings of the fatherhood.
Video God the Father
Christianity
Overview
In Christianity, God is called the Father, partly because of his active interest in human affairs, in the way a father would be attracted to his dependent children and as a father, he would respond to humanity, his children, act in their best interests. Many believe they can communicate with God and approach it through prayer - a key element to reaching fellowship with God.
In general, the title Father (capitalized) signifies God's role as a powerful life-giver, authority, and protector, often seen as omnipotent, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent with infinite powers and charities that go beyond human understanding. For example, after completing his monumental work Summa Theologica , Catholic St. Thomas Aquinas concludes that he has not begun to understand 'God the Father'. Although the term "Father" implies masculine characteristics, God is usually defined as having a spirit form without biological human sex, for example the Catechism of the Catholic Church # 239 specifically states that " God is neither male nor female: he is God ". Although God is never directly referred to as "Mother", sometimes the nature of motherhood can be interpreted in Old Testament references like Isa 42:14 , Isa 49: 14-15 or Isa 66: 12-13 .
In the New Testament, the Christian concept of God the Father can be seen as a continuation of the Jewish concept, but with certain additions and changes, which from time to time made the Christian concept more clear in the early Middle Ages. Compatibility with the Old Testament concept is shown in Matthew 4:10 and Luke 4: 8 where in response to Jesus' temptation quotes Deuteronomy 6:13 and states: "It is written, you must worship the Lord your God, and only you shall prepare." 1 Corinthians 8: 6 shows different Christian teachings about the institution of Christ with first stating: "there is one God, the Father, of whom is all things, and we are to him" and immediately goes on to "And one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom everything is, and we pass by. " This passage clearly recognizes the Jewish doctrine of the uniqueness of God, but also reveals the role of Jesus as an agent in creation. Over time, Christian doctrine began to completely deviate from Judaism through the teachings of the Fathers of the Church in the second century and in the fourth century the belief in the Trinity was formalized. According to Mary Rose D'Angelo and James Barr, the Aramaic term in Abba is in the early days of the New Testament, there is no term affection, or a formal word; but the words commonly used by sons and daughters, throughout their lives, in the family context.
Old Testament
According to Marianne Thompson, in the Old Testament, God is called the "Father" with a unique sense of familiarity. In addition to the notion that God is the "Father" for all men because he created the world (and in that sense "became the father of the world"), the same God is also uniquely the lawgiver of his chosen people. He maintained a special father-son relationship with the people, gave them the Sabbath, the stewardship of his prophecy, and a unique legacy in the things of God, calling Israel "my son" because he freed the descendants of Jacob from slavery. in Egypt in accordance with their covenants and oaths to their fathers, Avraham, Isaac and Yaacov. In the Hebrew Scriptures, in Isaiah 63:16 (JP) it is written: "Because you are our father, because Abraham does not know us, nor does Israel recognize us, O [YHWH], our father, our old redeemer is your name. "To God, according to Judaism, attributed the role of patron's father. He was given the title of the Father of the poor, the fatherless and the widow, the guarantor of their justice. He was also given the title of the King, as a teacher and a helper of Israeli judges.
According to Alon Goshen-Gottstein, in the Old Testament "Father" is generally a metaphor; it is not the right name for God but more than one title used by the Jews to speak and to God. 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 a more metaphysical interpretation than a metaphor.
New Testament
There is a deep sense in which Christians believe that they are participants in the eternal relationship of the Father and the Son, through Jesus Christ. Christians call themselves adopting God's children:
But when the fullness of time has come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we may accept adoption as sons. And because you are a son, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, weeping, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then a heir through God.
In Christianity the concept of God as the Father of Jesus differs from the concept of God as the Creator and Father of all people, as shown in the Apostolic Creed. The profession of faith begins with expressing the belief in "the Father of the Almighty, the Creator of the heavens and the earth" and then soon, but separately, in "Jesus Christ, His Only Begotten, our Lord", thereby expressing the two feelings of fatherliness in conviction.
History
Since the second century, Western Church creeds have affirmed the belief in "God the Father (the Almighty)", the main reference being "God in his capacity as Father and creator of the universe." This does not rule out the fact that "the eternal father of the universe is also the Father of Jesus Christ" or that he is even "entrusted to adopt [the believer] as his son by grace".
The creed in the Eastern Church (known to be from the future) begins with an affirmation of faith in "one God" and almost always extends this by adding "the Almighty Father, the Creator of all visible and invisible things" or words to it effect.
At the end of the first century, Roman Clement has repeatedly referred to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and connecting the Father to creation, 1 Clement 19.2 which states: "Let us look firmly unto the Father and Creator of the universe." Around AD 213 at Adversus Praxeas (Chapter 3) Tertullian is believed to have given a formal representation of the concept of the Trinity, that God exists as a "substance" but three "Persons": Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and with God the Father becoming Head. Tertullian also discusses how the Holy Spirit comes from the Father and the Son. While the phrase "from the Father through the Son" is also found among them.
The Nicea's Confession of Faith, which began in 325, states that the Son (Jesus Christ) is the "eternal birth of the Father", which indicates that their Father-Son relationship is divine events in time or human history.
Trinitarianism
For Trinitarian Christians (who include Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and most but not all Protestant denominations), God the Father is not a God apart from God the Son (among whom Jesus is incarnate) and the Holy Spirit, another hypostasis of the Divinity Christian. In Eastern Orthodox theology, God the Father is the "arche" or "originium" ("beginning"), "source" or "origin" of the Son and the Holy Spirit, and is considered the eternal source of the Deity that is eternal. The Father is the one who eternally begets the Son, and the Father through the Son forever breathes the Holy Spirit.
As a member of the Trinity, God the Father is one with, equally, co-eternal, and in harmony with the Son and the Holy Spirit, every Person becomes one eternal and totally unrelated God: all equally unimagined and omnipotent. Because of this, the Trinity goes beyond reason and can only be known through revelation.
The concept of the Trinity about God the Father is not pantheistic because he is not regarded as identical to the universe or the vague idea that survives in it, but it is completely out of creation, as its Creator. He is seen as a loving and caring God, an active Heavenly Father in the world as well as in the lives of people. He created all things visible and invisible in love and wisdom, and created humanity for himself.
The emergence of the Trinity theology of God the Father in early Christianity is based on two key ideas: first the common identity of the Old Testament Yahweh and the Lord Jesus in the New Testament, and then the difference of self and not yet unity between Jesus and His Father. An example of the unity of the Son and the Father is Matthew 11:27: "No one knows the Son except the Father and no one knows the Father except the Son", affirming the mutual knowledge of the Father and the Son.
The concept of fatherhood of God did appear in the Old Testament, but not the main theme. While the view of God as Father was used in the Old Testament, it was only the focus of the New Testament, as Jesus often called it. It is manifested in God's prayer that combines the mundane necessities of daily bread with the concept of reciprocal forgiveness. And the emphasis of Jesus on his special relationship with the Father highlights the importance of different but united Jesus qualities and the Father, who built the unity of the Father and Son in the Trinity.
The paternal view of God as the Father goes beyond Jesus to his disciples, and to the whole Church, as reflected in the petition that Jesus gave to the Father for his followers at the end of the Discourse, the night before the crucifixion. The examples of this in the Discourse Discourse are John 14:20 when Jesus speaks to the disciples: "I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you" and in John 17:22 when he prayed to the Father: "I have given them the glory you have given me, that they can be one as we are one."
Nontrinitarianism
Some Christian groups reject the doctrine of the Trinity, but differ from one another in their view of God the Father.
In Mormon theology, God's most prominent conception is as a divine council of three different forms: Elohim (Father), Jehovah (Son, or Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. The Father and Son are considered to have perfected, the physical body, while the Holy Spirit has a spirit body. The Mormons believe that God the Father leads the Son and the Holy Spirit, where God the Father is greater than both, but they are one in the sense that they have a unity of purpose. Mormon does not distinguish God as an ontological species separate from humans, a concept which they believe stems from post-apostolic theologians incorporating the elements of Greek philosophy into Christian doctrine. Mormon teaches that the Father's title is not figurative, since man is literally the spirit of God's descendants (Acts 17: 28-29, Hebrews 12: 9). In this sense, they regard Jesus Christ as their older brother (John 20:17), because he is the firstborn, or the first born of the sons of God (Colossians 1:15, Hebrews 1:26; 12:23). The biblical reference to Christ as "begotten", in turn, refers to God as the Father of the mortal body of Christ, born of the Virgin Mary. The terms "Father" and "Son" imply the lineage of beings in Mormonism and in all the use of these words are non-symbolic. In the Mormon chant, "If You Can Hie to Kolob", there is no beginning for the genealogy of elevated and resurrected figures who are in perfect unity.
In Jehovah's Witness theology, only God the Father (Jehovah) is a truly omnipotent God, even above His Son Jesus Christ. They teach that the pre-existing Christ is God's first Son, and that the Holy Spirit is God's active force (projected energy). They believe all three are united in purpose, but not the only and unequal in power. While the Witnesses recognize the unique pre-existence of Christ, perfection, and the unique "Sonship" of God the Father, and believe that Christ has an important role in creation and redemption, and is the Messiah, they believe that only the Father does not begin. They say that the Son is the only direct creation of the Father, before all ages. God the Father is emphasized in the meeting and ministry of Jehovah's Witnesses more than Christ the Son, for they teach that the Father is greater than the Son.
The Unity of Pentecost teaches that God is a single spirit that is a person, not three divine persons, individuals or minds. God the Father is the ultimate Creator. The titles of the Son and of the Holy Spirit are only titles that reflect the different personal manifestations of the One True God, the Father in the universe.
Maps God the Father
Other religions
Although similarity exists among religions, the common language and the concept shared about God and his Father's title among Abrahamic religions are very limited, and every religion has a very specific belief structure and religious nomenclature with respect to the subject.. While a religious teacher in one religion may be able to explain the concepts to his own listener easily, significant obstacles remain in communicating those concepts across religious boundaries.
BahÃÆ'¡'ÃÆ'
In the Bahaa faith, God is also called father. Bahá'a's view of God is essentially monotheistic. God is an imperishable and un-created being that is the source of all existence.
Hinduism
In Hinduism, Bhagavan Krishna in Bhagavad Gita, chapter 9, verse 17, states: "I am the Father of this world, Mother, Dispenser and Grandpa", a commentator added: "God is the source of the universe and the beings in it, He is held as Father, Mother and Grandpa ". A Brahman without gender is also regarded as the Creator and the Giver of Life, and Goddess Shakta is viewed as a divine mother and a life bearer.
Islam
The Islamic concept of God is different from the Christian and Jewish view, the term "father" is not officially applied to God by Muslims, and the Christian idea of ​​the Trinity is rejected in Islam. Muslims also believe that God is the Wali. Wali means "guard", "protector" and "helper". God is also called Rahim, which means "Merciful, Compassion".
In Islamic theology, God is the author, proponent, conqueror, and judge of the omniscient universe.
Although traditional Islamic teachings do not formally forbid using the term "Father" in reference to God, it does not propagate or encourage it. There are several narrations about the prophet of Islam, Muhammad, where he compares God's compassion to his worshipers with a mother to her baby baby.
The teachings of Islam reject the relationship of the Christian Children of God and Jesus, and declare that Jesus is the prophet of God, not the Son of God. Islamic theology explicitly repeats the Absolute Unity of God, and separates it entirely from other beings (whether human, angels or other holy men), and reject all forms of dualism or Trinitarianism. Chapter 112 of the Qur'an states:
Say: He is God, the One; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He did not beget, nor did he beget; And nothing like Him. (Surah 112: 1-4, Yusuf Ali )
Judaism
In Judaism, God is described as "the Father" because he is seen as the absolute, unmatched, unmatched, transcendent, immanent, and non-materialist God of creation and history. God in Judaism is the giver of the Sabbath and the two Torahs - written, oral, mystical tradition - to his chosen people. In Judaism, the use of the title "Father" is generally a metaphor, referring to the role of the Giver and the lawgiver, and is one of the many titles that the Jews talked about and to the Lord.
The Jewish concept of God is similar to the Christian view, because Christianity has Jewish roots, although there are some differences, about things like the role of a Mediator. And also the concept of "God the Father" in biblical Judaism is generally more metaphorical. (Numbers 23:19).
The Jewish concept of God is that God is non-physical, transcendent and immanent, the main source of love, and the "Father" metaphor. The Torah states: "God is not human (???: ['iysh]) that He must lie, nor a man (?? - ???: [benad'adam]) that He should regret. (Book of Numbers 23:19 Hebrew: ????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????????????
The term Aramaic for dad (Hebrew: ??? , abba ) appears in the traditional Jewish liturgy and Jewish prayer to God ( eg in Kaddish).
According to Ariela Pelaia, in Rosh Hashanah's prayer, Areshet Sfateinu, an ambiguity toward God is shown, for his role as Father and as King. The free translation of the relevant sentence may be: "Today every creature is judged, whether as a son or as a slave, if as a boy, forgive us like a father who forgives his son, if as slaves, we wait, goodness, to verdict, your sacred glory. "Another famous prayer emphasizing this dichotomy is called Avinu Malkeinu, which means" Our Father Our King "in Hebrew. Usually the entire congregation will sing the last verse of this prayer in unison, saying: "Our Father, our King, answer us as if we have no deeds to defend our cause, save us with compassion and love."
Sikhism
In Sikhism, God is considered an uncompromising monotheist, as symbolized by Ik Onkar (one Creator), a central principle of Sikh philosophy. Master Granth consistently refers to the creator as "Him" and "Father". This is because Granth is written in the northern Indo-Aryan language (a mixture of Punjabi and Hindi dialects) that have no gender neutral. Since Granth says that God can not be described, God has no gender according to Sikhism.
God in the Sikh scriptures has been referred by several names, taken from Indian and Semitic traditions. He is called in human relationships as father, mother, brother, relationship, friend, lover, lover, husband. Other names, expressive supremacy, are thakur , prabhu , svami , legitimate , patsah , sahib , sain (Master, Teacher).
In Western art
For about a thousand years, no effort was made to depict God the Father in human form, as the 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 the Gospel of John 1:18:" No one ever sees God at all "is meant to apply not only to the Father, but also to all the depictions of the Father. Usually only a small portion of the body of the Father to be represented, usually the hand, or sometimes the face, but rarely the whole person, and in many pictures, the figure of the Son replaces the Father, so that a small portion of that Father is described.
In the early medieval period, God was often represented by Christ as the Logos , which continued to be very common even after the Father's separate God figure emerged. Western art ultimately requires several ways to illustrate the presence of the Father, so through successive representations a set of artistic styles for the Father's portrayal in human form gradually emerged around the 10th century.
In the 12th century depiction of God the Father, basically based on the Ancient of Days in the Book of Daniel has begun to appear in French manuscripts and in stained glass windows in England. In the 14th century, Naples's pictorial Bible has a portrayal of God the Father in the burning bushes. In the fifteenth century, the Book of Rohan Jam included the portrayal of God the Father in human form or anthropomorphic image. This portrayal is rare and often controversial in Eastern Orthodox art, and in the age of artistic representation the Renaissance God the Father is freely used in the Western Church.
See also
- Divine filiation
- God Is Alone
- Eugenia Elisabetta Ravasio
- Sabellianism
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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