By COGwriter
All biblical writers and all theologians I am aware of, believe that the Father was and is God. This short article will provide a few early quotes that demonstrate this.
Jesus and the New Testament Writers
The many writers of the New Testament recorded that the Father was God.
Concerning the Father being God, Jesus taught:
But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:23-24).
Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him." (John 6:27).
Paul wrote about this fact on so many occasions, that I will only quote the first one here:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 1:7).
James wrote:
Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world (James 1:27).
Peter wrote:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3).
The Apostle John wrote:
Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love (2 John 3).
Jude wrote:
Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: (Jude 1).
Thus, the first century writers acknowledged the Father as God.
Second Century Church Leaders
Second century Christian writers also referred to the Father as God. And that He was the Father of Jesus.
In "the oldest complete Christian sermon that has survived" (Holmes M.W. The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations, 2nd ed. Baker Books, Grand Rapids, 2004, p. 102)--was given perhaps with a year or so of the Apostle John's death. It states:
So then, brothers, if we do the will of God our Father...(An Ancient Christian Sermon (2 Clement), 14:1. In Holmes M.W. The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations, 2nd ed. Baker Books, Grand Rapids, 2004, p.121).
Polycarp of Smyrna wrote (mid second century):
But may the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself, who is the Son of God, and our everlasting High Priest, build you up in faith and truth, and in all meekness, gentleness, patience, long-suffering, forbearance, and purity; and may He bestow on you a lot and portion among His saints, and on us with you, and on all that are under heaven, who shall believe in our Lord and God Jesus Christ, and in His Father, who "raised Him from the dead (Polycarp. Letter to the Philippians. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 1as edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885. Section 12 modified by R. Thiel to correct omission in translation).
Melito of Sardis wrote (mid-late second century):
No eye can see Him, nor thought apprehend Him, nor language describe Him; and those who love Him speak of Him thus: `Father, and God of Truth" (Melito. A Discourse Which Was in the Presence of Antoninus Caesar).
This is the apparent position of all groups that I am aware of that profess any form of Christianity.
If Human Fathers are to Receive Honor...
God is our heavenly Father. Notice that Jesus taught:
For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you (Matthew 6:14).
Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 "For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you (Matthew 6:31-33).
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him! (Luke 11:13).
The Bible also teaches:
'Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you (Deuteronomy 5:16).
If human fathers are to be honored, how much more your heavenly Father?
Conclusion
The first and century Christian writers acknowledged that the Father is God. Jesus call the Father our "heavenly Father".
Unlike a lot of early Christian beliefs, this one has remained as nearly all associated with any form of Christianity acknowledge the Father as God as well.
More on the Godhead can be found in the following articles:
Where Did God Come From? Any ideas? And how has God been able to exist?
How is God Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient? Here is a biblical article by Wallace Smith which answers what many really wonder about it.
What is the Meaning of Life? Who does God say is happy? What is your ultimate destiny? Do you really know?
Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning Is binitarianism the correct position? What about unitarianism or trinitarianism?
Did Early Christians Think the Holy Spirit Was A Separate Person in a Trinity? Or did they have a different view?
Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it?
Was Unitarianism the Teaching of the Bible or Early Church? Many, including Jehovah's Witnesses, claim it was, but was it?
Binitarianism: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning This is a shorter article than the Binitarian View article, but has a little more information on binitarianism.
Thiel B., Ph.D. Is The Father God? www.cogwriter.com 2006/2007, All rights reserved.