GOD THE FATHER
Thy Word Is Truth: Who Is the God of the Bible?
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” — John 17:17
Before His final conflict with the powers of darkness, Jesus prayed to His Father for His disciples. At the heart of His prayer was a request that those who believed in Him would be kept from the evil of the world and sanctified through the truth.
Jesus did not leave us to speculate as to what truth is. He plainly declared:
“....Thy word is truth.” — John 17:17
The Word of God is therefore the means by which our sanctification is accomplished. It is of the greatest importance that we acquaint ourselves with the sacred instruction of the Bible.
THY WORD IS TRUTH
We shall be inexcusable if, through our own negligence, we remain ignorant of the claims of God's Word. God has given us His Word—the revelation of His will—and He has promised the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him, to guide them into all truth.
Jesus said:
“If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God.” — John 7:17
It is a matter of the highest importance that we understand what truth is. Our petitions should therefore go forth with earnestness, asking God to guide us into all truth.
David understood the value of divine enlightenment: “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” — Psalm 119:130 Those who desire light should search the Scriptures, comparing Scripture with Scripture, while pleading with God for the illumination of the Holy Spirit. “The promise is that those who seek shall find.” — The Review and Herald, July 6, 1911
With this principle before us, let us examine what the Bible declares concerning God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.
GOD THE FATHER IS THE FATHER OF CHRIST
The title “God the Father” naturally directs our attention to the biblical relationship between the Father and His Son.
Scripture speaks of God as the Father of angels, the Father of humanity in the sense of creation and, for fallen humanity, adoption. But Scripture presents Jesus Christ in a unique relationship to the Father. Jesus is repeatedly identified as the Son of God.
John writes:
“Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.” — 1 John 5:1
The language of this passage is striking. John speaks of the one who begat and the one who was begotten.
The Bible therefore presents the Father and the Son as distinct persons, while at the same time revealing their intimate and unique relationship.
This mystery reaches beyond our full human comprehension. Scripture does not ask us to explain every detail of the divine relationship; it calls us to believe what God has revealed.
THE SON OF GOD BEFORE THE INCARNATION
Jesus' existence did not begin with His birth in Bethlehem.
Long before the incarnation, Scripture records an appearance of the Son of God.
When Nebuchadnezzar looked into the fiery furnace, he exclaimed:
“Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” — Daniel 3:25
Whatever conclusions one draws concerning the precise identity of the fourth figure, the biblical testimony throughout Scripture establishes that Christ's existence precedes His earthly ministry and incarnation.
This gives deeper significance to the familiar words of John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son...”
God gave His Son for the salvation of the world.
“GOD THE FATHER” IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
The expression “God the Father” occurs repeatedly in the New Testament, and these passages consistently place the Father alongside His Son, Jesus Christ.
Consider the following:
1. John 6:27
“...for him hath God the Father sealed.”
2. Galatians 1:1
“Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)”
3. Galatians 1:3
“Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ.”
4. Ephesians 6:23
“Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
5. Philippians 2:11
“And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
6. 1 Thessalonians 1:1
“...Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
7. 2 Timothy 1:2
“Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”
8. Titus 1:4
“Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.”
9. 1 Peter 1:2
“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ...”
10. 2 Peter 1:17
“For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
11. 2 John 1:3
“Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”
12. Jude 1:1
“Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.”
These passages are worthy of careful prayer and study. Again and again, Scripture identifies God the Father and places the Lord Jesus Christ, His Son, alongside Him.
JESUS CHRIST — THE SON OF GOD
The New Testament repeatedly identifies Jesus as the Son of God.
This designation is not incidental. It is central to the biblical testimony concerning who Jesus is.
Jesus Himself acknowledged His relationship with the Father. After His resurrection, He said to Mary:
“I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.” — John 20:17
The distinction expressed in these words deserves careful consideration.
Jesus spoke of “my God” and “my Father.”
Elsewhere, Jesus prayed to His Father:
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” — John 17:3
These are not passages to be hurried over. They invite us to open the Scriptures and allow the Bible to speak for itself.
PAUL'S TESTIMONY: ONE GOD AND ONE MEDIATOR
Paul gives another important testimony in his first letter to the Corinthians:
“But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.” — 1 Corinthians 8:6
Paul distinguishes between:
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One God — the Father
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One Lord — Jesus Christ
He makes a similar distinction when writing to Timothy:
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” — 1 Timothy 2:5
Here Scripture presents the Father as God and Christ as the one mediator between God and humanity.
Paul also identifies the Father as the God of our Lord Jesus Christ:
“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...” — 2 Corinthians 1:3
This is consistent with the testimony of John:
“Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.” — 2 John 1:3
The pattern is unmistakable: God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.
LET THE SCRIPTURES SPEAK
The purpose of this study is not to replace Scripture with human reasoning. Quite the opposite.
The Bible tells us to:
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God...” — 2 Timothy 2:15
We should therefore approach these questions prayerfully and humbly.
Rather than beginning with a theological system and forcing Scripture to conform to it, let us begin with the Word of God itself.
Compare Scripture with Scripture.
Read the passages in their context.
Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
And be willing to follow the truth wherever the Word of God leads.
Isaiah gives us the principle:
“For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.” — Isaiah 28:10
The question before every Christian is therefore a deeply personal one:
Who is the God whom you worship?
Is the God you believe in, the God revealed in Scripture?
Who does the Bible identify as the one true God?
Who does Scripture identify as His Son?
And what does Jesus Himself teach us about His Father?
These are not merely academic questions. They concern the very foundation of our faith and our understanding of the God whom we worship.
A CONTINUING STUDY
This page is not intended to be the final word on these subjects. It is an invitation to further study.
There are many more passages that deserve careful examination, and this study will continue to develop as additional biblical evidence is considered.
Above all, search the Scriptures for yourself.
“Thy word is truth.” — John 17:17
May God bless you as you prayerfully study His Word and seek to know Him more fully.
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God...”
— 2 Timothy 2:15
Elias