The concept of Father in Christianity

In various theological contexts, the term "Father" represents a divine entity central to the understanding of God in Christianity, Gnosticism, and other belief systems. In Christianity, the Father is the source of life and wisdom, emphasizing a loving relationship with believers and the Son, Jesus Christ. The Father is perceived as the ultimate authority, guiding and nurturing humanity. In Gnosticism, the Father signifies a higher power distinct from Yahweh, illustrating a broader interpretation of divine origin. Overall, "Father" embodies the concept of a caring and guiding deity or source of spiritual life.1
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Synonyms: Papa, Pa, Old man, Patriarch, Progenitor, Pop, Pater

In Malay: Bapa; In Swedish: Far; In Dutch: Vader; In Finnish: Isä; In Spanish: Padre; In German: Vater; In French: Père

The below excerpts are indicatory and do represent direct quotations or translations. It is your responsibility to fact check each reference.

Christian concept of 'Father'

Christianity Books

Significance in Early Christian church and writers:
Early Christianity Books

From: Ante-nicene Fathers

(1) This refers to the divine being to whom the way leads, and the word which is heard is not of the speaker but of the one who sent.[1] (2) The Father is portrayed as invisible, in whose authority and name God appeared as the Son of God, and the Gospel testifies that no one knows the Father except the Son.[2] (3) This refers to the person's parent, who is responsible for the creation and upbringing, emphasizing the familial connection and the concept of belonging.[3] (4) The person who is known when one becomes one with Him as a son and a father are one, representing the ultimate state of knowledge.[4] (5) This is the one to whom those converted were killed for, and presented with the finest robe, and the Spirit of God is truly like many waters, since the Father is both rich and great.[5]

From: Gospel of Thomas Commentary

(1) This is a divine figure, and it is associated with the kingdom and the fire, and it is a symbol of righteousness, passion, purpose, glory, desire, hunger, and motivation to pursue him.[6] (2) This term refers to a higher spiritual entity, which an individual claims to be connected to, and the way to this is through the individual.[7] (3) This phrase is used to describe a divine being and is associated with the source of all things, including Jesus.[8] (4) The Father is the living Father, and knowing yourselves leads to understanding that you are children of the Father, emphasizing a spiritual connection.[9] (5) This term represents a divine figure, often associated with benevolence, guidance, and the source of creation, emphasizing a relationship.[10]

Early Christianity (also known as Early Church) refers to the period starting roughly in the 6th century BC up until 325 A.D. during which year the first council of Nicaea was convened. Popular literature includes the writings by the early Church Fathers which forms the basis of later Christian theology.

Significance in Christianity (general):

From: Expositions of Holy Scripture

(1) This is the first person of the Trinity, and the form of the standard is represented by the riches of His glory.[11] (2) This refers to God, whose will is that none of the little ones should perish, and who seeks out those who have gone astray, as mentioned in the text.[12] (3) The individual to whom Joseph sent a message, and whom Joseph desired to have come to him, along with his family, to live in the land of Goshen.[13] (4) This refers to the loving manifestation and presence of God, which is one of the essential elements of a spiritual state, where sonship and union with Him are realized.[14] (5) The one to whom the Master will confess those who confess Him, and those who deny the Master before men, the Master will also deny before the Father.[15]

From: Hymns for Christian Devotion

(1) The individuals from whom God's blessings originated, the ones whose lights were bestowed, and who are connected to the favored land that receives the choicest mercy.[16] (2) The term is used to address a divine figure, with a request for blessings and the impactful spread of the divine word.[17] (3) This term denotes a parental figure of the human race, providing guidance and kindness to all individuals.[18] (4) This word identifies the source of compassion, a being whose grace is abundant and from whom blessings are bestowed upon.[19] (5) The entity to whom the individuals are expressing their gratitude and is considered their protector, indicating thankfulness for preservation.[20]

From: A Dictionary of the Bible (Hastings)

(1) The Father’s love exhibited in Christ is the heart’s response to the love of Christians towards God and Christ, as the text indicates.[21] (2) Jesus bids the disciples pray, Our Father hallowed be thy name, and to bring about this hallowing is the very work of Jesus, who makes known the Father’s name.[22] (3) This refers to God, who, along with His Son, freely gives all things, illustrating the importance of giving in Christian teachings.[23] (4) The Father is the one who sends the Advocate, and the Advocate is sent to believers to help them, representing a significant aspect of the Trinity.[24] (5) The Father is a reference to God, and the text states that our communion is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ, which makes our communion with one another depend upon this prior communion.[25]

From: Bible cyclopedia, critical and expository

(1) These are the early Christian writers who cited the New Testament, and their writings are used as evidence to determine the true text.[26] (2) The Pharisees, though wrong in maintaining oral tradition as obligatory, yet preserved in respect to the resurrection the faith of the fathers, according to the provided text.[27] (3) This is a figure who gives, promises, and sends the Holy Spirit, but is not sent, and is part of the triune benediction alongside the Son and Holy Spirit.[28] (4) This is a term used to describe God.[29] (5) The brevity of the writing accounts for the few quotations from them, and this is related to the references to this text.[30]

From: The Complete Sayings of Jesus

(1) This refers to the divine figure who sent the subject and whose will involves the subject losing nothing of what has been given to him.[31] (2) A figure who works and shows the Son all things, and has given the Son the power to have life in himself.[32] (3) This is a figure that someone goes unto, and the only way someone can come to this figure is through a specific person.[33] (4) The individual who made a promise that the apostles were instructed to wait for, and who has put the times and seasons in his power.[34] (5) The one to whom Jesus directs his prayers, and who is associated with glorifying the name, representing a higher power.[35]

From: A Cyclopedia of Biblical literature

(1) This term has various applications, including its common meaning, and is frequently used in religious texts to refer to God Himself, the creator and preserver of all people, especially believers, and it is also used by Jesus to refer to God.[36] (2) The relation of the Son to this figure is entirely expressed in the style of John, as Matthew speaks of the relation of the Son to the Father, that persons not sufficiently versed in Holy Writ are apt to search for this passage in the Gospel of John.[37] (3) This refers to the group of people that considered the Third Book of Ezra as apocryphal.[38] (4) The father refers to Abraham, who was asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac, and the trial of his faith is a central theme in the provided text.[39] (5) The fathers are those whose hearts should turn to the children, and also the heart of the children should turn to their fathers, according to the prophecy of Malachi.[40]

Significance in Global Christian community:
Catholic Church Books

From: Summa Theologica (English translation)

(1) The Father is a person within the context, and the text highlights that He is from no one, which is a part of His authority and dignity.[41] (2) One of the Persons of the Trinity. The Father adopts us as sons, and we can call the Father as such. The Father is the author of adoption. The Father is the one who begets the Son, but to produce any effect in creatures is common to the whole Trinity.[42] (3) This refers to God the Father, and the text discusses Christ ascending to the Father, and what that means in the context of the Ascension.[43] (4) The term is used in the text to refer to one of the persons in the Trinity, and is associated with the property of paternity and the act of begetting, and is considered a subsisting relation, being the Father Himself.[44] (5) This entity has the Son as His image, and the Son is the perfect image of Him, and is a key concept in understanding the divine nature.[45]

From: Works of St. Anselm

(1) The Father alone begets the Son, but does not create the Son, while the Father and Son alike do not create or beget, but somehow, if such an expression may be used, breathe their love.[46] (2) This refers to the being who possesses essence, wisdom, and life within himself, granting these attributes to the Son, enabling the Son to subsist, be wise, and live independently.[47] (3) This is the one who is said to draw by imparting an inclination, and the Son says that no man comes to him except the Father draw him, and the Father moved the Son to death.[48] (4) The first person of the Trinity, to whom Jesus offered himself, and to whom devotion is directed, as presented in the text.[49] (5) This entity exists within the Son and the Spirit, representing the memory of the supreme Being, as described in the provided text.[50]

From: The city of God

(1) The Father is the supreme God whom the wise men of the Hebrews taught people to adore, and it is the central figure in the worship they promoted, as the text describes.[51] (2) The Father is mentioned in the text, as it is said, "but to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him."[52] (3) The father is Abraham, and he obeyed the Lord's voice, and kept His precepts, His commandments, His righteousness, and His laws, and Isaac is beloved for his sake.[53] (4) This is the one who will judge, but He will judge by the coming of the Son, according to the provided text.[54] (5) The Father is a term used in reference to a destination of the soul, which is a place that the soul can return to and be emancipated from matter.[55]

From: The Writings of St. Francis of Assisi

(1) The entity to whom Jesus Christ prayed, whose will is to be done, and who is in heaven, as well as the one who sent Jesus to the world.[56]

From: The Little Flowers of St. Francis

(1) This is the entity to whom the Son of God became incarnate in obedience, as perceived by the Friar in his vision.[57]

The Catholic Church is a global Christian community with over a billion members, rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ. It is led by the Pope and emphasizes the sacraments, particularly the Eucharist. Catholicism is a denomination centered on the teachings thereof. It has a rich theological and cultural heritage.

Significance in Protestantism (Christian movement emphasizing faith and scripture):
Protestantism Books

From: The Second Helvetic Confession

(1) The one to whom people should direct their requests, as the text indicates, knowing that they will be granted, as promised by the Lord.[58] (2) These are individuals who were revealed to have two kinds of promises, some of earthly things, others of heavenly and eternal things.[59] (3) For although "No one can come to Christ unless he be drawn by this" (John 6:44), And unless the Holy Spirit inwardly illumines him, yet we know that it is surely the will of God that his Word should be preached outwardly also, and "Neither he who plants nor he that waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth".[60] (4) This is one of the three distinct persons of the divine being, who has begotten the Son from eternity.[61]

From: The Existence and Attributes of God

(1) This power is this that keeps them from falling against the force of hell—the Father’s hand, demonstrating His care and strength.[62] (2) This term refers to the first person in the Trinity, which is also the subject of the spiritual nature of God.[63] (3) This person is, after creation, the lawgiver, and presents man with the image of his own holiness and the way to his creatures’ happiness, according to the text.[64] (4) If Christ had said, there is none “good” but the Father, he had excluded himself; but in saying, there is none “good” but God, he comprehends himself.[65]

Protestantism (or simply the protestant church) is a major branch of Christianity originating from the Reformation in the 16th century, led by figures like Martin Luther. It emphasizes salvation by faith alone and the Bible as the ultimate authority. Variants of Protestantism include Lutheranism, Calvinism, Anglicanism, Methodism and Presbyterianism, each with unique practices but generally united by these core principles.

Significance in Church of the East (or the East Syriac Church):
Church of the East Books

From: The Kebra Nagast

(1) The Fathers the Apostles delivered the Orthodox Faith, and they are referred to in this context.[66] (2) This refers to God, and the Word of the Father is Christ, and there is a throne in the seventh heaven, according to the provided text.[67] (3) The speaker indicates that they will treat others as a father figure, suggesting a role of guidance and care, not as a servant.[68] (4) The father is the person Bayna-Lehkem inquired about, eventually being revealed as King Solomon, and the Queen initially tried to dissuade his inquiry.[69]

From: The Book of the Bee

(1) The parent of the child Nathaniel, who took him and laid him under a fig-tree, as indicated in the text, a protector.[70]

From: The Book of the Cave of Treasures

(1) The ancestors of Noah and his family, who lived in the holy place, and whose habitation they were to be deprived of, and whose memory they mourned.[71]

The Church of the East emerged in the 5th century and separated from the Roman Empire's state church by adopting Nestorianism. It emphasizes the distinct human and divine natures of Jesus Christ. It is also called the Assyrian Church, Nestorian Church or the East Syriac Church.

Significance in Eastern Orthodoxy (or the Eastern Orthodox Church):
Eastern Orthodoxy Books

From: The Works of Dionysius the Areopagite

(1) This figure is the source of access, representing the origin from which one gains entry, implying a connection to a higher power or spiritual realm.[72] (2) This is the one whose decrees Jesus subjected Himself to, and whose dispositions He readily subjected Himself to, through Angels, and from whom He heard and announced to us, after the manner of an Angel.[73]

Eastern Orthodoxy, or Byzantine Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Christianity. It consists of independently governed churches with strong cultural ties to Eastern and Southeastern Europe. Eastern Orthodox theology focuses on the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Believers strive for theosis, or becoming closer to God, through grace and spiritual practices.  

Gnostic concept of 'Father'

Gnosticism Books

Significance in Gnosticism (Mystical or Esoteric Christianity):

From: Fragments of a Faith Forgotten

(1) This is the one to whom praise is sung, and the one who is always beheld by the Angels within the provided text.[74] (2) This is the one who the disciples praise and give thanks to.[75] (3) The Father is mentioned as being in heaven from whom is every descent, both in heaven and on earth.[76] (4) The Father, the brain, is one part of the analogical psycho-physiological process in man, according to the provided text.[77] (5) The Father is addressed in prayer, representing the Father of all fatherhood and the one to be invoked, especially the Father of the Treasure of Light.[78]

From: The Gnostics and Their Remains

(1) The perfect work is in the sight of the Father and the Son.[79] (2) This term represents the One, who was single while containing that Power within himself, as stated in the text.[80]

From: Pistis Sophia

(1) The Father sent the First Mystery to save Pistis Sophia out of the chaos and commanded Gabriel and Michael to help.[81] (2) This refers to Yew, who is the father of Jesus' father and the fore-minder of the rulers.[82]

The concept of Father in local and regional sources

History Books

The keyphrase "Father" relates to the text as it indicates a reverential term linking to the ancestral figures whose tombs are located in Hebron, underscoring their significance in regional heritage and cultural identity.

Significance in India history and geography:

From: The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda

(1) This is a reference to God, who is the Father of the universe, infinite and omnipotent, and the text explores the relationship between God and humanity.[83] (2) This represents the second stage in the development of love for the divine, where God is perceived as a paternal figure, fostering a relationship based on care and guidance, and marking a step in devotion.[84] (3) This refers to the divine, and seeing the Father implies achieving a state of freedom, as Jesus did, suggesting the ability to transcend the limitations of the world.[85] (4) The Father is who the people and the Great Teacher were one with, and who the Jews thought Jesus blasphemed by claiming to be one with.[86] (5) Father is the term used by Savitri when addressing the God of Death, Yama, showing respect.[87]

From: Triveni Journal

(1) A male parent, in this case the bride's father, who gives her parting words and feels heartbroken to be separated from his daughter.[88] (2) A term used by the narrator to address the Almighty during their spiritual conversation, signifying respect and reverence.[89]

From: Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England

(1) The tombs of these figures are in Hebron, as stated in the text.[90]

Plural form: Fathers.