FATHER

God is frequently referred to under the figure of a "father" (107 times in the Gospel of John alone). The Scriptures apply the term in several ways: (a) God is the Father of all men in the sense that he is the Creator of humanity (cf. Mal. 2:10; Ezek. 18:4; Lk. 3:38; Acts 17:28). (b) He is the Father of Jesus Christ (Mt. 3:17; 17:5; Jn. 14:2) in that by his power Jesus was miraculously conceived within the body of a virgin (Lk. 1:35). Christ was not the son of God prior to the incarnation; in that phase of his existence, he was the divine Word (Jn. 1:1ff; see Lk. 1:35, "shall be called the son of God"). (c) God is the spiritual father of all who, by submitting to the conditions of the "new birth" process (Jn. 3:3-5), become his regenerated children (Tit. 3:5), and a part of his "household" (Eph. 2:19; cf. 1 Tim. 3:15). This relationship occurs in point of fact at the time one is immersed into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27; cf. 4:4-5). See ADOPTION.