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Does the Father take second place in Christianity?

e.r.m.

Church of Christ
I've heard things like "If a person worships Jesus Christ, then they are already worshiping the Father by default." (Paraphrasing of course). I hear a lot of attention being given to Jesus and the Holy Spirit, who absolutely deserve it, and relatively less attention given to the Father. The Father gets a few Highlights like "For God so loved the world... & ...fallen short of the Glory of God". But there isn't much discussion about "The Father" in these discussion boards. Am I wrong? Has anyone else noticed this? If so, do you see this a cause for concern?

Thank you.
 

Raahim

مكتوب
The general belief of Christianity is simple - Jesus = Father = Holy Spirit
It does look strange and it's not something we humans can understand, but that's the core of Christianity (judging by Orthodox & Catholic) so when one prays to only one of those three, he or she is praying to all three. There might be branches of Christianity who have a different view on this.
 

e.r.m.

Church of Christ
The general belief of Christianity is simple - Jesus = Father = Holy Spirit
It does look strange and it's not something we humans can understand, but that's the core of Christianity (judging by Orthodox & Catholic) so when one prays to only one of those three, he or she is praying to all three. There might be branches of Christianity who have a different view on this.
Thank you for your response.
Yet Jesus is often given more attention than the Father, why is that?
 

Raahim

مكتوب
Thank you for your response.
Yet Jesus is often given more attention than the Father, why is that?

Well Yeshua is the figure that connects us humans with God and it's much easier to imagine talking to a human and giving grace to him than to someone which isn't so easily defined (like God's true nature) and Yeshua was the one who died for our sins.

(Please note that I'm not a Christian, so I might give some false info so I wish for people to correct me if I made one)
 

bobhikes

Nondetermined
Premium Member
As I understand Christianity the whole point is that you can only get to the father through Jesus Christ. In general however there is far more debating of God on the RF then Christ, God is just not referred to as the father all the time.
 

wizanda

One Accepts All Religious Texts
Premium Member
If so, do you see this a cause for concern?
Mal 1:6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, then where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is the respect due me? Says Yahweh of Hosts to you, priests, who despise my name. You say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ :innocent:
 

Kelly of the Phoenix

Well-Known Member
Yahweh has simply succumbed to the same fate as His peers in the Council of El and his wife, Asherah. It wasn't enough to be henotheistic, so Yahweh had to ditch His family. Then, when polytheists started worshipping Jesus, they realized they had to answer Judaism's monotheism (even though even THEY didn't start out that way), so we're back to Yahweh having a family BUT that family is now equated with Him.
 

e.r.m.

Church of Christ
Raahim & bobhikes, thank you both. I get the feeling that it might have something to do with some groups leaning toward creating a new religion, instead of Christ being a continuation of the Father's plan all along, at the designated time. As support, I offer that some Christian groups almost berate the mosaic law, instead of applauding God for this instrument He created and used for so long as a guardian until the time for Christ came Galatians 3:24-25. Far from being conclusive, just something I've been thinking about.
 
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Akivah

Well-Known Member
From the outside looking in to Christianity, it is quite blatant that G-d gets far less attention than Jesus. All they ever talk about is Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. The only time G-d is mentioned is when they want to claim that we are worshiping the same entity. And within their own so-called New Testament, there isn't a single place where the text explicitly reads as "G-d said...".
 

David1967

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Well Yeshua is the figure that connects us humans with God and it's much easier to imagine talking to a human and giving grace to him than to someone which isn't so easily defined (like God's true nature) and Yeshua was the one who died for our sins.

(Please note that I'm not a Christian, so I might give some false info so I wish for people to correct me if I made one)

Actually, you are doing a pretty darn good job so far.;)
 

David1967

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
From the outside looking in to Christianity, it is quite blatant that G-d gets far less attention than Jesus. All they ever talk about is Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. The only time G-d is mentioned is when they want to claim that we are worshiping the same entity. And within their own so-called New Testament, there isn't a single place where the text explicitly reads as "G-d said...".

Well there is the part where after Jesus baptism that God spoke from heaven saying, "This is My son in whom I am well pleased."
 

e.r.m.

Church of Christ
From the outside looking in to Christianity, it is quite blatant that G-d gets far less attention than Jesus. All they ever talk about is Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. The only time G-d is mentioned is when they want to claim that we are worshiping the same entity. And within their own so-called New Testament, there isn't a single place where the text explicitly reads as "G-d said...".
To be clear, it's some of today's representatives who are doing this. Jesus himself deferred to God/the Father a lot, and so did his followers, look at Stephen's speech in Acts 7.
 

Raahim

مكتوب
To be clear, it's some of today's representatives who are doing this. Jesus himself deferred to God/the Father a lot, and so did his followers, look at Stephen's speech in Acts 7.

I read somewhere long time ago that it was common for Jews in the period of Yeshua to use the term father when referring to God, so it wasn't something unusual as Christians think.
 

e.r.m.

Church of Christ
I read somewhere long time ago that it was common for Jews in the period of Yeshua to use the term father when referring to God, so it wasn't something unusual as Christians think.
I have no problem with that if you'd like to show me a reference. I'm just pointing out that the deemphasizing of the Father today is likely a subculture within Christianity.
Are you Jewish?
 

rusra02

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
I've heard things like "If a person worships Jesus Christ, then they are already worshiping the Father by default." (Paraphrasing of course). I hear a lot of attention being given to Jesus and the Holy Spirit, who absolutely deserve it, and relatively less attention given to the Father. The Father gets a few Highlights like "For God so loved the world... & ...fallen short of the Glory of God". But there isn't much discussion about "The Father" in these discussion boards. Am I wrong? Has anyone else noticed this? If so, do you see this a cause for concern?

Thank you.
Yes, worship of Jesus has clouded the true relationship between God and his Son to many people, IMO. Jesus always gave glory to his Father and God, Jehovah. He taught his disciples to pray to God "Let your name be sanctified." (Matthew 6:9) I believe Jesus worshipped the Father, prayed to him, and obeyed him. Jesus did not desire to be worshipped but properly sought to do God's will, not his own. (John 8:28,29)
 

Raahim

مكتوب
I have no problem with that if you'd like to show me a reference. I'm just pointing out that the deemphasizing of the Father today is likely a subculture within Christianity.
Are you Jewish?

I am not Jewish, as soon as I find the reference I will post it here. I just have to remember where I found it since I read about Judaism a lot on Internet and in physical books.
 

Akivah

Well-Known Member
Well there is the part where after Jesus baptism that God spoke from heaven saying, "This is My son in whom I am well pleased."

If that's Matt 3 17, that text does not explicitly mention G-d. The exact quote is 'a voice from heaven'. An assumption has to be made that it is G-d, but the text does not explicitly say so. Otherwise the text would read "G-d spoke from heaven...".
 

e.r.m.

Church of Christ
If that's Matt 3 17, that text does not explicitly mention G-d. The exact quote is 'a voice from heaven'. An assumption has to be made that it is G-d, but the text does not explicitly say so. Otherwise the text would read "G-d spoke from heaven...".
Acts 7:7 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,' God said, 'and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place.'
 

David1967

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
If that's Matt 3 17, that text does not explicitly mention G-d. The exact quote is 'a voice from heaven'. An assumption has to be made that it is G-d, but the text does not explicitly say so. Otherwise the text would read "G-d spoke from heaven...".

Yes you are correct that is the assumption. But who else from heaven would be calling Him "My Son". I don't think that is a stretch, but you are correct that it doesn't specifically use the word God.
 

Desert Snake

Veteran Member
From the outside looking in to Christianity, it is quite blatant that G-d gets far less attention than Jesus. All they ever talk about is Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. The only time G-d is mentioned is when they want to claim that we are worshiping the same entity. And within their own so-called New Testament, there isn't a single place where the text explicitly reads as "G-d said...".

Jesus is traditionally considered one with the Father, , G-d, and divine.
Sometimes, extreme trinitarians (might) and offshoot individuals/groups, consider Jesus as non-Divine, or not G-d.

Jesu is speaking as G-d in the New Testament.
 
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