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Characteristics and Attributes of God the Father Revealed Scripture

Scripture reveals God the Father through a constellation of attributes that together disclose his nature, character, and relationship to creation. The biblical witness presents these characteristics not as abstract philosophical categories but as lived realities demonstrated in God's actions and self-disclosure.

Divine Power and Sovereignty

The Father's power stands as one of his defining attributes, expressed through multiple biblical images: the voice of God, the finger of God, the hand and arm of God [2]. This power is described as great, strong, glorious, mighty, everlasting, sovereign, effectual, and irresistible [2]. The psalmist declares this power to be incomparable: "Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?" [2]. This sovereign power extends over all creation, sustaining the universe through divine strength and wisdom [12].

Holiness and Righteousness

God's holiness receives the highest worship affirmation in Scripture. The threefold declaration "Holy, holy, holy" from Isaiah 6:3 represents the ultimate expression of praise, tripling the emphasis to convey God's absolute set-apartness [7]. Holiness describes not merely God's moral purity but his very person and nature [11]. Closely related is his righteousness, a perfection of the divine nature evident in all his purposes, promises, ways, and works of providence and grace—including predestination, redemption, justification, pardon of sin, and eternal glory [8]. This righteousness provides the ground for confidence in God's faithfulness to his covenant commitments.

Eternality and Immutability

The Father exists outside temporal constraints, described as everlasting [2]. The worship of the four living creatures in Revelation emphasizes God's eternity alongside his holiness and power: "who was, who is, and who is to come" [7]. This eternal nature distinguishes the Creator from all created things, whose existence depends entirely upon him. The everlasting character of God's power ensures that his purposes cannot be thwarted by temporal circumstances or human resistance [2].

Wisdom and Understanding

God's wisdom and understanding constitute the attributes through which he creates and sustains creation [12]. These are not merely intellectual capacities but active forces by which the universe operates according to divine design. The fear of the Lord—described as hatred of evil, wisdom itself, and a treasure to the saints—flows from recognition of God's perfect knowledge and judgment [1]. This wisdom remains incomprehensible in its fullness, yet Scripture invites believers to seek understanding through searching the Scriptures [1].

Glory and Majesty

The glory of the Lord tangibly expresses his power and majesty [11]. This glory was revealed at Mount Sinai, at the dedication of the Tabernacle, and in Solomon's Temple, yet remained as vast as the heavens [11]. In the New Testament, this divine glory finds its fullest expression in Christ, who as the image of God manifested the Father's glory to the world [11]. The glory encompasses all God's perfections made visible, the radiance of his being breaking into human experience.

Relational Identity: Father of the Lord Jesus

Paul identifies God as "the God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is forever worthy of praise" [3, 4]. This relational designation reveals the Father's unique connection to the Son, confirmed at Jesus' baptism when the Father declared, "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy" [5]. The title "Son of God" clarifies Jesus' nature and role in his unique relationship to the Father, through which he accomplishes salvation as the trusting and obedient Son [5]. Only Jesus has seen the Father directly; he alone completely knows him and can reveal him [6]. Jesus' claim that "anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" [9] underscores the perfect unity between Father and Son, making the invisible God visible through the incarnation.

The One God

Scripture affirms monotheism: there is but one God, one eternal, infinite, immense, omnipotent, all-sufficient, perfect, and independent Being [10]. This oneness derives from the perfections of deity and from the reality of one first cause of all things [10]. The Father stands as truly and properly God in opposition to all nominal deities and the fictitious idols of the nations [10].

Sources

  1. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Fear, Godly — God is the object of -- Isa 8:13. God is the author of -- Jer 32:39,40. Searching the Scriptures gives the understanding of -- Pr 2:3-5. Described as Hatred of evil. -- Pr 8:13. Wisdom. -- Job 28:28; Ps 111:10. A treasure to saints. -- Pr 15:16; Isa 33:6. A fountain of life. -- Pr 14:27. Sanctifying. -- Ps 19:9. Filial and reverential. -- Heb 12:9,28. Commanded -- De 13:4; Ps 22:23; Ec 12:13; 1Pe 2:17. Motives to The holiness of God. -- Re 15:4. The greatness of God. -- De 10:12,17. The goodness of God. -- 1Sa 12:24. The forgiveness of God. -- Ps 130:4.”
  2. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Power of God, The — Is one of his attributes -- Ps 62:11. Expressed by the Voice of God. -- Ps 29:3,5; 68:33. Finger of God. -- Ex 8:19; Ps 8:3. Hand of God. -- Ex 9:3,15; Isa 48:13. Arm of God. -- Job 40:9; Isa 52:10. Thunder of his power. -- Job 26:14. Described as Great. -- Ps 79:11; Na 1:3. Strong. -- Ps 89:13; 136:12. Glorious. -- Ex 15:6; Isa 63:12. Mighty. -- Job 9:4; Ps 89:13. Everlasting. -- Isa 26:4; Ro 1:20. Sovereign. -- Ro 9:21. Effectual. -- Isa 43:13; Eph 3:7. Irresistible. -- De 32:39; Da 4:35. Incomparable. -- Ex 15:11,12; De 3:24; Job 40:9; Ps 89:8.”
  3. II Corinthians “II Corinthians 11:31 (BSB) — The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is forever worthy of praise, knows that I am not lying.”
  4. 2 Corinthians “2 Corinthians 11:31 (NASB) — The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.”
  5. Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 3:17: 3:17 my dearly loved Son (see Ps 2:7): The title “Son of God” reveals and clarifies Jesus’ nature and role (see Matt 4:3, 6; 14:33; 16:16; 17:5; 26:63; 27:54; 28:19). In his unique relationship to the Father, Jesus accomplishes salvation as the trusting and obedient Son. • who brings me great joy: God the Father confirmed his Son’s ministry with language from Isaiah (Isa 42:1) and so prepared Israel for his ministry.”
  6. John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 1:18: 1:18 Moses was denied his desire to see God directly (Exod 33:18-20). Only Jesus has seen the Father, so he alone completely knows him and can tell us about him (John 3:32-35; 14:9-10). • But the unique One, who is himself God: The Son, who sees the Father, is himself God—not simply a messenger who knows something about God. John explicitly affirms Christ’s deity. Jesus shares the substance of God’s being.”
  7. Revelation (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Revelation 4:8: 4:8 day and night: The four beings ceaselessly praised God’s basic characteristics: his holiness, his power (the Almighty), and his eternity (see study note on 1:4). • Holy, holy, holy comes from Isa 6:3 and is the highest worship affirmation in Scripture. To double something makes it emphatic; to triple it makes it ultimate.”
  8. John (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on John 17:24: O righteous Father,.... God is righteous in all the divine persons: the Father is righteous, the Son is righteous, and the Holy Spirit is righteous: he is so in his nature; righteousness is a perfection of it; he is so in all his purposes and promises; in all his ways and works of providence and grace; in predestination, redemption, justification, pardon of sin, and eternal glory. Christ makes use of this epithet, as containing a reason why he might justly expect that all his petitions and claims, on behalf of himself and people, would be regarded: the world hath not”
  9. John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 14:9: 14:9 Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! Cp. 1:1-2. Jesus Christ is God-in-the-flesh (1:14), which explains his capacity to accomplish divine works. Jesus did not simply teach about God; in him God can be found. Jesus’ remarkable statement echoed what he had said at Hanukkah: “The Father and I are one” (10:30). This claim is at the root of the world’s opposition to Christ (5:18).”
  10. Ephesians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ephesians 4:6: One God and Father of all,.... That there is but one God is the voice of nature and of revelation; and may be concluded from the perfections of deity, for there can be but one eternal, infinite, immense, omnipotent, all-sufficient, perfect, and independent Being; and from one first cause of all things, and the relations he stands in to his creatures: there is but one God, who is truly, and really, and properly God, in opposition to all nominal and figurative deities, and which are not gods by nature, and to the fictitious deities and idols of the nations; and there ”
  11. Leviticus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Leviticus 9:6: 9:6 Just as holiness describes God’s person and nature, the glory of the Lord tangibly expresses his power and majesty (see Ezek 1:28; 10:4). His glory was revealed on Mount Sinai (Exod 24:16), at the dedication of the Tabernacle (Exod 40:34-35), and in Solomon’s Temple (1 Kgs 8:11; 2 Chr 7:1). Yet it remained as vast as the heavens (Ps 19:1). The New Testament speaks of Christ’s glory as the image of God (2 Cor 4:4), who manifested God’s glory to the world (John 1:14). He was glorified in his death and resurrection (John 17:1-5). See also Exod 24:15-17.”
  12. Jeremiah (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Jeremiah 10:12: 10:12-16 This stanza contains several strong affirmations of God’s nature. 10:12 Jeremiah affirmed that the Lord’s power, wisdom, and understanding are the attributes with which he creates and sustains creation.”
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