God the Father is, in Christian theology, the first person of the Trinity — the eternal, uncreated being who is the source, origin, and "begetter" of the Son (Jesus Christ) and the one from whom (or with whom) the Holy Spirit proceeds. He is not a created being, not older than the other two persons, and not greater in essence — the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit share one indivisible divine nature, distinct only in their personal relations.
In a single line: God the Father is the personal, sovereign Creator of all things who reveals Himself most fully in the sending of His Son, Jesus Christ.
What Christians mean by "Father"
- Relational, not just metaphorical. The title "Father" denotes a real, eternal relationship within God — the Father begets the Son eternally, and the Spirit proceeds from the Father (and, in Western Christianity, from the Son as well). This is the doctrine of the Trinity, formalized at the Councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381).
- Creator and Sustainer. He is the source of all that exists (Genesis 1:1), the one who upholds all things "by the word of his power" (Hebrews 1:3), and the personal God who hears prayer, forgives sin, and adopts believers as His children (Galatians 4:4–7).
- Distinct from, yet united with, the Son. Jesus called Him "Father" constantly in the Gospels and said, "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30). Christians do not see the Father as a separate god from Jesus — they are one God in three persons.
How major traditions differ
- Catholic / Eastern Orthodox / Protestant (mainstream): God exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — one God in three persons.
- Oneness / Pentecostal traditions (e.g., Oneness Pentecostals): Reject the Trinity as traditionally worded; God is one person who manifests Himself in three modes (Father, Son, Spirit).
- Mormon (LDS): Teaches God the Father is one of many distinct, exalted beings, with a physical body, and that humans can eventually become like Him.
- Jehovah's Witnesses: View God the Father as the one true God ("Jehovah"), with Jesus as His first-created son (the archangel Michael before incarnation) and the Spirit as an impersonal active force — explicitly rejecting the Trinity.
- Judaism and Islam: Each affirm one strictly monotheistic God who has no son and no divine consort — Islam names Him Allah, and Judaism names Him YHWH (often rendered Adonai/Lord). The Father–Son language is rejected as compromising pure monotheism.
Where to read further if you want the sources
- John 17:3 — Jesus defines eternal life as knowing "the only true God, and Jesus Christ."
- Matthew 28:19 — The baptismal formula puts Father, Son, and Spirit on equal footing.
- Genesis 1:1, Isaiah 45:5–7, Ephesians 4:6 — "One God and Father of all."
- The Athanasian Creed is the classic Western summary of Trinitarian doctrine for anyone who wants one source text.
If you tell me which tradition you're asking from (Christian, Jewish, Islamic, or another), I can sharpen the answer to that frame.