That God May be All in All: A Paterology Demonstrating that the Father is the Initiator of all Divine Activity

Abstract

Through a biblical and exegetical study of the Father’s roles and works, this dissertation argues that, among the persons of the Godhead, Father is the initiator of all divine activity. This does not mean that God the Son or God the Holy Spirit are inferior nor does it mean that they do not equally and fully possess the divine nature in some sort of functional tri-theism. On the contrary, Scripture repeatedly affirms that there is one and only one God; that God exists eternally in three distinct persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), and that these persons are equally divine in essence and attributes. Furthermore, the initiating role of the Father is consistent with inseparable operations. Again, Scripture teaches that there are real distinctions, without ultimate separation, in regard to how the three persons of the Trinity operate. Thus, what this thesis demonstrates is that within the undivided work of the Triune God, the distinct appropriation of the Father is to be the initiator.