The Eternal Fatherhood of God

Let’s take a closer look at the relationship of the Father to His children:

“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named” (Ephesians 3:14–15)

The J. B. Phillips translation of verse 15 reads, “From whom all fatherhood, earthly or heavenly, derives its name.” This verse contains a tremendous revelation—that the fatherhood of God is eternal, named after the fatherhood of God in heaven and deriving its sanctity and authority from being a projection on earth of the divine, eternal fatherhood of God in heaven.

Before creation ever took place, God was already a Father—the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. This relationship of fatherhood and sonship within the Godhead is eternal. Before creation was brought into being, God was eternally a Father and Christ was eternally His Son. Every fatherhood in creation is named after the eternal fatherhood of God.

In a familiar verse from the gospel of John, Jesus said:

“In My Father’s house are many mansions” (John 14:2)

This verse reveals the fact that God is a Father, and He has a house. In Scripture, however, the word house is never used primarily to indicate a physical, material building. Rather, it is always used of a family and the building they occupy. When Jesus said, “In My Father’s house,” He was talking about God’s heavenly family. God is eternally a Father, and family life has its origin in eternity in the father/son relationship within the Godhead.