Who Is the Father?

Who is the Father? You know, the first Person of the Trinity? Is He real? Or did the church just make Him up?

A Pitiful Attempt at Picturing the Father (not intended to be doctrinal)

For illustration purposes only.

If He is real, how does He relate to the Son and the Spirit? Or is one God also just one Person, making the Father alone God?

We'll answer all these questions. But first, we've created a digest of the material on this page and put it in the chart below. If you don't have time to read all the content on this page, scroll down to the chart.

Don't forget to bookmark the page. The rest of the content here is important as well. We don't want you to miss any of the important stuff.

And don't forget to take the quiz at the end. That will help you master the content you read on this page.

And now, the main attraction! Who is the Father?

Who Is the Father – Key Truths

Category	Key Truths
Divine Identity	The Father is fully God, eternal, holy, and sovereign (Psalm 90:2; Isaiah 6:3; John 6:27).
Role in the Trinity	The Father plans and initiates all things, sends the Son and the Spirit, and shares the same divine substance as the Son and Spirit (John 3:16–17; John 14:26; Matthew 28:19).
Relationship With the Son	The Father and the Son share eternal love and unity; the Father sends and the Son obeys. They are one in essence but distinct in person (John 1:18; John 10:30; John 17:24).
Toward Believers	The Father adopts believers into His family, provides for them, lovingly disciplines them, and shapes them into the likeness of Christ (Romans 8:15–17; Matthew 6:26; Hebrews 12:6–7; Romans 8:29).
Summary	The Father is the eternal planner, the One who sends, and the loving God who adopts His people, fully united with the Son and Spirit in one divine essence.

Who Is the Father?

Understanding who the Father is stands as one of the most important ideas in understanding the Christian faith. Scripture reveals the Father as the eternal, personal God who plans, initiates, and oversees all things according to His perfect will (Ephesians 1:3–5).

When people ask, "Who is the Father?", they're asking about the first Person of the Godhead. He calls the shots.

The Father as God

When we explore who the Father is, we find that the Bible presents Him as fully and truly God. He is eternal, all‑powerful, all‑knowing, and perfectly holy (Psalm 90:2; Isaiah 6:3).

Jesus Himself speaks of the Father as God, affirming His divine identity and authority (John 6:27). The Father is not a separate deity but shares the same divine essence as the Son and the Holy Spirit. He is perfectly one with all of them, one God in three persons (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19).

The Father’s Role in the Trinity

So who is the Father and what does He do? To answer this, it helps to see His distinct role within the Trinity:

He plans and initiates the works of God (Ephesians 1:3–11).
He sends the Son into the world for salvation (John 3:16–17).
He sends the Spirit to empower and guide believers (John 14:26).
He directs the mission, while the Son accomplishes it and the Spirit applies it (Ephesians 1:13–14).
He shares the same divine substance as the Son and Spirit — equal in deity, distinct in personhood (Matthew 28:19).

The Father’s Relationship With the Son and the Spirit

To properly answer the question "Who is the Father?", we must include His relationship with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

The Son

The Father and the Son share eternal fellowship and love (John 17:24). The Son is “in the bosom of the Father,” revealing the closest possible relationship (John 1:18). The Father sent the Son to redeem humanity, and the Son joyfully obeyed the Father’s plan (Philippians 2:5–8).

Jesus teaches that He and the Father are “one” (John 10:30), meaning they share the same divine nature. Yet Jesus also distinguishes Himself from the Father in role and personhood — He prays to the Father, submits to the Father’s will, and glorifies the Father through His obedience (Luke 22:42; John 17:1). This relationship helps us understand who the Father is: the One who loves, sends, directs, and receives glory through the Son.

The Holy Spirit

He shares relationship with the Spirit as well. He sent Him to the earth to help believers (John 14:16–17; John 14:26). He anoints people with His presence (Acts 10:38). He commissioned the Holy Spirit to raise Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11).

Yet, just like the Son, they share the same level of divinity (Matthew 28:19). The Father and the Spirit share a close bond because they are both fully divine.

The Father’s Heart Toward His People

A few key truths summarize the Father’s posture toward His children:

He adopts believers into His family through Christ (Romans 8:15–17).
He provides for their needs with care and compassion (Matthew 6:26).
He disciplines His children for their good (Hebrews 12:6–7).
He shows compassion like a perfect father (Psalm 103:13–14).
He shapes believers into the likeness of His Son (Romans 8:29).

These prove the Father's love toward His children. Those who believe in Jesus have the Son and have salvation (1 John 2:23). The Father provided this as His ultimate statement of love to us (Romans 5:8).

Who Is the Father, Really?

So who is the Father? He is the eternal God who plans all things. The first Person of the Trinity. The One who sent the Son and the Spirit. He shares the same divine substance as the Son and Spirit, working in perfect unity to accomplish salvation and reveal His glory.

He is also the loving Father who adopts believers into His family. That one holds the greatest practical significance for us. It was the Father who sent the Son and the Spirit to be with us.

If not for both of those events, we would not have salvation. God the Father, in perfect love, sent His Son to save us (John 3:16). All we must do is believe in the Son (1 John 5:11–12).

Have you believed in the Son, Jesus Christ? If not, do so today. If you have, thank the Father every day for giving us His Son and salvation through Him.

Who Is the Father? — Quiz

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Bible Quiz: Who Is the Father?

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"Who Is the Father?" and reviewed the key truths about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.