Calling God "Our Father"

[mercytruth]

When Jesus taught the disciples to pray He asked to pray to ‘Our Father’. Was it common for Jews in Jesus time to refer to God as ‘Our Father’, I looked up the hebrew was ‘Avinu’ and is there a reference to it in the OT.
Thank you and God Bless.

You have asked a very important question. ‘Abba’, or ‘Avinu’ was a term that can only be found a handful of times in the Tanakh, that is, the OT. It was used by holy people and reverently among the Jewish people. The Jewish Ecyclopedia has an article on this subject which you may find helpful.

jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/121-abba

This article quotes a portion of the Constitutions of the Apostles from Book II,Chap.24,
which is an early church document. Thus, explaining the reverence that accompanies the usage of addressing our God as “Father”. This has caused me to now wonder whether we are using this term too familiarly, rather than** worthily**. I am quoting all of chapter 24
for us to consider:

**XXIV. Now, “when you pray, be not as the hypocrites;” but as the Lord has appointed us in the Gospel, so pray: “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Your name; Your kingdom come; Your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for Yours is the kingdom for ever. Amen.” Pray thus thrice in a day, preparing yourselves beforehand, that you may be worthy of the adoption of the Father; lest, when you call Him Father unworthily, you be reproached by Him, as Israel once His first-born son was told: “If I be a Father, where is my glory? And if I be a Lord, where is my fear?” Malachi 1:6 For the glory of fathers is the holiness of their children, and the honour of masters is the fear of their servants, as the contrary is dishonour and confusion. For says He: “Through you my name is blasphemed among the Gentiles.” Isaiah 52:5 **

newadvent.org/fathers/07157.htm

What is important about this quotation, is that this chapter is a portion of another version of the Didache as found in Book VII of this Constitutions of the Apostles.

The same Jewish Encyclopedia has an article on the Didache, The Way of Life, and the Way of Death which states that the Didache was the format of the manual used by the Synagogues when teaching proselytes who were in the process of converting to Judaism. It seems most likely, that this format was ‘Christianized’ with the teachings of Jesus Christ either by the apostles, or by disciples of the apostles.

Thank you for your very important question, and God bless

micah

 

[FaithInTheLord]

This is exactly why I do not talk about it. Let alone the notion that being Catholic is necessary to obtain salvation. Every person’s situation is different. The Lord (of infinite mercy and love) see’s each individuals heart, thoughts, and intent.

I agree to disagree. You said it yourself - He is not tied to his sacraments.

Like I said you can spin it either way - if we have hope that means we really don’t know. Plus - what was that about the Church having a strong conviction on this?

I would recommend that all children be baptized Catholic. I do not believe it is automatic damnation if they are not; you will not convince me otherwise.

The Church - IMHO - says the same thing. I do agree that we are tied to the sacraments - and baptism is necessary. I am not implying we should stop baptizing. I am saying that you can not make a blanked statement like “baptism is necessary for salvation” and take it to literally mean that if you have a family member that died without being baptized they are guaranteed to be in Hell. The Church agrees.

Words are the most annoying thing. We basically are saying the same thing and debating about nothing.