In the NT, why is God the Father usually referred to as God?

[catholic1seeks]

I know this question isn’t worded well because a possible answer could just be
“because God the Father is God”

What I really am wanting to know is why many times in the New Testament there is an assumption that God means God the Father.

For example, in the very beginning of Gospel of John:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” (John 1:1-2)

—> The word God in bold above refers to God the Father. Obviously, “the Word” is Jesus Christ.

My two questions are:

**1 Concerning Scripture, why does the word God usually mean God the Father? Was there another word used in the original language or something?

2 Concerning Scripture, How can one know when the word God is being used as the triune God or God the Father?**

Thanks!!

 

[catholic1seeks]

Does anyone know?

 

[COPLAND_3]

I think St. Gregory of Nyssa has the right idea that when the Father is mention as God, it is done so out of carefulness not to overwhelm the reader with too much deep Trinitarian talk. Basically to keep it simple and only to use deeper language when it is called for.

Here is a quote from St. Gregory

Then he declares, And the Word was with God. Once more the Evangelist fears for our untrained state, once more he dreads our childish and untaught condition: he does not yet entrust to our ears the appellation of Father, lest any of the more carnally minded, learning of the Father, may be led by his understanding to imagine also by consequence a mother. Neither does he yet name in his proclamation the Son; for he still suspects our customary tendency to the lower nature, and fears lest any, hearing of the Son, should humanize the Godhead by an idea of passion. For this reason, resuming his proclamation, he again calls him the Word, making this the account of His nature to you in thine unbelief. For as your word proceeds from your mind, without requiring the intervention of passion, so here also, in hearing of the Word, you shall conceive that which is from something, and shall not conceive passion. Hence, once more resuming his proclamation, he says, And the Word was with God. O, how does he make the Word commensurate with God! rather, how does he extend the infinite in comparison with the infinite! The Word was with God— the whole being of the Word, assuredly, with the whole being of God. Therefore, as great as God is, so great, clearly, is the Word also that is with Him; so that if God is limited, then will the Word also, surely, be subject to limitation. But if the infinity of God exceeds limit, neither is the Word that is contemplated with Him comprehended by limits and measures.