“One God Father Almighty”

Abstract“One God Father Almighty” is among the most basic Christian confessions. In this article, John Behr argues that the precise order of these four words is not random. In his works, Origen reflects on the scriptural titles for God and Christ, and concludes that “Almighty” does not precede the title “Father,” since the Father is Almighty through the Son, in whom all things were made. Building on Origen's scriptural exegesis, Gregory of Nyssa interprets the word “God” as designating specifically the Father, whereas the Son and the Spirit receive their (eternal) identity only in relation to “God the Father.” For Origen, Jesus is the Son of God, rather than God the Son. The one “God over all” is the Father, made known through the Son and the Spirit.