the Messiah, and on occasion for Israel itself, it was without precedent for an individual to speak in this way, let alone for it to be his normal usage. “Father,” an occasional designation of God in the Old Testament, is in the New his personal name, known in relation to Jesus Christ his Son.30 The relation between Jesus the Son and the Father is unique. Human fatherhood derives from God the Father and is to be measured by him, not vice versa (Eph. 3:14–15). The name Father refers to the unique
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