Abba, Father

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WebersHome
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Abba, Father

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� Mark 14:35-36 . . He advanced a little and fell to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass by him. He said; “Abba! Father"

The bulk of the New Testament is translated from manuscripts penned in koiné Greek. But the word "abba" isn't translated from Greek: in point of fact, it isn't translated at all; it's the actual word; viz: a transliteration.

Abba (ab-bah') is an Aramaic word that means "father" the same as the Greek word pater means father; except that abba means father in a special sense. It's a filial vocative.

For example: when I'm out in the garage working, and my son and his mother are in the kitchen talking about me, the label "dad" merely informs my wife who my son is talking about. But when my son wants to get my attention and calls out: Dad! Where are you? Then "dad" is a filial vocative.

â—� Gal 4:6 . . And because you are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of His son into your hearts calling out: Abba! Father.

Gal 4:6 reveals something very important. The spirit of God's son always compels Christ's believing followers to call out to his Father, never to his mother, and the reason for that is actually quite simple. Christ always prays to his Father; never to his mother; ergo: the Father's children exhibit the very same behavior because the spirit of His son compels them to pray like His son.

That, by the way, is a pretty good litmus test. If somebody is comfortable praying to Christ's mom, they give away the fact that they lack the spirit of God's son in their hearts; which means of course that they have yet to undergo adoption into His home.

â—� Rom 8:15 . . For you have not received a spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received a spirit of adoption, whereby we call out: Abba! Father.

The Bible instructs Christ's believing followers to pray in the Spirit (Eph 6:18, Jude 1:20). When people pray in the Spirit; they pray in accordance with Mark 14:35-36, Gal 4:6, and Rom 8:15. In other words: they don't pray to Mary and/or angels and/or departed saints; no, they pray to the son's Father.

Bottom line: God's kin should feel an overwhelming compulsion to pray to their adoptive Father without their having to be told to. It should come naturally (so to speak), just as naturally as it came to Jesus. And they should feel an equally overwhelming disregard for praying to somebody else.

So then, people with a habit of praying to Mary, and/or angels, and/or departed saints; obviously have neither the spirit of God's son in their heart, nor the spirit of adoption; and that is a very serious condition to be in.

â—� Rom 8:9 . . If anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

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Re: Abba, Father

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â—� Heb 4:15-16 . . For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

The word "boldly" is actually two words in New Testament Greek-- meta parrhesia (met-ah') (par-rhay-see'-ah). The term means frankness; which Webster's defines as: free, forthright, and sincere expression. Frankness implies lack of shyness or secretiveness or evasiveness due to considerations of tact or expedience; viz: frankness implies unbridled freedom of speech and the liberty to speak your mind without fear of criticism, censure, ridicule, reprisal, shame, disgrace, retribution, or retaliation.

Frank prayer is far and away much better than rote prayer. Rote prayer is really no different than reciting a poem and/or chanting a Hindu mantra. Frank prayer is conversation from the heart, not from memorized oratory. Rote-prayer models like the Our Father, the Act Of Contrition, the Apostles' Creed, and the Hail Mary, are not even close to being acceptable to God. No, on the contrary, those kinds of prayers insult the spirit of adoption; and are inappropriate; viz: it's abnormal for children to speak to their daddies in a rote format. In other words: seeing as how Jesus didn't call out to his Father with rote, then people within whom is the spirit of God's son won't call out to his Father that way either.

â—� Gal 4:4-7 . . But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption. As proof that you are kin, God sent the spirit of His son into our hearts, calling out; Abba! Father. So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

â—� Rom 8:15-16 . . For you have not received a spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received a spirit of adoption, whereby we call out: Abba! Father. The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are God's kin.

If I were to meet President Barack Hussein Obama, I would have to make an appointment first; and then stand back and address him as Sir or Mister President. But his two daughters Sasha and Malia can run right up uninvited and cling to his arm because he's their father; and they call him daddy. Now if the Obama's should adopt a little boy some day, he will have all the very same rights and privileges as the Obama's natural born daughters; including a right to inherit. Their new son would have every right to run up uninvited to Mr. Obama yelling: Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! and cling to his other arm.

The spirit of adoption imparts to The Father's adoptees the heartfelt bond that enables adopted children to feel the love, and the friendship, and the security feelings that natural-born boys and girls feel with their birth parents. So I'm sure you can see just how ridiculous it would look for God's own precious little adoptees-- having all the God-given liberty in the world to run up and clutch His arm and address Almighty God as their daddy --were to speak to Him in rote. Do you speak to your own parents in rote? No? Then why on earth speak to God like that? The Father is no less a sentient, sensible, and sensitive person than your own parents; and I would appreciate it if Rome would show just a little more respect for His intelligence.
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[font=Georgia]FYI:[/font][font=Verdana] The teaching to come boldly unto the throne of grace is not a suggestion. The tenor of the language of Heb 4:15-16 is enjoining; in other words: it's a requirement. Therefore people who approach the throne chanting rote are grossly out of harmony with a sensible adoption relationship and behaving like a demented child.

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Re: Abba, Father

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â—� Php 4:6 . . Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.

People within whom is the Spirit of God's son as per Rom 8:15-16 and Gal 4:4-7 are not going to pray, petition, and/or make their requests known to God after the manner of charismatics; babbling like mad hatters who've lost their minds from overexposure to mercury vapors.

No, the Spirit of God's son compels those having it to communicate with God in the very same manner His son did: coherently and intelligently; for example:

� Mark 14:34-36 . .Then he said to them, “My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch.� He advanced a little and fell to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass by him; he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will.�

See also John 17:1-26.

In both those examples: Jesus prayed with his Father coherently, intelligently, and in a forthright sincere manner-- no reading lines from a siddur or a missal, no babbling, and no monotonous rote.

A charismatic once informed me that he prayed in a tongue because he couldn't express his feelings any other way. Mind you this was an American adult of almost fifty years old; educated in America and spoke, wrote, and read English his entire life. So I asked him how it is that his command of the English language was so poor that he could only express himself by babbling.

Now, the thing is, he and I communicated with ourselves and with management very effectively using nothing but English. Well, I figured that if he could communicate with me and with management effectively using nothing but English, then he would no doubt be just as effective communicating with God using nothing but English; but alas, habits are hard to break. It was unthinkable for him to come before God speaking his mind.

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Re: Abba, Father

Post #4

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WebersHome wrote:
Mark 14:35-36 . . He advanced a little and fell to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass by him. He said; “Abba! Father"
Since this event was unwitnessed it can be taken as fictitious, or as an imaginative account of what might have gone on inside Christ's head. Similarly, we have imaginative conversations between Christ and Satan, with not a reporter in sight.

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