What Does ‘Abba’ Mean in the Phrase “Abba Father”?
The term ‘Abba’ appears three times in the New Testament as follows:
Going a little farther, he [Christ] fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
Mark 14:35-36
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
Romans 8:14-15
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
Galatians 4:4-7
Abba is the Aramaic equivalent of the Greek word for ‘father,’ which is patér (pat-AIR). The repetition reflects endearment and entreaty, taken from the natural inclination of children to repeat a beloved name in different forms.
Interestingly, as revealed above, the only three passages in Scripture that feature the phrase “Abba, Father” are spoken by three different peoples:
- Jesus Christ
- Believers by the Spirit
- The Holy Spirit
In all three cases “Abba, Father” refers to the Heavenly Father.
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