Abstract

This white paper sets forth the biblicist understanding that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, are two distinct divine beings—the Father being the supreme source of life and authority, and the Son being the divine Word who was with the Father “in the beginning” (John 1:1) and through whom creation and redemption come. It argues from Scripture that the Father, in His perfect holiness, cannot directly approach sinful humanity, and that He therefore appointed His Son to act as the visible, relational, and redemptive Mediator between Himself and mankind.

I. Introduction

The Bible reveals a consistent relationship between two distinct divine beings: the Father and the Son.

The Father is called “the only true God” (John 17:3), “the Ancient of Days” (Daniel 7:9–10), and “the invisible God” (1 Timothy 1:17). The Son is described as “the Word,” who “was with God” and “was God” (John 1:1), and who later “was made flesh” (John 1:14).

From a biblicist standpoint, these are two beings sharing divine nature, united in purpose but distinct in identity. The Father is the ultimate source of authority and holiness; the Son is the image, the agent, and the Mediator who makes the Father known and bridges the gap between divine holiness and fallen humanity.

II. The Holiness and Inaccessibility of the Father

1. The Father’s Essential Holiness

“You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” (Leviticus 19:2)

“You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness.” (Habakkuk 1:13)

God the Father’s holiness is intrinsic and absolute. His nature is light and purity itself, such that sin cannot exist in His presence. Holiness is not a preference of God—it is His being.

2. The Father’s Invisibility and Unapproachability

“No man has seen God at any time.” (John 1:18)

“Whom no man has seen nor can see.” (1 Timothy 6:16)

“You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” (Exodus 33:20)

Scripture repeatedly testifies that the Father, in His unveiled glory, cannot be seen by mortal flesh. This unapproachability arises not from weakness but from holiness—His very presence consumes impurity as fire consumes dross (Deuteronomy 4:24).

III. The Human Condition: Sin and Separation

1. The Fall and the Loss of Fellowship

In Eden, humanity once enjoyed fellowship with God. Sin destroyed that relationship:

“So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim…to guard the way to the tree of life.” (Genesis 3:24)

This act symbolized the moral impossibility of sinful beings coexisting with the holy God.

2. Sin as the Ongoing Barrier

“Your iniquities have separated between you and your God.” (Isaiah 59:2)

Sin causes not merely guilt but ontological incompatibility between humanity and divine holiness. Humanity is corrupted, while the Father remains eternally pure. The separation is therefore not merely judicial but existential.

IV. The Old Testament Pattern of Mediated Presence

1. The Indirect Manifestations of God

Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, the Father revealed Himself indirectly—through angels, visions, fire, and cloud.

Even when Moses saw God, Scripture clarifies that no man saw the Father directly (John 1:18). These theophanies were representations of divine glory, not direct encounters with the Father Himself.

2. The Tabernacle and Temple System

God’s sanctuary structure—the Tabernacle and later the Temple—taught the principle of divine distance. Only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies once a year, and only with blood (Leviticus 16:2, Hebrews 9:7).

The veil stood as a constant reminder that sinful man could not stand before the Holy One of Israel. Every offering and priestly ritual pointed toward the future work of a perfect Mediator.

V. The Role of the Son as Mediator and Revealer

1. The Son’s Pre-Existence and Distinctness from the Father

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

“Then I was beside Him, as a master workman; and I was daily His delight.” (Proverbs 8:30)

The Son existed alongside the Father before creation. He is divine yet subordinate in authority, serving as the Word or Logos—the expression of the Father’s will.

2. The Son as Creator and Agent of the Father

“All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” (John 1:3)

“God…created all things by Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 3:9)

The Father is the source; the Son is the means. Their distinct roles in creation demonstrate their separateness of being and unity of purpose.

3. The Son’s Manifestation in Flesh

“The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14)

The Father sent His divine Son into the world to reveal His character and to accomplish redemption.

“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)

Here, both the Father’s voice and the Son’s person appear distinctly—two divine beings, one affirming the other.

4. The Son as Mediator of Access to the Father

“No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

The Father remains holy and separate; the Son stands as the bridge of reconciliation. The Son’s perfect obedience and sinless nature make Him uniquely qualified to mediate between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5).

His sacrifice satisfies divine justice, allowing humanity to be reconciled to the Father without violating divine holiness.

VI. The Righteous Access Provided Through the Son

When the Son died, the veil of the temple was torn in two (Matthew 27:51). This event symbolized that through the Son’s atonement, mankind could now approach the Father—not directly in mortal form, but spiritually through faith in the Son’s blood.

“We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace.” (Romans 5:1–2)

Thus, the Son restores relational proximity without compromising the Father’s holiness.

VII. The Father’s Continuing Distinction and Supremacy

After the resurrection and ascension, the Father remains supreme:

“The head of Christ is God.” (1 Corinthians 11:3)

“Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father…that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:24–28)

The Son reigns under the Father’s authority and ultimately returns all things to Him. This demonstrates that their unity is one of will, not identity.

The Father is greater (John 14:28) and remains the ultimate source of all life, while the Son eternally honors and serves Him.

VIII. The Future Restoration of Direct Fellowship

In the new creation, when sin and corruption are no more:

“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them.” (Revelation 21:3)

The redeemed, purified through the Son’s work, will behold the Father’s face (Revelation 22:4).

The Father will dwell with His children in direct fellowship, and the Son will reign beside Him in eternal harmony—the Kingdom delivered, the separation ended, holiness satisfied.

IX. Theological Summary

Principle

Father

Son

Relationship

Nature

Eternal, invisible, holy

Eternal, divine, image of Father

United in purpose, distinct in being

Role

Source, Lawgiver, Supreme Authority

Mediator, Word, Redeemer

The Son obeys and reveals the Father

Relationship to Humanity

Unapproachable due to holiness

Approachable, reveals the Father

The Son reconciles humanity to the Father

Destiny

To dwell with redeemed creation

To reign and glorify the Father

Eternal fellowship of distinct beings

X. Conclusion

The biblicist view maintains that God the Father and His Son are two distinct divine beings who share perfect unity of purpose and nature. The Father, the Ancient of Days, is the unapproachable source of all holiness and life. The Son, His divine Word and image, is the visible and personal revelation of the Father, serving as the Mediator through whom all creation and redemption are accomplished.

The Father cannot dwell directly with sinful flesh, but through the Son’s atonement, He can dwell spiritually within redeemed humanity and will one day dwell bodily among His glorified children.

This framework preserves the full biblical testimony: one God the Father, and one Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 8:6), distinct yet united—the Father as the ultimate source, and the Son as His eternal companion and Redeemer.