Debunking: Jesus is “The Father”

Debunking the “Jesus Is the Father” Proof-Text: Isaiah 9:6–7

1. The “Proof-Text”—Isaiah 9:6–7

“For to us a Child is born,
to us a Son is given;
and the government shall be upon His shoulder,
and His name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and of peace
there will be no end…”

Oneness-style arguments seize on the title “Everlasting Father” to equate the Messiah with God the Father. But a careful look at the Hebrew and Old Testament naming patterns shows this is a misunderstanding.

2. Understanding the Hebrew Compound Name

The phrase translated “Everlasting Father” renders the Hebrew אֲבִי־עַד (ʾabi-ʿad).
In Hebrew names, אָבִי (ʾabi) means either “father of” or “my father is,” and עַד (ʿad) means “eternity.”
Other biblical names follow the same pattern—Abigail (“my father is joy”), Abihud (“father of glory”), Abinoam (“father of pleasantness”)—yet they describe the bearers’ fathers, not the individuals themselves.

Thus, ʾabi-ʿad most naturally reads “my Father is eternal” or “Father of eternity,” pointing away from the Messiah to His divine Father, whose ceaseless care undergirds the promised reign.

3. What Isaiah 9:6–7 Communicated to Its Original Audience

An Old Testament Jew hearing this oracle would have understood:

A vulnerable Davidic child will assume royal rule (v. 6a–b).
His reign carries four descriptors—titles that frame his mission and character:
• Counsel from the ever-wise God.
• Might that echoes divine power.
• A Father-like care rooted in the eternality of YHWH.
• Peace established by righteous rule.
The “Everlasting Father” title highlights the Father’s eternal nature, guaranteeing the stability and perpetuity of the Messiah’s kingdom under divine oversight.

No first-century Jew would infer that the child himself is Yahweh the Father; they heard instead a promise that YHWH’s own eternal fatherhood would sustain and protect His anointed king.

4. Why the Oneness Interpretation Fails

Name-Formation Rules: Hebrew theophoric names never attribute paternal status to their bearers. They always describe the relationship to the father.
Contextual Focus: The immediate context promises Davidic restoration and divine empowerment, not an ontological identification of distinct persons within the Godhead.
Consistency Across Scripture: Elsewhere, “Father” (אָב, av) always refers to God the Creator or covenant-making Parent, never as a title for the Messiah Himself.

Conclusion

Isaiah 9:6–7 exalts the promised Davidic Child by ascribing to Him the wise counsel, mighty power, and priestly peace of His eternal Father—YHWH. It does not declare that the Messiah is the Father. Reading the Hebrew compounds and ancient Jewish naming conventions restores the text to its intended meaning and fully exposes the “Jesus is the Father” teaching as a misapplication of Scripture.

References
“Everlasting Father in Isaiah 9:6–7,” Biblical Christianity, bib.irr.org;
“Does Isaiah 9:6–7 Affirm the Deity of Israel’s Messiah?” Crossexamined, crossexamined.org.

While YHVH Himself could of come to earth for this mission, He didn’t. He sent: “The Word of God” instead. Other than the one proof-text in John 1:1-12, where else is proof offered that “The Messiah” is “The Word of God” and not YHVH Himself?

Other Proof Texts Identifying the Messiah as “The Word” Rather Than Yahweh Himself

Beyond John 1:1–12, the New Testament offers clear passages that present the Messiah as the Logos (Word)—a distinct divine agent sent by YHVH—without equating Him ontologically with the Father.

1. Revelation 19:11–13 – “His Name Is the Word of God”

“When I saw heaven standing open, there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True… He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.”

Context: This vision portrays the returning Messiah as a warrior-king executing divine judgment.
Implication: The title “Word of God” marks Him as the express utterance and action of YHVH, sent forth to accomplish God’s purposes—not as Yahweh Himself incarnate, but as His authoritative envoy.

2. Hebrews 1:1–2 – From Prophets to the Son

“In the past God spoke through the prophets… but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son.”

Context: The author contrasts the varied, indirect revelation of the Old Covenant with the definitive, personal revelation in the Messiah.
Implication: Just as a divine message can come via letter, speech, or messenger, so YHVH’s ultimate “Word” is this sent Son, distinct from the Father, who brings final and full disclosure of God’s will.

3. Proverbs 8:22–31 & Christ in the New Testament

Proverbs personifies Wisdom: “The Lord brought me forth as the first of His works… I was daily His delight… rejoicing always before Him.” The New Testament applies this Wisdom-Word figure to Messiah (e.g., 1 Corinthians 1:24; Colossians 2:3).

Context: In Jewish thought, Wisdom is the preexistent agent through whom YHVH creates and governs.
Implication: Identifying Messiah with this Wisdom-Word underscores His role as YHVH’s instrument, not as the Father Himself, but as the Father’s self-expression and tool in creation and redemption.

Why This Matters

Maintains the distinction of persons: Father remains the ultimate source; the Word remains the sent agent.
Preserves the legal and mission-focused framework: YHVH delegates authority and executes redemptive justice through His Word-Messiah.
Aligns with Hebraic corporate identity: Just as prophets and angels serve as YHVH’s messengers, so the Son serves as the supreme Messenger—“the Word”—entrusted with full authority but always derivative of the Father.

Understanding these texts helps truth-seekers see that “The Word became flesh” refers to the divine Messenger sent by the Father, not to YHVH Himself manifesting as a secondary person. The Messiah is the living Logos—YHVH’s authoritative utterance—who enters history to speak, act, and redeem on God’s behalf.

Christ as the Image of the Invisible God (Colossians 1:15)

1. What Paul Meant by “Image of the Invisible God”

The Greek term for “image” (eikōn) denotes a visible representation that perfectly reflects its original.
By calling Messiah the “image of the invisible God,” Paul affirms that Jesus is the exact, tangible manifestation of YHVH’s person and character.
This does not collapse the Father into the Son; rather, it shows that the Son—though distinct—bears the full divine identity and makes the unseen God fully known.

2. How This Fits with Messiah as the Logos (Word)

In John 1, the Logos is sent by the Father, emptying Himself of independent exercise of divine attributes (Kenosis) to become truly human.
As the Image, that same Logos remains the perfect reflection of God’s nature—wisdom, holiness, justice, and love—now displayed in human flesh.
Revelation 19:13 calls the returning Messiah “The Word of God,” tying the title Logos to His role as the visible agent of divine judgment and restoration.

3. Tying the Image Teaching into Our Legal-Redemption Framework

Jurisdictional Transfer: Colossians 1:13 tells us believers have been moved “from darkness into the kingdom of the Son.” As the Image, Jesus not only secures that transfer by purchasing us with His blood (Revelation 5:9–10) but also displays the Father’s righteous government in action.
Kenotic Obedience: Philippians 2’s Kenosis explains how the unseen God became subject to human limits. Yet in obedience—even unto death—He remains the exact image of the Father’s will, breaking Satan’s legal claim (Acts 26:18) and inaugurating the Kingdom promised in Daniel 2:44 and 7:13–14.
Messianic Authority: Daniel’s “Son of Man” receives everlasting dominion. As the Image, Christ shows us what that dominion looks like: servant-leadership, sacrificial love, and unassailable justice.

4. Why This Matters

It preserves the distinction of persons: Father as the unbegotten source; Son as the sent Agent.
It anchors our redemption in a real courtroom drama: a divine Agent purchases captives and then reveals the Father’s rule so the redeemed can step into their new identity.
It completes the unbroken legal thread—from Adam’s forfeiture, through the Lamb’s blood, to the enthronement of the Son of Man—showing not only that we are freed, but by Whom and to what end.

In calling Messiah the “image of the invisible God,” Paul unites the doctrines of Kenosis, Logos-Christology, and jurisdictional redemption: the unseen God becomes visible in One who legally reclaims humanity and perfectly reveals His Father to a world held captive.