Journal: Interdisciplinary Journal on Biblical Authority
Volume: IJOBA 02:4 (Fall 2021)
Article: God The Father As The “Fountain Of Divinity”: A Historical And Theological Appraisal
Author: Jesse Randolph

IJOBA 2:4 (Fall 2021) p. 126

God The Father As The “Fountain Of Divinity”: A Historical And Theological Appraisal

Jesse Randolph

Equipping Pastor, Mission Bible Church
Costa Mesa, CA
Ph.D. Student
The Master’s Seminary
Los Angeles, CA

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Abstract

This article is a historical and theological analysis of the propriety of referring to God the Father as the “fountain of divinity” (a term used by John Calvin and several church fathers before him to describe the first Person of the Godhead). The article, citing both original source materials from church history and citing both actual and anticipated theological objections, concludes that referring to God the Father as the “fountain of divinity” is in line with classic Trinitarian doctrine.

Introduction

As a means of describing God the Father’s relationship to the two other Persons of the Trinity, John Calvin once stated: “The Father is first in order… the beginning and fountainhead of the whole of divinity.”1

IJOBA 2:4 (Fall 2021) p. 127

What did Calvin mean when he referred to the Divine Father as the “fountainhead of the whole of divinity”? Upon whose shoulders, if any, was he standing when he wrote these words? Was Calvin’s statement consistent with the sweep of church history, particularly with those who preceded him as they sought to work out and articulate the divine ordering and operations of the three Persons of the Trinity? Does the concept of God the Father as the “fountainhead of the whole of divinity” (or, as it has been abbreviated by others, the “fountain of divinity” or the “fountain of deity”) line up with other key aspects of Trinitarian orthodoxy, including the doctrines of the eternal generation of the Son, divine simplicity, and inseparable operations? Does the recognition of God the Father’s status as the “fountain of divinity” potentially veer one in the direction of subordinationism or tritheism?

These and related topics will be addressed in this article, the thesis of which ultimately is that God the Father can properly be referred to as the “fountain of divinity” within the divine monarchy of the Trinity, while remaining within the historical and theological boundaries of Trinitarian orthodoxy.2

The article will first trace the pre- and post-Nicene recognition of the concept of God the Father being the “fountain of divinity” (including what has, and has not been, meant by the usage of this expression), and then analyze the concept from the standpoint of various theological questions (and ob...