[mizpeh]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

In case anyone is waiting on my feelings on this question here is what I currently see in scripture.

To me scriptures bear out repeatedly that the apostles did view Jesus as the express image of the invisible God but they maintained a difference between the father and son as well.

I see, again, repeatedly in scripture where they demonstrate their view of their being God, the father, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are indeed instructed to pray in Jesus name.

But what I see in scripture seems to leave me with the feeling that the apostles prayed TO the Father (that is to the one, eternal, invisible God of all creation who was in Christ) and they prayed those prayers in the name (or in the authority of) Jesus (which is to say by the authority granted us by the work of Christ)

Now this is a quick encapsulation of a lot of study and may not be exactly true to my current beliefs but it is a quick overview so that we can, hopefully, take the discussion from there.

Does the Father have a name? Do we pray to the Father in Jesus'name because Jesus is the name of the Father?