What Significance Has the Word "Abba" as When It Precedes the Word "Father"?

        "Abba" is the Hebrew word for "father," in the emphatic or definite state, as "thy father." Its use in referring to God was common among the Jews; but in order that it might not seem too familiar or irreverent, the New Testament writers gave it the two-fold form, which has become a recognized phrase in Christian worship. It is as though they said: "Father, our Father."