In Romans 8:15 Paul inserts the Aramaic word for father, Abba, just before the Greek equivalent Pater. This is particularly odd, given the fact that there were probably no Christians in Rome who would have addressed God in Aramaic. Paul himself may have done so of course, but the Roman Christians would never have heard this from him, and for this reason he immediately proceeds to explain it in Greek. What the Christians in Rome can take note of is the fact that, in his relationship with the Father, Jesus himself would have used that name in his mother tongue, in particular when he was in the mortal distress in Gethsemane. The evangelist Mark also preserved this Aramaic address of God in his rendition of Peter’s preaching (Mark 14:36). When we say Father,
we do so through the Spirit of Christ, who guides us to call upon him each in our own language. Together with the Spirit, we call upon the Father.1
15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”