pater denotes God as Father most often, and also a human father, ancestors, or a father-like guide.

The sampled passages most often use the term for God as Father, in relation to the Son, believers, prayer, judgment, blessing, and divine action. It also identifies human fathers in family relationships, collective ancestors, and father-like language for guidance or care.

1. God as Father · dominant

   Singular forms identify God as Father in clauses concerning the Son, believers, and divine action. In 1 John 4:14 the APB renders the clause "the Father has sent the Son," while 1 John 3:1 renders the Father's love and the naming of people as children of God.

   1 John 4:141 John 3:11 Corinthians 8:61 Peter 1:17Ephesians 1:32 John 1:9
2. A human father in family relations · common

   Singular forms denote a man's father in concrete family settings. In Acts 7:14 the APB renders Joseph sending for "Jacob his father," and in Acts 28:8 it identifies "the father of Publius" as sick.

   Acts 7:14Acts 28:8Acts 16:31 Corinthians 5:1
3. Ancestors or forebears · occasional

   Plural forms refer to earlier generations associated with Israel. In 1 Corinthians 10:1 the APB renders people passing through the sea as "our fathers," and Acts 22:14 speaks of "the God of our fathers."

   1 Corinthians 10:1Acts 13:17Acts 15:10Acts 22:14Acts 3:13Acts 7:44
4. Father-like guidance or address · occasional

   The term is used for a father-like relationship beyond literal parentage. In 1 Thessalonians 2:11 the APB compares the writers' treatment of each person to how "a father deals with his own children," and 1 Timothy 5:1 directs an appeal to an elder "as a father."

   1 Thessalonians 2:111 Timothy 5:11 Corinthians 4:152 Corinthians 6:18

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB commonly presents the term as "Father" in passages concerning God and as "father" or "fathers" in human and ancestral settings. These renderings confirm the clauses' overall presentation rather than define each occurrence in isolation.