It has been always a question of pondering and argument wheter or not God is male or female. I decided to cover this subject here, because it is of current interest and question in the minds and lips of many today. Also, the Christian Knighthood will evidently have to face popular fiction/interpretation that the Templars were perhaps worshipping God's feminine side.
Many ancient cultures worshipped not only male deities but also female goddesses of fertility and motherhood. With little philosophical evaluation we can assure ourselves that God is not a white man with white beard. So, is He a She after all? Does the Gnostic/Apochryphal Gospels and Dan Brown shoot the Judeo-Christian perspective of God down? We do not need to rely on them to understand that general view is misguided.
"Traditional" or "mainstream" Christianity depicts God as a Trinity composed of the three persons of Father, Son and the Holy Ghost. As I have stated in the article "My Christology and Theology Proper", I do not share this view as such it is laid down in Nicean Creed and 'orthodox' creeds post-Nicene. If I believe in Unipersonal God of Israel (and God of Jesus the Messiah), do I anyway see God as an antropomorphic Lord?
First we ought to consider what is the nature of God. Jesus of Nazareth said:
It is clear and apparent in the testimony and spirit of the canonical Scriptures and that of logic and reason, that God is not something we can comprehend by mere human terms and consepts. God must be beyond human wisdom. Two Scriptures show this clearly:
Further, we must understand that God is not limited by time, space or place. His existence exceeds our understanding and our own existence. This will be covered in another topic in more detail, but I give one Scripture to show this even in this topic:
So we see, by our God-given sense and from the Judeo-christian Scripture that God is beyond our grasp. Even when he is beyond it, we may know him by his revelation, which has many faces.
To get to our issue of God's gender, we may rest assure that God is beyond sex. Even so, in God we have both aspects which we by our mortal understanding and experience label "masculine" and "feminine". This is clear in the (canonical) Scripture also, though not emphasized by mainstream Christianity.
Now, let's have a look in some of the evidence provided. Both the man and women were made as image of God:
First we ought to consider what is the nature of God. Jesus of Nazareth said:
"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
- John 4:24
It is clear and apparent in the testimony and spirit of the canonical Scriptures and that of logic and reason, that God is not something we can comprehend by mere human terms and consepts. God must be beyond human wisdom. Two Scriptures show this clearly:
Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord;
Nor are there any works like Your works. -
For You are great, and do wondrous things;
Nor are there any works like Your works. -
For You are great, and do wondrous things;
You alone are God.
- Psalm 86:8,10
He counts the number of the stars;
He calls them all by name.
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
- Psalm 147:4,5
- Psalm 86:8,10
He counts the number of the stars;
He calls them all by name.
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
- Psalm 147:4,5
Further, we must understand that God is not limited by time, space or place. His existence exceeds our understanding and our own existence. This will be covered in another topic in more detail, but I give one Scripture to show this even in this topic:
“ Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the LORD.
- Jeremiah 23:24b
- Jeremiah 23:24b
So we see, by our God-given sense and from the Judeo-christian Scripture that God is beyond our grasp. Even when he is beyond it, we may know him by his revelation, which has many faces.
To get to our issue of God's gender, we may rest assure that God is beyond sex. Even so, in God we have both aspects which we by our mortal understanding and experience label "masculine" and "feminine". This is clear in the (canonical) Scripture also, though not emphasized by mainstream Christianity.
Now, let's have a look in some of the evidence provided. Both the man and women were made as image of God:
So God created man in His own image;
in the image of God He created him;
male and female He created them.
- Genesis 1:27
Bible quotations from:in the image of God He created him;
male and female He created them.
- Genesis 1:27
Also, God's Holy Spirit, Ruach HaKodesh is gramattically a feminine noun. In my theological understanding, Holy Spirit is not a seperate entity/person from God, but an integral part, which is beyond being simply a person or power. So it is clear to me that God has both feminine and masculine 'sides', in perfect harmony.
It is also very interesting to note, that a Scripture in Proverbs chapter 8 about Divine Wisdom is feminine. This chapter has often been interpreted to apply to Pre-existent Son of God or the Logos (i.e Jesus Christ).
Jesus in his earthly ministry also lamented Jerusalem and referred apparently to himself and/or his Father in these words:
It is also very interesting to note, that a Scripture in Proverbs chapter 8 about Divine Wisdom is feminine. This chapter has often been interpreted to apply to Pre-existent Son of God or the Logos (i.e Jesus Christ).
Jesus in his earthly ministry also lamented Jerusalem and referred apparently to himself and/or his Father in these words:
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
how often I have longed to gather your children together,
as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!"
- Luke 13:34
how often I have longed to gather your children together,
as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!"
- Luke 13:34
So we see that God is not restricted to human understanding of genders!
New King James Version (NKJV)
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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