Genesis - Day 8
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:26-27
Pronouns. Him/her/they/zim. It’s become something of the pointy end of the conversation around gender, loving/respecting others and ‘sexual identity’. It’s for another time and place to discuss the human side of this significant cultural discourse.
But recently, the conversation has taken a (not unsurprising) movement toward the nature of God. How should we think about God’s ‘gender’ and how does the conversation around gender and construct apply to the person of God Himself. For instance, a recent ABC article - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-08/should-we-change-gods-pronouns-in-the-bible-liturgy/101024214
So, let’s dig into this a little. As you see, Genesis 1 uses the male pronoun to speak of God. Is this a right/fair translation? There are two important aspects to the answer.
Firstly, God is not a human. Therefore He has no gender. God is God… His species is God. His nature is God. God doesn’t come in two forms. Using the male pronoun is what we call an anthropomorphism. A way for us to understand God as best we can using (in this case) human concepts/language.
But, secondly, when the Bible describes God in ways we can understand, it most often uses male anthropomorphisms. For instance, Father or King. God is never described as Queen.
So let me summarise. God isn’t a He. But we should think of Him like a male figure. This is most clearly seen in Jesus. Jesus is the best picture a human can get of who God is. And I think we have to see it as a deliberate choice to come as male. Sure, you could say that this was because of the cultural situation. But c'mon, are we saying that God couldn’t have made it work?
What’s the big deal? Well, on one level, it certainly isn’t the biggest deal. But on another, it’s another piece of the Biblical worldview. The waves of this world are attempting to erode every part of the truth, and the mistake is to think if we just give in on this issue or this issue, then the waves will stop. They won’t. Therefore, let’s stand firm.
There is obviously another question here. How do we love LGBT people without compromising on the great truths of Scripture? Well, that's another blog post for another day. But for now, let's leave it at this. The answer isn't to compromise on truth. That's not love.
For Today:
Pray:
So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:26-27
Pronouns. Him/her/they/zim. It’s become something of the pointy end of the conversation around gender, loving/respecting others and ‘sexual identity’. It’s for another time and place to discuss the human side of this significant cultural discourse.
But recently, the conversation has taken a (not unsurprising) movement toward the nature of God. How should we think about God’s ‘gender’ and how does the conversation around gender and construct apply to the person of God Himself. For instance, a recent ABC article - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-08/should-we-change-gods-pronouns-in-the-bible-liturgy/101024214
So, let’s dig into this a little. As you see, Genesis 1 uses the male pronoun to speak of God. Is this a right/fair translation? There are two important aspects to the answer.
Firstly, God is not a human. Therefore He has no gender. God is God… His species is God. His nature is God. God doesn’t come in two forms. Using the male pronoun is what we call an anthropomorphism. A way for us to understand God as best we can using (in this case) human concepts/language.
But, secondly, when the Bible describes God in ways we can understand, it most often uses male anthropomorphisms. For instance, Father or King. God is never described as Queen.
So let me summarise. God isn’t a He. But we should think of Him like a male figure. This is most clearly seen in Jesus. Jesus is the best picture a human can get of who God is. And I think we have to see it as a deliberate choice to come as male. Sure, you could say that this was because of the cultural situation. But c'mon, are we saying that God couldn’t have made it work?
What’s the big deal? Well, on one level, it certainly isn’t the biggest deal. But on another, it’s another piece of the Biblical worldview. The waves of this world are attempting to erode every part of the truth, and the mistake is to think if we just give in on this issue or this issue, then the waves will stop. They won’t. Therefore, let’s stand firm.
There is obviously another question here. How do we love LGBT people without compromising on the great truths of Scripture? Well, that's another blog post for another day. But for now, let's leave it at this. The answer isn't to compromise on truth. That's not love.
For Today:
- Do you think it matters whether we call God him/her etc.?
- Do you know a trans person? Have they asked to be called by a certain pronoun?
- How can we love LGBT people but hold faithfully to the Bible's teaching?
Pray:
- Praise the Father for who He is and that He has revealed Himself to us as He has in the Scriptures.
- Give thanks for Christ who came to show us who God is, His truth and His love.
- Ask God to help you and other Christians be wise in your handling of the truth and in loving others.
Posted in Genesis
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