God,he/she/it?

[Strife]

Why do we refer to God as he/him, instead of another form of calling 'him'? Might there be an answer in the Bible that would tell us this?

 

[Rafael]

God is both male and female by the Hebrew language, and gender has no significance in the spiritual realm. On earth, God has given specific duties for male and female, but in heaven there is no male or female.
In the Hebrew language, when translated, Elohim, El, Adonai, are masculine nouns, but the spirit of God, Ruach Elohim, is feminine, but this doesn't mean that God the Father is masculine and the the Holy Spirit is feminine. A book is masculine and animal is feminine in the Hebrew language, so then not all animals are feminine and God is no more masculine than a book is. In the Hebrew language, gender assignment has its own rules as does other languages for gender assignment.
There is true equality, male and female, in heaven because it doesn't exist. We will all be spirits, and if the need arises for gender assignment again, somewhere in the mind of God that we don't know about, it will have perfect meaning and purpose.
Also when God created man and woman, He said that He had created them in His image, and this scriptures interpretation has been argued about quite a bit, as there are many that see God as completely male. I think Him to be both but could be wrong.....IMHO.

Genesis 1:27-28,31 God created man in His image, in the divine image He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them, saying, 'Be fertile and multiply'...God looked at everything He had made and He found it very good.

John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Jesus' reply to the Sadducees on the question of whose wife a woman would be at the resurrection, if she had 7 husbands in her lifetime:

Luke 20:34-36 Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God? For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.

 

[Strife]

Very good answer raphe.
I have another question if you don't mind!

Towards the end of your paragraph you mentioned spirit, and that got me thinking. How is spirit defined?

 

[Angeldove97]

From what I know, a "sprit" is the true essence of one's self. Which makes me want to rasie a question, is a spirit still a confining self or is does it have no true shape or form? And if so, is God considered a spirit or something deeper? lol You'll have to excuse me...its really late or really early on how you look on it and Ive been studying for awhile..and drinking coffee. lol Just deep thoughts late at nite, but I would love to hear what other people think about this.

 

[Rafael]

Very good answer raphe.
I have another question if you don't mind!

Towards the end of your paragraph you mentioned spirit, and that got me thinking. How is spirit defined?

The part of man that is regenerated by God from man's fall into sin and death is the spirit. The soul is the mind, and the flesh is the physical tabernacle or tent that the soul and spirit dwell in until we receive a mansion to live in which is the permanent physical temple for the soul and spirit, as the tent is a temporary dwelling place for this brief sojourn here in this world.
The mind or soul is naturally closely bound and affected by the flesh, but the spirit can overcome this by renewing the mind with God's Word, which is a living thing that imparts life to our spirit through the being of the Holy Spirit of truth - the Comforter.
The Bible says that the natural man knows nothing of the spirit, and that it is the work of God that draws a man to seek the new birth that Jesus spoke of to Nicodemus in the Gospel of John.
Sometime, you might consider downloading one of the free Bible programs and do a word search through the New Testament on "spirit", and you will see more clearly what this essence of God imparted to man represents. It's very interesting.

John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

 

[Tangnefedd]

I don't think God has a gender. Naturally when the Bible was written the authors, all men, would not conceive that the Almighty could be any other gender than male. God, being genderless, relates to both female and male.

 

[BarbB]

Although God, the Father, would sound pretty funny as "God, the Father, She said ...".

 

[Yitzchak]

While God is neither male nor female because God is Spirit. There is something worth pointig out. The trinity employs God the Father as a member of the trinity. While there are verses which speak of God in feminine terms , the title of Father is a part ofthe Trinity. For that reason, God is refered to as male.

 

[Rafael]

A long time ago I read a book about just that one verse's translation in Genesis, but God, preserving for us the gender definitions, surely has significance while we are here in this world, as God's plan for male and female reflects.
The Bible intimates to us that in heaven our perspective will be very changed about the gender issue, but as long as we are here in this world, it should be no problem calling God Father, as Jesus called Him that. We are even told that we have received the Spirit whereby we call God Abba - or loosely translated into modern language "Daddy".
I have to agree with Newlamb that I'd feel a bit odd referring to God as She, but in this world we are raised with our gender definitions for a purpose. The purposes of this world will be only a memory someday.

 

[Strife]

Well that pretty much sums up everything raphe, thank you! Be safe.

 

[Rafael]

Well that pretty much sums up everything raphe, thank you! Be safe.

You too.....