Is God a male?

[tonychanyt]

By male, I do not mean masculine; I mean a male person who can marry a female person. I am using the word in the sexual sense.

God-Θεός is spirit (John 4:24). As such he is neither male nor female.

Mark 12:25

When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.

Angels in heaven do not marry. There are no male angels marrying female angels. Angels are spirits. They do not reproduce among themselves.

Galatians 3:28

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

In the spiritual reality, there is no male or female.

However, when we anthropomorphize God, he is often depicted as male/Father and sometimes as female, Isaiah 66:

13 As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

It is important to distinguish between God-Θεός from anthropomorphism or manifestation of God. As far as I know, God always manifested himself as male for our convenience.

Jesus spoke of the Father frequently. Was it a case of anthropomorphism or spiritual reality?

Both. There is a fatherly figure in the divine spiritual reality. Here I make a distinction between the term God and the term Father.

See also The Holy Spirit: feminine, neuter, masculine.

 

[Mark Quayle]

Not exactly. God-Θεός is spirit (John 4:24). As such he is neither male nor female (Mark 12:25, Galatians 3:28).

When humans anthropomorphize God, he is often depicted as male/Father and sometimes as female, Isaiah 66:


It is important to distinguish between God-Θεός from anthropomorphism or manifestation of God. As far as I know, God always manifested himself as male for our convenience.

See also The Holy Spirit: feminine, neuter, masculine.

Males are only one of the things that are masculine. God is very masculine.

 

[St_Worm2]

Not exactly. God-Θεός is spirit (John 4:24). As such he is neither male nor female (Mark 12:25, Galatians 3:28).

You may want to check your link to Gal 3:28, specifically the last phrase of the verse (not that you can do anything about it ).

When humans anthropomorphize God, he is often depicted as male/Father and sometimes as female, Isaiah 66:

Did "we" do that, or did God do that?

As far as God depicting Himself as female in Isaiah 66:13, I don't believe that's the case, and/or that it was His intent to do so (in v13 or anywhere else). Rather, it was simply the best way for Him to describe how He intended to act towards Israel (at that point in time).

Isaiah 66​

13 “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you.........................."​

​

Men, even the most masculine among us, can and do act with compassion, patience and loving kindness towards others, especially when that is what is most needed by the people who we are ministering to. Quite frankly, such traits are hardly exclusive to women alone, or they'd better not be, as we are, for instance, commanded to love our wives as Christ loved the church, to cherish them and to live with them in a supportive, understanding and kindhearted manner (as fellow heirs with us of the grace of life) .. see Ephesians 5:25-32; 1 Peter 3:7-8.

As far as I know, God always manifested himself as male for our convenience.

Would it be less convenient for us if He had chosen to identify Himself as female instead? If not, perhaps He had/has a different reason for identifying Himself to us as male??

Thanks!

God bless you!!

--David

 

[tonychanyt]

Males are only one of the things that are masculine. God is very masculine.

So is God a male?

 

[trophy33]

1. Define spirit and male

God-Θεός is spirit (John 4:24). As such he is neither male nor female (Mark 12:25, Galatians 3:28).

2. Quote those verses and underline the exact words that say God is not male, please.

When humans anthropomorphize God

3. Including Jesus? He talked about His/ours Father all the time.

he is often depicted as male/Father and sometimes as female, Isaiah 66:

4. We can do things "as somebody" without being it. For example, I can eat as a king, today. No, I am not a king.

 

[tonychanyt]

1. Define spirit and male


2. Quote those verses and underline the exact words that say God is not male, please.


3. Including Jesus? He talked about His/ours Father all the time.


4. We can do things "as somebody" without being it. For example, I can eat as a king, today. No, I am not a king.

Good points. I modified my OP. Take another look

 

[Mark Quayle]

So is God a male?

No. In fact, I have reason to think that in Heaven we will not be male and female, but likely masculine and feminine.

 

[Berserk]

"I am God and NOT MALE (Hebrew: "ish"), the Holy One in your midst (Hosea 11:9)."

 

[jacks]

Jesus was male and he referred to God as "Father". (For example Matthew 6:9-15)
Not sure about the Holy Spirit.

 

[Berserk]

Jesus was male and he referred to God as "Father". (For example Matthew 6:9-15)
Not sure about the Holy Spirit.

Neither the fatherhood nor the motherhood of God in Scripture are meant to be taken literally: "God is not a human being, that He should lie, nor a mortal that that He should change His mind (Numbers 23:19)." The human Jesus was male, but the preexistent Christ was not, but was rather the ''Logos (John 1)," which, used philosophically, means the rational self-expression of God as opposed to God in His unknowability. Strictly speaking, God does not exist as a supreme Being among countless other beings; rather God is the ground of all Being ("I am, that I am") --the answer to the otherwise meaningless question, "Why is there something rather than nothing at all?

"

 

[Mark Quayle]

"

I like that last paragraph, but it looks like @jacks said it.