Is God Male?

[MrLuke]

I don't know if my previous question was answered.

Was it intentional that God incarnated Himself as a man? Is it significant? Would it have been different if He were incarnated as a woman?

Okay, that's questions...

In the first century world women weren't listened to. They had no say or place in things and weren't even considered good enough to be a valid witness to events (in court etc) - so if the Word came as a woman in the first century, God would have to have been very silly and short-sighted to not know how the culture works because then the Messianic role would have fell flat on it's face!

However....why should God ever have to conform to human culture?

Because if He is to work within the World, then you have to recognise the way certain things work in the world and culture. Many things God does conforms to some degree on our human level of understanding just for the simple reason that we wouldn't be able to 'get it' if He didn't. Same applies here, I believe.

I'd say coming as an infant child, born to a virgin girl engaged to a Carpenter was not exactly welcomed and received well in the culture.

I don't think we can assume that God came as a male because He wasn't silly enough to come as a woman in that culture.

Yes that is true that the family He was born into wasn't exactly of high standing within the culture, but that was the point - Jesus came as the Messiah and King not of a worldly nation, but of a heavenly one. He also came to fulfil Scriptures, which talks of Him as a man, so there's another thing..

[Ovedya]

However....why should God ever have to conform to human culture?

Because if He is to work within the World, then you have to recognise the way certain things work in the world and culture. Many things God does conforms to some degree on our human level of understanding just for the simple reason that we wouldn't be able to 'get it' if He didn't. Same applies here, I believe.

But if God exists and operates outside the realm of human constraint, then He is obviously no obligated to conform to it. In fact, that Jesus was born into the Jewish culture is only significant in that He "came unto the house of Israel." I think it's abundantly clear that Jesus didn't conform to many of the cultural "norms" of His time. The fact is, whether God was incarnated as a Jew or a Gentile, He would have been born into some culture

Another thing to consider is the fact that God does not exist within linear time, as man does. Man sees time from one point to another: He can remember his childhood, but he cannot see tomorrow. He can view the span of time from season to season. God on the other hand exists at all points in time simultaneously. He is at the beginning of time and at the end of time. He is creating time and bringing all time to a conclusion at the same time. It's simply unfathomable by us creatures, who cannot view time in that way.

God's ability to fashion man after His own image and likeness very well could have been due to the fact that He had already been incarnated as a man. Abraham met the preincarnated Christ after all, and were He "formless" then Abraham would not have met Him, fed Him, and talked with Him. Jacob wrestled the preincarnated Christ as well. Were He not a man then that simply would have not been possible. So God's having incarnated Himself as a man in time is only one viewpoint. We can only remember that at one point in History God came to earth to be a man. But since God does not view history in the same way, He must be a man now, in eternity future and in eternity past.

[hupo]

What an amazing amount of energy we spend on trying to undrstand God

Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against it.

It just amazes and amuses me.

Many times I find myself deep in some logical/reasonable analysis of an aspect of God and suddenly "wake up". take a look around and burst out laughing.

Mental acrobatics is a very good excersize, I guess, So don't let me stop anyone, or myself for that matter.

Let the intelectual olympics continue !!

( lets just remember not to under estimate God. No way can we understand Him with our intelect )

[firehill]

hupo,

Yod:Yeshua is the visible image of the invisible God

you are the visible image of the invisible you. Is your spirit male or female?

In relation to and in light of what I wrote in my last post (#138) a good question is, when we are born of the spirit, are we given a male or female spirit? God is one, therefore I can only conclude, no wonder there is no Jew or gentile, slave or free, male and female IN Christ! Really, if we are all born of the one same Spirit, then why would any attempt to peddle an ideal that our spirit is differientiated, unequal, or distinct? When we are born again, do our visible images of our NEW invisible selves change? It seems that if God is male then when we are born of the Spirit we all become male or masculine in spirit which is a horrid thought because such ideal all comes down to in that case, male idolatry.

[Scarletprayers]

hupo,

Yod:Yeshua is the visible image of the invisible God

you are the visible image of the invisible you. Is your spirit male or female?

In relation to and in light of what I wrote in my last post (#138) a good question is, when we are born of the spirit, are we given a male or female spirit? God is one, therefore I can only conclude, no wonder there is no Jew or gentile, slave or free, male and female IN Christ! Really, if we are all born of the one same Spirit, then why would any attempt to peddle an ideal that our spirit is differientiated, unequal, or distinct? When we are born again, do our visible images of our NEW invisible selves change? It seems that if God is male then when we are born of the Spirit we all become male or masculine in spirit which is a horrid thought because such ideal all comes down to in that case, male idolatry.

God made us male and female for a reason, being all powerful He didn't have to make 2 sexes for the process of procreation, and yet He did, hummmm. I can however see where the above fits into your usual...........................posts lets say.

[firehill]

God made us male and female for a reason, being all powerful He didn't have to make 2 sexes for the process of procreation, and yet He did, hummmm.

Correct, the Creator could of done however He willed. I don

[firehill]

oops double post...

[Kabowd]

What an amazing amount of energy we spend on trying to undrstand God

Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against it.

It just amazes and amuses me.

Many times I find myself deep in some logical/reasonable analysis of an aspect of God and suddenly "wake up". take a look around and burst out laughing.

Mental acrobatics is a very good excersize, I guess, So don't let me stop anyone, or myself for that matter.

Let the intelectual olympics continue !!

( lets just remember not to under estimate God. No way can we understand Him with our intelect )

I believe we already discussed this in another topic, but again...this is not biblically accurate. While we cannot know God comprehensively we CAN know Him. He commands us to know Him, seek Him, to pursue understanding. The ONLY way we can understand truth from lies is via our God-given intellect/logic/reason. Remember...we are called to love God with our hearts, souls AND our minds.

[Fiosh]

God made us male and female for a reason, being all powerful He didn't have to make 2 sexes for the process of procreation, and yet He did, hummmm.

Correct, the Creator could of done however He willed. I don

[Kabowd]

God made us male and female for a reason, being all powerful He didn't have to make 2 sexes for the process of procreation, and yet He did, hummmm.

Correct, the Creator could of done however He willed. I don