IS GOD MALE OR FEMALE?

 Gender and sexuality are hot issues today. Those who want to be “inclusive” and “gender sensitive” often say that addressing God as male is offensive because it supposedly promotes gender bias. Some even suggest that we can call God “Mother,” since in reality, God has no gender. I’ve even seen some explanations claiming that the Lord can be considered “non-binary” or even “transgender.” Their imagination is limitless! These are the same people who take offense at anything and everything. Some have even gone so “creative” that they change God’s pronouns into “she” or “they.” As thinking believers, this is a topic worth discussing. How do we deal with these? Let’s consider a few important points:

God is Spirit.

The Bible clearly says that God is a spiritual being (Jn 4:24; 1 Tim 1:17), so He doesn’t have a physical body like ours (see Lk 24:39). The fact that Jesus came as a male when He was on earth does not mean that God was already male before the incarnation. Being male or female depends on the physical body—which God obviously does not have. In other words, God is not a gendered being. This difference is unique to us humans, even though we were made in His image.

Both man and woman are created in the image of God. 

Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created mankind in his own image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” This means humans were “patterned” after God, possessing certain qualities like His, which enables us to rule over creation (v.26). But this doesn’t mean humans are exact copies of God, requiring Him to be either male or female like us. Being made in God’s image has nothing to do with physical characteristics. Some even say that since both male and female were created in God’s image, then God must be “non-binary” or even “bisexual.” Such a conclusion is not only malicious but also ignorant! These categories don’t apply to God, since He is not human. What being made in His image truly means is that God can reveal Himself either with male or female qualities—because we share non-physical qualities with Him.

God chose to reveal Himself with male characteristics. 

Even though God has no gender and could have revealed Himself as either male or female, He chose to be known using male descriptions. The Bible portrays Him as if He had a body and gender like us, simply because this is the easiest way for us to understand Him. Both Old and New Testaments used male pronouns, titles, and descriptions for God. He is called “Father,” not “Mother,” “King,” not “Queen.” This is an example of anthropomorphism—using human terms to describe God. The image of God as “Father” conveys parental love and authority as head of the family, an idea familiar to the original readers of the Bible (the Jews), and even to us today. This label presents God as both personal and powerful. No wonder He chose this imagery—it is the most effective way to communicate His nature.
Jesus also came into the world in male form. In a time and culture where women were often looked down upon, His earthly ministry would not have been effective if He had come as female. He consistently referred to God as “Father.” The Father-and-Son relationship perfectly demonstrates their closeness, Christ’s submission, and the Father’s authority.

The Bible also used feminine descriptions.

Male descriptions, though most effective, still have their limits. While God’s character is most often captured through masculine terms, sometimes Scripture also uses feminine images when necessary. God compared Himself to a mother (Deut 32:18; Isa 49:15), a midwife (Isa 66:9), a mother bear (Hos 13:8), and a hen (Lk 13:34). The Psalms even describe God with “wings,” drawing on the familiar picture of a mother bird protecting her young (Ps 17:8; 36:7; 91:4; etc.). Whether masculine or feminine, these are still figurative languages used to help us better understand who God is.

Clarity, not confusion

Though the Bible sometimes compares God to women, the consistent use of masculine descriptions is enough reason to continue using them today. Changing God’s traditional references causes confusion rather than clarity—and it’s completely unnecessary! Why fix what isn’t broken? Since Christ came as a man, it is fitting to call Him the “Son of God” and “Husband of the Church.” His calling God “Father” also serves as our example. God’s choice to reveal Himself in male terms doesn’t mean He values men more than women. Both are created in His image, therefore both are equal in worth.

Some final notes. Is there room for “gender inclusivity” in Bible study? Of course! For example, as long as the original meaning of the passage isn’t changed, we can translate some words to include both men and women. For instance, Greek words that originally meant “brother” are often translated today as “brothers and sisters” in modern Bibles, because the writer’s intention was clearly to address both (e.g., Matt 18:15; 1 Jn 3:16; 4:20). We can be considerate, but never at the expense of truth. Stay Curious.

Sources and Studies:

Houdmann, M. S. (Ed). (2014). “Is God Male or Female?”. 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘥. (pp.46-47). Zondervan.
Rhodes, R. (2013). “How can we respond to the claim that Christianity sets forth a ‘Father’ concept of God and is therefore sexist?" . 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘪𝘨 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘈𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴. (p. 97). Harvest House
Hanegraaff, H. (2008). “Does God have a Gender?”. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘈𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬. (pp.77-78). Thomas Nelson.
Craig, W.L. (2014, September 7). “𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘯?” Reasonable Faith. Retrieved from https://www.reasonablefaith.org/.../why-god-the-father...