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Re: In anthropomorphic terms God |
Patrick Harris |
maqqebet wrote: | is depicted in masculine terms, and while it has been pointed out, it is more favorable to address Yahweh as He or Him rather than it.
It is true the Scriptures do portray Yahweh in Fatherly terms but some people can't seem to handle literature devices. What would we do if all masculine and feminine were removed from grammar. How would we describe active and receptive?
The attempt to neutralize the Scriptures by debating this issue serves only to distract from the message and a subtle attempt to chip away at the foundation of the veracity of the Word of God.
People will believe what they want and people will make issues where they want to make issues.
Endless debate about such things are not only useless but causes confusion - and the latter is probably the agenda of the more militant detractors. |
Best answer.
Useless argument. |
Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1323 4/11/16 11:50 am
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c6thplayer1 |
King James Bible Gen 1:27
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. |
Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 6385 4/11/16 3:26 pm
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bonnie knox |
UncleJD wrote: | For whatever reason, He chose to reveal Himself as male. That doesn't mean He has XY chromosomes. |
What do you mean when you say He chose to reveal Himself as male? There is feminine imagery used to describe God as well as masculine imagery. |
[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 4/11/16 4:00 pm
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bonnie knox |
Old Time Country Preacher wrote: | bonnie knox wrote: | Quote: | In anthropomorphic terms God is depicted in masculine terms... |
But isn't the Hebrew word for God the Spirit a feminine noun? |
In the Greek, yes, the word pneuma is in the feminine gender, but God the Father and God the Son are in the masculine gender. That's 2/3 to 1/3. So the feminines are outnumbered and outvoted. |
I was thinking about ruach or ruwach as in Genesis 1:2. |
[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 4/11/16 4:03 pm
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Digging Deeper... |
maqqebet |
According to the Hebrew Morphology used with the Biblia Hebraica"the Spirit of God," veruach elohim in Genesis 1:2 is feminine and masculine, perhaps an oddity but certainly fitting for a being who is "spirit," but according to The Theological Wordbook of the OT, ruach is usually feminine.
A name the Rabbis developed referring to different attributes included "Divine Presence, or Shekhinah, and often depicted as the feminine aspect of God. (this from the JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions)
Use of masculine to describe God's ways should be expected in a patriarchal society but it does not endorse God being either male nor female.
The use of masculine is very appropriate when Israel is depicted in the feminine as God's wife. Many city names possess feminine character grammatically. _________________ The Hammer
Mi kamocah ba'elim Adonai
"Who is like you, Adonai, among the mighty?" (Exodus 15:11, CJB) |
Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1771 4/11/16 5:35 pm
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diakoneo |
The Mormons believe this kind of nonsense as it relates to God having gender.
God created male and female for procreation. Why would the creator of all things need gender?
Silly question and "silly" would be my description of the Mormon belief system. |
Golf Cart Mafia Consigliere Posts: 3382 4/11/16 7:52 pm
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Poimen |
Double entry. _________________ Poimen
Bro. Christopher
Singing: "Let us then be true and faithful -- trusting, serving, everyday. Just one glimpse of Him in glory will the toils of life repay."
Last edited by Poimen on 4/12/16 3:59 am; edited 1 time in total |
Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 5657 4/12/16 3:52 am
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This is no way meant to support any sort of misogynistic views. |
Poimen |
In giving the question prima facia consideration I would reply that God is spirit. Yet God, who is spirit, is overwhelmingly expressed as masculine. This does not mean God is essentially a male being. However the incarnation does. God became man, a male being, in the incarnation. So then God is now spirit, human, masculine, even male. _________________ Poimen
Bro. Christopher
Singing: "Let us then be true and faithful -- trusting, serving, everyday. Just one glimpse of Him in glory will the toils of life repay." |
Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 5657 4/12/16 3:59 am
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An excerpt from the writings of Aida Besancon Spencer |
bonnie knox |
Jesus’ birth form as a male does not reflect God’s essence.
That is why, even when God became incarnate as God among us (“Emmanuel,” Matt. 1:23) as a physical male, Jesus’ physical form did not describe God’s essence. According to Philippians 2:6–7, Jesus was in the form (morphē) of God before the incarnation. At the incarnation, Jesus, who always exists equal to God, chose not to retain the appearance on the outside of what he was on the inside (morphē), emptying himself of the Shekinah glory. Jesus took on the form (morphē) of a slave. The metaphor “slave” fully describes God’s loving, others-oriented character, dying even on a criminal’s cross so that humans could approach God. Jesus also was born in human likeness (homoiōma, schēma; Phil. 2:7–8 ), literally, “Christ Jesus, who being in form (morphē) of God did not consider the being equal to God a treasure to retain, but emptied himself, taking on a form of a slave, having been born in human likeness and having been found in appearance as a human, he humbled himself, having become obedient to the extent of death, even of a cross-death” (Phil. 2:5–8, author’s trans.). The outward form was fully human. But, unlike other humans, Jesus never sinned (Rom. 8:3, 2 Cor. 5:21). Jesus was fully God and fully human. But, being human is not a full reflection of God. Jesus is “the image of the invisible (or unseen) God” (aoratos, Col. 1:15, 1 Tim. 1:17, Heb. 11:27). The God who is Spirit, who has no form, chose to become incarnate in human form. |
[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 4/12/16 8:24 am
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Old Time Country Preacher |
Poimen wrote: | Double entry. |
Double entry?
Does this mean that Jesus was both human and divine? Both man and God? |
Acts-pert Poster Posts: 15570 4/12/16 10:16 am
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bonnie knox |
It might mean he showed up in Israel and also in Tennessee.
Old Time Country Preacher wrote: | Poimen wrote: | Double entry. |
Double entry?
Does this mean that Jesus was both human and divine? Both man and God? |
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[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 4/12/16 10:24 am
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Old Time Country Preacher |
bonnie knox wrote: | It might mean he showed up in Israel and also in Tennessee.
Old Time Country Preacher wrote: | Poimen wrote: | Double entry. |
Double entry?
Does this mean that Jesus was both human and divine? Both man and God? |
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Is they some subliminal meanin in your post, Miss Bonnie? Like the Knesset secret source so popular here on Acts? |
Acts-pert Poster Posts: 15570 4/12/16 10:30 am
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bonnie knox |
No, I was just thinking about the Mormon belief that Jesus showed up in North America. (Of course I had to look that up on the internet on account of I was getting it conflated with the COGOP belief that He's coming back to Fields of the Wood. )
And I didn't even remember Fields of the Wood is in NC, lol. |
[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 4/12/16 10:46 am
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(L) |
bonnie knox |
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mytimewillcome |
If the language implied a God "mother", imagine the protest from men if they were subjugated as a result.
What if an apostle "Paula" (not White) forbid men to speak in their gatherings? |
Golf Cart Mafia Underboss Posts: 3661 4/12/16 11:14 pm
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Re: (L) |
Old Time Country Preacher |
bonnie knox wrote: | Ole Timer, I think the author of this piece has a legitimate doctorate. |
University of Oxford. Yep, shore enough real. |
Acts-pert Poster Posts: 15570 4/13/16 12:07 am
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bonnie knox |
How is this going over on the Facebook page? Has any conclusion been reached by our estimable pastors? |
[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 4/14/16 8:15 am
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Of course, Tom, if you change the subject. |
maqqebet |
Tom Sterbens wrote: | maqqebet wrote: | is depicted in masculine terms, and while it has been pointed out, it is more favorable to address Yahweh as He or Him rather than it.
It is true the Scriptures do portray Yahweh in Fatherly terms but some people can't seem to handle literature devices. What would we do if all masculine and feminine were removed from grammar. How would we describe active and receptive?
The attempt to neutralize the Scriptures by debating this issue serves only to distract from the message and a subtle attempt to chip away at the foundation of the veracity of the Word of God.
People will believe what they want and people will make issues where they want to make issues.
Endless debate about such things are not only useless but causes confusion - and the latter is probably the agenda of the more militant detractors. |
Perhaps, but in the case of the debate on the other forum, several of the individuals were attempting to use the "gender" of God (male) as a primary point for defending the subjugation of women. At that point it certainly becomes a worthy point of debate. |
_________________ The Hammer
Mi kamocah ba'elim Adonai
"Who is like you, Adonai, among the mighty?" (Exodus 15:11, CJB) |
Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1771 4/14/16 5:34 pm
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bonnie knox |
But animals (and plants--all this pine pollen is from male blooms) also have sexuality, so that is not the part of humankind that is reflecting the image of God.
c6thplayer1 wrote: | King James Bible Gen 1:27
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. |
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[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 4/17/16 1:48 pm
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bonnie knox |
Far be it from Miss Bonnie to question the estimable Ole Timer's scholarship an all, but ain't pneuma neuter?
Old Time Country Preacher wrote: | bonnie knox wrote: | Quote: | In anthropomorphic terms God is depicted in masculine terms... |
But isn't the Hebrew word for God the Spirit a feminine noun? |
In the Greek, yes, the word pneuma is in the feminine gender, but God the Father and God the Son are in the masculine gender. That's 2/3 to 1/3. So the feminines are outnumbered and outvoted. |
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[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 4/24/16 2:18 pm
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