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Re: Just a small clarification
Posted by caf - January 15, 2002 at 9:49:57pm
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Re: Just a small clarification
Posted by Michael - January 14, 2002 at 8:51:40pm:

OK, I can't say anything one way or another about specific statements that were made, since I wasn't there and don't know just what was said. You are right about God being shown as both fatherly and motherly. By far the predominant allusion pictures God as father, but a few times God is described in terms of motherly care and affection (Isa. 45:9-10, 49:15, 66:13) and Jesus at least once described his concern in those terms as well (Matt. 23:37).

God is not a man (consider Num. 23:19, Job 9:32). Man(kind) is made in God's image, both the man and the woman (Gen. 1:27), and that image has nothing to do with the sexuality of either. In some sense it requires both to have the true image of God, since God can produce (create) life of himself alone while mankind can produce (procreate) life only in the union of male and female (but we're working on it).

The normative personal terms applied to God in scripture are masculine, and He has chosen to design and define His relationship to humans (particularly saved people) in terms describing himself as father and husband. Likewise then, the terms used to describe the role of Israel and the church in relation to God are often in the feminine, bride or wife or mother, or else picturing the human(s) in the role of a child.

Masculine and feminine are inherent aspects of our human nature, and they in some ways should reflect or demonstrate aspects of God's character, nature, and relationship with us.

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