Biblical Theological Seminary

1985 Summer Institute: "Our GreatGod"

Robert C. Newman

 

DESCRIBINGGOD IN GENDER TERMS

 

Introduction

 

            FeministMovement

                       Emphasison feminity of God vs traditional emphasis on masculinity of God

                       SomeSamples from WomenÕs Bible(1895, 1898)

                       SomeSamples from Inclusive Language Lectionary (1983‑4)

 

            Response

                        OftenChristians respond to obviously unbiblical approaches by means ofcontradiction, taking opposite extreme

                        Wantto respond here by seeing what Bible has to say

 

God as Masculine

           Pronoun"he": standard form for reference to God; used 100s of times

           Father

                 Term ÒfatherÓ: 2 Sam 7:14; 1 Chron28:6; Ps 27:10; 68:5; 89:26; 103:13; Prov 3:12; Isa 9:6; 63:16; 64:8; Jer3:4,19; 31:9; Mal 1:6; Matt 5:16,45,48; 6:1,4,6,8,9,14, 15,18,26,32; 7:11,21;10:20,29,32,33; 11:25,26,27; 12:50; 13:43; 15:13; 16:17,27; 18:10,14,19,35;20:23; 23:9; 24:36; 25:34; 26:39,42,53; 28:19; John 1:14,18; 3:35; 4:21,23; 5:17,18,19,20,21,22,23,26,30,36,37,45;6:27,32,37, 44,45,46, 57,65; 8:16,18,19,27,28,29,38,39,41,42,44,49,54,56;10:15,17,18,29, 30, 32,36, 37,38; 11:41; 12:26,27,28,49,50; 13:1,3; 14:6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,16, 20,21,23, 26,28,31; 15:1,8,9,15, 16,23,24,26;16:3,10,15,16,17,23,25,26,27,28,32; 17:1,5, 11, 24,25; 18:11; 20:17,21; 3x inActs; 4x in Rom; 8x in Cor; 4x in Gal; 8x in Eph; 3 x in Php; 6x in Col; 8x inThess; 2x in Tim; 1x ea in Tit/Phm; 2x in Heb; 3x in Jas; 4x in Pet; 13x in 1Jn; 4x in 2 Jn; 1x in Jd; 4x in Rev

                 Parabolic Use:Jer 35:1‑19; Ezk 16; Hos 1‑3; Mt 21:28‑32; Lk 15:11‑32

            Husband:  Isa 54:5ff; 64:4‑5; Jer 3:20;31:32; Ezk 16l Hos 1‑3 (esp 1:2; 2:19‑20); 1 Cor 11:7; 2 Cor 11:2;Gal 4:27; Eph 5:23‑27,32; Rev 19:7‑9

            King:Ps 10:16; 22:28; 24:10; 29:10; 44:4; 47:2,7; 74:12; 95:3; 98:6; Isa 33:22;43:15; 44:6; Jer 10:10; Dan 4:37; Mal 1:14; Mt 2:2; 5:35; 18:23; 21:5;22:2,7,11,13; 25:34,40; 27:11,29, 37,42; Jn 1:49; 12:13,15; 18:33,37,39;19:3,14,15,19,21; 1 Tim 1:17; 6:15; Rev 15:3; 17:14; 19:16

 

God as Feminine

           Pronoun"she," Queen & Wife not used

           Mother(Human)

                 Term: not usedper se, but only in comparisons, below

                 Parabolic Use:Ps 27:10; 131:2; Isa 66:13

           MotherHen: Mt 23:37

           MotherEagle: Deut 32:11

                        cprefs. to wings: Ruth 2:12; Ps 17:8; 36:7; 57:1; 61:4; 63:7; 91:4

           OtherPossible References

                        Lostcoin (Lk 15:8‑10): woman represent God?

                        Leaven(Mt 13:33; Lk 13:20‑21): woman represent God?

 

Conclusions

           Clearpredominance of masculine in reference to God

            Notmerely result of patriarchal society, since many such had goddesses; cpAsherah. Astarte, Artemis, Athena, Juno

            Partlydue to authority relation; only clear refs to God in feminine terms are thosewhere God pictured as mother in authority over children; other pictures(wife/queen) would imply husband/king still higher

            Feminineforms prob saved to represent people of God collectively, as wife/queen toGod/Christ, and as mother to individual believers; cp Ps 45:10ff; Isa 54; Hos 1‑3;Eph 5:23ff

           Theremay also be additional reasons we do not yet discern

            Notsafe to restructure imagery of Bible to suit our own preferences; C.S. Lewis'distinction betw "teacher's metaphor" and "student'smetaphor"; Biblical warnings about tampering: Deut 4:2; Prov 30:5‑6;Rev 22:18‑19