God Is A Man

[loveschild]

Whats the point of all of this? Jesus came as a man so what. Hes God he can do that. Do you know of any mere men that can make a star?

 

[Scotth1960]

If there is only one Spirit, then what is the Father in this "trinity"? Is He not a Spirit as well?

The Father is a Spirit, but the Father is not the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not the Father. God is One God, no matter how you want to get technical and start counting with God. God is incomprehensible, don't you agree?

 

[Crazy4GODword]

Ok God is not a man, for you do show evidence that He was a incarnate of a man.

Remember Christ was before was the incarnate of a angel called "the Angel of the Lord". (Genesis 22:15-16) clearly states that He was the incarnate of Christ. And also read (Genesis 18) to the verse 13, it clearly states that it was the Lord, and then read the rest of the chapter. Remember when the three angels visited Abraham, their was one angel called the "Angel of the Lord" (later in the story of Abraham) as identifying Him as something greater then the others. And again remember only God has the power to command judgment on the city of Sodom and Gomorrah, only the Lord brings the ending judgment that makes the complete result (Genesis 18)

And let us not forget about Jesus being in other forms or appearances (Luke 24:15-31)(John 21:4). Yes God can be in things, beings and humans in forms as He likes. He can transform or make a body to live in.....huh think about Jesus he was God in a man......He was in a different appearance in (John 21:4) and (Luke 24:15-31)

Ahh let us also not forget about the angel of the Lord with the three hebrew boys in the book of Daniel. (Daniel 3:23-26) shows that the servant of the Lord was no other than another reincarnate of Christ. but remember God is not a man for He made man and became a man who is Jesus Christ to bring us with Him to the kingdom of God! And to sum up this with some Jesus quotes......(Matthew 10:28 )(Matthew 28:20) Amen.

Amen! Amen!

 

[DanuckInUSA]

So God is a man or is masculin?

 

[Israel]

The Father is a Spirit, but the Father is not the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not the Father. God is One God, no matter how you want to get technical and start counting with God. God is incomprehensible, don't you agree?

So the Father is a Spirit, just not holy? And there are TWO Spirits in this Godhead?

 

[Crazy4GODword]

So the Father is a Spirit, just not holy? And there are TWO Spirits in this Godhead?

yes even Jesus claims Him as a Spirit friend.....we must worship Him in Spirit.

 

[Israel]

yes even Jesus claims Him as a Spirit friend.....we must worship Him in Spirit.

You misunderstand me friend. Why do we complicate something that we should understand by the things that are made?

 

[mpaper345]

God appeared to Abraham in human form,but not 3 men,for the other 2 men were angels in human form,who God would send to Sodom and Gomorrah to test them to see if there were any righteous.

This human manifestation of God to Abraham did not have a distinction of person according to the human manifestation,but the only distinction was God in human form.

Jesus Christ is God in a human manifestation,but the human side has a distinct personality,which Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man in harmony,the way God reconciled the world back to Himself.

God appeared in angelic form to Manoah and his wife,the parents of Samson.

Jesus Christ is the permanent bodily manifestation of God,for the throne in heaven is the throne of both God and the Lamb,God in the glorified body of the man Christ Jesus,and the visible relationship of the invisible God to the saints.

 

[Jaynee]

God also made man in His image.

26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness..." (Genesis 1:26)

"If God has created us in His image, we have more than returned the compliment."
- Francois-Marie Arouet (aka Voltaire ) 1694 - 1778

 

[trust_in_the_name]

The Lord is more than just a man.

Right. I wasn't trying to say that He is just a man. I was just pointing out that He is, in fact, a man.

24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24)

 

[trust_in_the_name]

Dear Zossima, What you just said is spot on. As for my previous post, In citing the Scripture that says (in Numbers) that God is not a man, I am not saying that the Scriptures say that Christ is not a man. Christ is a man, and Christ is God. Christ is God manifest in the flesh. Christ the man is God. God the Son is the man Jesus Christ. But the Father is not a man, and the Holy Spirit is not a man. Only the Son is a man. So we must understand this verse in Numbers in the context of the whole Scriptures.

We can agree that Jesus is a man. However, is the Father a man? Let's find out.

7 "I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. (Psalm 2:7)

"The Lord" here is the translation for "YHWH," the Tetragrammaton. YHWH says here, "You are My Son, Today I have begotten You," so we know that YHWH can be used as a reference to the Father. (YHWH is also used in some places to refer to the Son.) Exodus 15:3 says:

3 The Lord is a man of war; The Lord is His name. (Exodus 15:3)

This verse and various others in my OP use YHWH and tell us that He, YHWH, is a man. Thus, the Father is a man (and the Son), since YHWH is used for both. Jesus also says:

30 I and My Father are one." (John 10:30)

7 "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him." 8 Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us." 9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. (John 14:7-11)

Further Proof That The Father Is A Man

17 It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. 18 I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me." (John 8:17-18)

Speaking of the testimony of two men, Jesus refers to both Himself and the Father: Jesus and the Father are the two men being spoken of. Therefore, again, the Father is a man (and so is the Son). This is pretty straightforward. Also:

I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire; (Daniel 7:9)

I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13-14)

Here we see that the Father is "seated" on a "throne." It says that "His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool." This is clearly speaking about a man. It speaks of Him being seated, and it talks about His garment, and the hair of His head.

3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, (Hebrews 1:3)

Here it says that Jesus is "the express image of His person." So, Jesus, a man, is the express image of the Father's person, so the Father's express image is that of a man.

Also, Jesus is referred to in many places as "the Son of Man." 2 John 3 refers to Jesus as "the Son of the Father," so we can see that Jesus is both "the Son of Man" and "the Son of the Father." So, the "Man" in "Son of Man" is none other than the Father. Jesus is the Son of Man, that is, the Son of the Father.

3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. (2 John 3)

27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. (Matthew 16:27)

Dear Zossima, Which editions of the Church Fathers would you recommend? Would you recommend "The Incarnation" by St. Athanasius. I could get that at a library. In my library I do have a book by St. Basil, on the Holy Spirit. But I find the Church Fathers in the NPNF series edited by Philip Schaff to be incomprehensible. These editions of church father books by Eerdmans and T & T Clark publishers is very difficult to read. The translations of the Greek do not read smoothly in English. I have tried to read these books, but I didn't make much progress understanding them. Only the editions of church fathers I have read from St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, and the book by St. Photios from Holy Cross Orthodox Press translated by Joseph P. Farrell, made any sense to me. Of course, the Orthodox teaching regarding why Filioque is heresy is hard to understand. But it is not hard to understand that Christ did not say "and the Son" in John 15:26. God bless you, Zossima. Sincerely, Scott Harrington Erie PA

 

[trust_in_the_name]

I think you had best rethink your position or better yet, pray about it. God can manifest however He chooses and He sent Jesus as a corporeal representative, however: Granted that Genesis 1:27 states that man and woman were created in God's image,

27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:27)

7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7)

21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. 23 And Adam said: "This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." (Genesis 2:21-23)

God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. So, it says that He created both male and female, but it says that it was the man who was created in His image. The woman was created from the rib of the man.

John 4:24 (note that's the NEW Testament!) states that God is a spirit and again John 1:6 explains that flesh begets only flesh and spirit begets spirit. This makes it evident that God is a spiritual being in whose spiritual image man was created and if you want to be reminded of the value of the flesh, read Ecclesiastes 3:19-20.

It's John 3:6, but here they are:

24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24)

God is Spirit, but that does not mean that He is not also a man, or that He does not also have a body.

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3:6)

This supports my point, since God, having created man in His image, created him with both body and spirit.

19 For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity. 20 All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust. (Ecclesiastes 3:19-20)

Ecclesiastes 3:19-20 is referring to mortal men, not the eternal God (see Numbers 23:19).

 

[trust_in_the_name]

So you are saying that there is nothing feminine about God? How so, if we are made in His image?

See the post directly above this one. God made man in His image, since, after all, He is a man.

3 The Lord is a man of war; The Lord is His name. (Exodus 15:3)

Doesn't take a male AND a female to make any offspring?

For humans, animals, and many other forms of life, the answer is yes. There are forms of life that reproduce asexually, so in general, the answer is no. But I don't think that's really relevant anyway since we are talking about God and He certainly does not require a male and female aspect to create mankind; He doesn't require anything to do anything.

3 But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. (Psalm 115:3)

 

[trust_in_the_name]

I'd be careful not to make too much of this sort of thing. It's fine to say God isn't female, but in the same way he's not male. There are plenty of places where God takes on a motherly role:

Hosea 13:8: "Like a bear robbed of her cubs, I will attack them and rip them open. Like a lion I will devour them; a wild animal will tear them apart."

Deut 32:19: "You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth."

Isaiah 66:13: “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”

Isaiah 42:14: “For a long time I have held my peace, I have kept myself still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor, I will gasp and pant.”

Isaiah 49:15: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.”

Psalm 131:2: “But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.”

Matthew 23:37: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!"

These are some good verses. However, while I agree with your point that He takes on these roles, there's an important distinction here: God is not actually referred to here as a woman. On the other hand, the Bible says many times over that He is in fact a man.

 

[trust_in_the_name]

Dear friend, There is only One Holy Spirit of God. So the reference to Seven Spirits of God must be understood as One Sevenfold Spirit. There may be seven attributes of the Holy Spirit, but there is only One Holy Spirit.

Right. Just as there is one God who is also Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, there is also one Spirit who is also seven Spirits.

4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, (Revelation 1:4)

1 "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,'These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. (Revelation 3:1)

5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. (Revelation 4:5)

6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. (Revelation 5:6)

We should not complicate things by false references to obscure passages in Scripture.

What about the scriptures I posted do you consider to be false? And in what sense is any scripture obscure? Rather,

4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' " (Matthew 4:4)

4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

Scripture impresses upon us the importance of "every word" and "every thought."

It is plainly revealed God is only Three in One, and One in Three. God is only 3 Persons. No more, no less. In Erie PA Scott R. Harrington

And yet, the seven Spirits of God are just that: the seven Spirits of God. What does that mean? Are they "persons?" It doesn't really say. They are what it says they are, and so my response is simply to:

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; (Proverbs 3:5)

 

[trust_in_the_name]

The Father is a Spirit, but the Father is not the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not the Father. God is One God, no matter how you want to get technical and start counting with God. God is incomprehensible, don't you agree?

Yes, I would agree. Indeed, scripture even says as much.

33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33)

8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. 9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

10 He does great things past finding out, Yes, wonders without number. (Job 9:10)

Given this, we can see the wisdom in the proverb:

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; (Proverbs 3:5)

 

[trust_in_the_name]

So God is a man or is masculin?

Well, here's my take on it. He is definitely a man, since this is what the scriptures say explicitly, and He is masculine in the sense that this is true by definition: all men are masculine; that's just what is meant by "masculine," the characteristics of a man.

 

[kayem77]

Have you read The Shack of Wm. Paul Young? in that book you can see God in a very interesting and maybe different angle.
I dont think we can really understand what gender God is, so I don't think is really relevant to the faith, both man and woman are meant to be like Him in heart.

 

[trust_in_the_name]

So the Father is a Spirit, just not holy? And there are TWO Spirits in this Godhead?

"The Holy Spirit" is a specific reference, like a name or a title. It's not an implication that the Father or the Son are not holy. As for the exact number of spirits, all we can really say is that God is Spirit:

24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24)

The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. There is also the seven Spirits of God mentioned in Revelation. Yet, God is one.

4 "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! (Deuteronomy 6:4)

In fact, this is the first of all the commandments.

29 Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. (Mark 12:29)

In other words,

3 You shall have no other gods before Me. (Exodus 20:3)

 

[trust_in_the_name]

God appeared to Abraham in human form,but not 3 men,for the other 2 men were angels in human form,who God would send to Sodom and Gomorrah to test them to see if there were any righteous.

That's a good point, and a correction to my OP, as we can see here:

22 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. (Genesis 18:22)

There were three men, then two of them left, leaving one man: the Lord.

This human manifestation of God to Abraham did not have a distinction of person according to the human manifestation,but the only distinction was God in human form.

Jesus Christ is God in a human manifestation,but the human side has a distinct personality,which Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man in harmony,the way God reconciled the world back to Himself.

God appeared in angelic form to Manoah and his wife,the parents of Samson.

Jesus Christ is the permanent bodily manifestation of God,for the throne in heaven is the throne of both God and the Lamb,God in the glorified body of the man Christ Jesus,and the visible relationship of the invisible God to the saints.