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anhphan
Guest
I wonder why we call God Father, not Mother.
Did Jesus decide to be male? Or He is male? Thank you very much.
Did Jesus decide to be male? Or He is male? Thank you very much.
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Gorgias
Guest
Because that’s the pronoun that God had decided to use for Himself, since the beginning of His revelation to humanity.
Jesus – the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Trinity – is definitely a male human.
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bobperk
Guest
If instead of His Son, God sent a daughter, then a woman would have been born of a woman. Jesus born of Mary adds to the complementary nature of man and woman. Also it is God’s design for the Christian family that a man leads. Just as a husband leads his family, Christ leads his Bride the Church.
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midori
Guest
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Lea101
Guest
God doesn’t have a gender. He has feminine and masculine attributes and scripture has described God with feminine attributes (‘like a mother’) before.
However we call God father because it has been revealed to us.
Jesus is male. I’m not too sure about the theology behind it, but the Messiah has been described as a male in scriptures if I’m not mistaken. A ‘king’. While I’m sure there are deeper reasons why, even a superficial view shows that a woman wouldn’t be fit in those times. Women didn’t teach and didn’t have that much freedom, a female Jesus wouldn’t have been able to reach out to many.
However we call God father because it has been revealed to us.
Jesus is male. I’m not too sure about the theology behind it, but the Messiah has been described as a male in scriptures if I’m not mistaken. A ‘king’. While I’m sure there are deeper reasons why, even a superficial view shows that a woman wouldn’t be fit in those times. Women didn’t teach and didn’t have that much freedom, a female Jesus wouldn’t have been able to reach out to many.
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BenYosef
Guest
Actually, in The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) #239 it states in reference to the use of the description of “Father” for God: “God transcends the human distinction between the sexes. He is neither man nor woman: he is God.”
I myself am Jewish, and I can attest that the Catholic Church and Judaism are one in this. In Judaism, God is not Person in the sense that God has no gender. Any terms used of God in Scripture or theology that speak of God in human terms, such as God’s finger or the “breath of God” or even speaking of God seated on a throne are simply metaphorical.
In the Hebrew text, one often notes that God is represented by the pronoun “he” as in “God, he made heaven and earth.” The “he” would translate as such in _English_and certain languages, but not all. In Hebrew, the “he” is not a masculine pronoun. It is neuter. But when it was composed, the ancient Hebrew had not neuter.
Similar to Spanish of today where a group of boys and girls is referred to with a masculine pronoun simply due to Spanish syntax and not because the group doesn’t include girls, the Hebrew “he” for God does not imply that God was revealing that God was masculine or was wanting people to refer to God in the masculine. Ancient Hebrew merely uses a masculine pronoun for the neuter in this case. In fact, it is considered idolatry to attribute definitive, absolute human characteristics to God in Judaism.
I myself am Jewish, and I can attest that the Catholic Church and Judaism are one in this. In Judaism, God is not Person in the sense that God has no gender. Any terms used of God in Scripture or theology that speak of God in human terms, such as God’s finger or the “breath of God” or even speaking of God seated on a throne are simply metaphorical.
In the Hebrew text, one often notes that God is represented by the pronoun “he” as in “God, he made heaven and earth.” The “he” would translate as such in _English_and certain languages, but not all. In Hebrew, the “he” is not a masculine pronoun. It is neuter. But when it was composed, the ancient Hebrew had not neuter.
Similar to Spanish of today where a group of boys and girls is referred to with a masculine pronoun simply due to Spanish syntax and not because the group doesn’t include girls, the Hebrew “he” for God does not imply that God was revealing that God was masculine or was wanting people to refer to God in the masculine. Ancient Hebrew merely uses a masculine pronoun for the neuter in this case. In fact, it is considered idolatry to attribute definitive, absolute human characteristics to God in Judaism.
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anhphan
Guest
thank you very much <3
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anhphan
Guest
Thank you for the excellent answer.
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anhphan
Guest
Thank you. You are so kind.
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anhphan
Guest
Thank you.
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exnihilo
Guest
In addition to what others said Peter Kreeft offers some insight. God is masculine to all creation. We are all feminine in relation to God. We are all receptive in relationship to God.
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Sarcelle
Guest
Yes
God in his role to creation is masculine.
Which is the reasoning behind God as a bridegroom and the people of Israel his bride.
The marriage model gets extended to the New Testament where Jesus is the bridegroom and the Church His bride.
God in his role to creation is masculine.
Which is the reasoning behind God as a bridegroom and the people of Israel his bride.
The marriage model gets extended to the New Testament where Jesus is the bridegroom and the Church His bride.
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ShowersofRoses
Guest
God has the complete and perfect masculine and feminine attributes, but He has chosen to reveal Himself as Father and Son. He is the Bridegroom and we are the Bride.
He is the Creator, Redeemer, and Savior of mankind and chose to be identified and worshipped as Father.
The beautiful, complementary model of Jesus and His Church corresponds to how we should live our lives in response to Him and to how the marriage vocation should be lived.
Short answer here: Was Jesus male before the Incarnation?
He is the Creator, Redeemer, and Savior of mankind and chose to be identified and worshipped as Father.
The beautiful, complementary model of Jesus and His Church corresponds to how we should live our lives in response to Him and to how the marriage vocation should be lived.
Short answer here: Was Jesus male before the Incarnation?
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exnihilo
Guest
Indeed. Far from the use of masculine pronouns elevating human males it actually makes all males feminine.
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starshiptrooper
Guest
The whole “Jesus is my boyfriend” school of thought has never been something I could relate to.
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anhphan
Guest
Oh I see. God revealed Himself as Father (a man and a huban) because he want to protect us who are the Bride?
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sevenswords
Guest
As many have said it is a pronoun but Jesus had to follow Jewish tradition and had to be male to serve as a priest.
It’s the same when the gospel says all men it means all humans male and female.
God bless
It’s the same when the gospel says all men it means all humans male and female.
God bless
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Sarcelle
Guest
Provide and protect
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anhphan
Guest
Can we call God “Mother”?
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MockSock
Guest
Call me stupid, but I never really thought of it as a theological thing. I just put it down to the culture where men were probably seen as more important than women. I just thought when it was written down they had to choose, and God being a man was the obvious choice.
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