Exposing god the mother (part 1)

Does Genesis teach the existence of god the mother?

The Church of God (god the mother church) says,

“Gen. 1:26-27 『Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness,". . . So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.』

Both males and females were created in the image of God, and thus it is clear that God has two images: a male image and a female image.”

In order to understand this statement better, we need to go back to the original Hebrew to find out if the word “image” here, pertains to physical image or not.

The word in Hebrew, the original language of the Old Testament, is “Tselem.” According to Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, this word has an unused root meaning “to shade,” like a “phantom.” Figuratively it means an “illusion” or a “resemblance,” thus this word is also used for “a representative figure, especially an idol.”

To be true to the original intention of the word, we have to admit that when the author of Genesis used the word “image (tselem)” he meant we resemble God. But this resemblance was not categorically stated as physical. The only time we can use this line of thought is when we can determine that God does have a physical body which we human beings supposedly resemble.

If we cannot prove that He has a physical body, we then, need to look further and examine what aspect or part of God do we resemble.

Having said this, it is unfair to use the creation and existence of man and woman as basis for saying that God has male and female images. The Church of God already ascribed to this conclusion without first determining if God has a physical body like that of a man and a woman.

Let us search the Scriptures to see if God does have a physical body.

·         John 4:24 “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

See how Jesus, the Son of God, contrasts a physical being with a Spirit:

·         Luke 24:39  “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have."

If God is spirit, He doesn’t have flesh and bones and so it is illogical to use the physical man and woman to describe God’s image.

·         1Timothy 1:17 “To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

·         Colossians 1:15 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”

God is indeed invisible that’s why Jesus needed to incarnate in order for us to have a way to the Father. Anything invisible cannot be represented by something visible like our physical bodies.

·         Exodus 20:4  "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.”

The Second Commandment sprang from the very idea that God is Spirit and invisible. God was categorical, nothing from the heaven above or the earth beneath or the water under the earth can stand and represent Him; not even our physical bodies can represent God.

How about the verses in the Bible that seem to show that God has physical body parts?

−       “…finger of God (Deuteronomy 9:10)”

−       “…face of God (Genesis 33:10)”

−       “…hand of God (Job 19:21)”

−       “…under his feet… (Exodus 24:10)”

−       “The eyes of the Lord…(Psalm 34:15)”

We must understand that even the Bible uses literary devices in conveying God’s message. The specific device employed in these verses is called, “anthropomorphism.”

The Encarta Dictionary defines this figure of speech as the “attribution of human characteristics to non humans.” Pastor William Girao in his book, “How to Understand the Bible Correctly,” adds, “Anthropomorphism is a metaphor where bodily parts and physical bodily activities are attributed to God.”

Thus, these verses do not imply that God has hands, feet, fingers, eyes or face. Instead, they use our field of experience as human beings with physical bodies and use it with the activities of God so that we can understand our experience of Him better.

From these discussions, we can see that God does not have a physical body. Thus, it is illogical to say that through the word “image (tselem)” we can argue for man and woman’s physical resemblance of God. If we be more honest, the logic of this argument is actually in the reverse—it is arguing for the physical resemblance of God with His created beings! Needless to say, this is still unbiblical.

So far we see that the argument of having a female and male God based on the presence of man and woman in creation fails. The main hindrance? God has no physical body to begin with.

But even if we do not know the Hebrew word, “Tselem,” we can still find a flaw in the logic of the argument. Notice that God used the singular form of “image” and “likeness” signifying that though He uses the plural pronoun “us,” there appears to be a single image and likeness of God.

Again this appears in verse 27 where it is written “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

So, it is more logical to say that the man and woman here were created from a single image. And because we have just seen that God does not have a physical body, we must move further and seek which aspect of God do we resemble?

In explaining the verse in question, the MacArthur study Bible says, “[Being created in God’s image] defined man’s unique relation to God. Man is a living being capable of embodying God’s communicable attributes. In his rational life, he was like God in that he could reason and had intellect, will, and emotion. In the moral sense, he was like God because he was good and sinless (sinless pertains to the initial condition of Adam and Eve in creation).”

Matthew Henry adds, “Christ only is the express image of God's person, as the Son of his Father, having the same nature. It is only some of God's honor that is put upon man, who is God's image only as the shadow in the glass, or the king's impress upon the coin.”

Thus, we see that man and woman are after God’s image and likeness in that they have reason, intellect, will, emotion, morality and some of God’s honor. The idea that man and woman bear the physical image of God is foreign to the teaching of the Bible.

The single strongest proof of the existence of a male and female God is utterly shattered. What remains, however, is the fact that there appears to be more than one God in the Genesis account. Just look at the plural pronoun “us.” To dispel any remaining shred of doubt, we can explain this by appealing to the Trinitarian nature of God.

Now, it is not my goal to explain trinitarianism in detail. It will suffice to say that even in the Old Testament, we have clues that God exists in three persons—the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The facts indicated by the Church of God in its argument about the existence of male and female God are some of them.

The plural Hebrew word “Elohim” for God, used in the Genesis account speaks, albeit indirectly, of the three persons of the Godhead. In addition, the plural pronouns are also indirect proofs of God’s three persons.

Finally, when we look at Genesis 1:1, God and the Spirit of God (the Holy Spirit) are present at creation. Cross reference this with John 1:1, 14 and you will also see that the Son (Word) is also present at creation. With these, it is more plausible to say that the Triune God—His three Persons—were talking at Creation and not god the mother and god the Father.

If we admit to the existence of a female god, we will have to contend with the inevitable questions that will arise. What is this female god’s role in the redemption story? Is she a co-mediatrix? If so what do we do with Jesus’ exclusive claims as the only way to the Father (John 14:16) and the only giver of salvation (Acts 4:12)?

If we have a female god, how many God is there? One? Two? How do we deal with the clear Old Testament shema that the Lord is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4)?

Before we give our affirmation to any teaching, it is prudent to pause and examine the Scriptures like the Bereans to see if these teachings were so (Acts 17:11).

May God bless you all!