Anthropology, the study of humanity, is the current rage among theologians of all persuasions. On the left, Feminist theologians view the bible with suspicion, the product of a powerful patriarchy intent on the perpetual subjugation of women. Queer theologians seek to redefine humanity by blurring distinctions of sexuality. On the right, some conservative theologians (Protestant, Catholic and male) insist that the world, and the church, is the domain of men. God created men to rule, women to submit.
Because Holy Scripture declares that humanity is created in the image of God, conversations about anthropology inevitably lead to conversations about the nature of God. Radical feminist theologians have reimagined the Holy Trinity with God as Mother and the Holy Spirit as a divine “she”. The most radical feminist theologians even go so far as to deny the maleness of Jesus. In response, some conservative theologians have declared God to be a masculine/male deity and have made God the Son a subordinate deity that reflects female submission. The language of functional subordination always leads to ontological inferiority. To my mind, both sides have committed serious error.
While it is true that God created humanity in God’s image, it is not true that God exists in the image of humanity. God is uncreated, utterly transcendent and independent of created humanity. The Biblical writers talked of God using male and female anthropological language, but they never envisioned God to be human-like. (Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29). The feminist and masculinist theologians have committed the same error – they have “exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind” (Romans 1:23). They have allowed conversations about anthropology to form misunderstandings about God.
From the beginning it has not been this way. When the Pharisees engaged Jesus in a conversation about marriage and divorce, Jesus did not give primary consideration to the Mosaic laws. Instead, Jesus sought to interpret marriage in terms of the priority of creation. He said,
He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, “for this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?” So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no person is to separate (Matthew 19:4–6; cf. Genesis 1:27; 2:24; 5::2).
Conversations about what it means to be human must begin with the priority of creation. Creation reveals divine intent. So, what does the creation narrative tell us about humanity?
Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule…” So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (Genesis 1:26-27).
Male and female are sexually differentiated, but equally human (Genesis 2:18, 21-23). The Hebrew word ’adam is best translated as human, or mankind. The testimony of Genesis is that humans are created as gendered beings – male ’adam and female ’adam. The female ’adam is “a helper suitable” for the male ’adam, that is, the female human corresponds to the male human, or matches the male human. The female ’adam originates from the side of the male ’adam. The female ’adam is of the same substance – bone and flesh – of the male ’adam. The female ’adam and male ’adam are of equal substance, of equal status. The word helper speaks to one as encourager, strengthener, or deliverer. There is no suggestion that the female ’adam is subordinate to the male. To the contrary, she is helper because she is strong and capable to share in ruling the earth and leading as priests. Male and female are fixed sexual distinctions with unique biological functions (V. Hamilton, Genesis 1-17, 1990).
The use of the term ’adam in reference to male and female signifies that all humans – male and female – are created in the image of God (K. Mathews, Genesis 1-11:26, 1996). God’s image does not refer to physical characteristics. God is an eternal and omnipresent spirit. God is not limited by the constraints of a body and is not a gendered being. Nor do humans share in God’s divine attributes of omnipresence, omniscience, or omnipotence. God’s image refers to the human capacity to rule and reflect God’s glory (Psalm 8:4-6).
Male and female exists as one flesh – a unity of essence. The primary purpose of human sexuality is procreation (Genesis 1:2). The phrase “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24) is a euphemism for sex and speaks to the common essence shared by male and female. Only a human female is “suitable” to copulate with a human male. The male and female complement each other as corresponding equals. The apostle Paul wrote, “…neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as the woman originated from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God” (1 Corinthians 11:11–12). Their biological sexual distinctions do not make either less human, or inferior; rather they are “balanced pairs” (G. Fee, 1st Corinthians, 2014).
Even so, sexuality is not the essence of humanity. Jesus acknowledged that some are born as eunuchs, that is, they are born sexually dysfunctional (Matthew 19:12). Their sexual dysfunction does not make them less human, less than God’s image. In the same way, those who choose a life of celibacy are not inferior humans. A celibate man, or a celibate woman, individually are fully human and bear the image of God. Also, Jesus said that glorified humans, male and female, will not be married, that is, they will not engage in sex (Matthew 22:30). In the new creation, male/female gender distinctions remain, but sexual function does not.
The Word Became Flesh. The eternal Word of God became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ (John 1:14). Jesus was born as a male child, circumcised on the eighth day (Luke 2:21). This leads some to suggest that the Incarnation implies that maleness has ontological priority over femaleness. This seems to have support in the Genesis narrative: “And the LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man” (Genesis 2:22). However, the temporal priority of Adam in creation does not suggest ontological priority of male over female. In fact, the Genesis narrative insists that male and female equally share the ontological essence of humanity. Because the woman originates from man, she is the same human essence of man.
Then the man said, “At last this is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken out of man.” For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh (Genesis 2:23–24).
The male alone is incomplete (Genesis 2:18). It is the creation of the female that completes humanity. Male and female are individuals in their own right, created in the image of God. But they are created as interdependent and sexually gendered to be corresponding and suitable mates. The phrases “bone of my bones”, “flesh of my flesh” and “one flesh” signify that male and female possess a singular human essence. Being male does not make one more human; being female does not make one less human. Females are not once removed from the image of God. All of humanity, male and female, are created in the image of God (See: J. Hartley, Genesis, 2000; V. Hamilton, Genesis 1-17, 1990; K. Mathews, Genesis 1-11:26, 1996).
So, what does this have to do with the Incarnation? John declares that the Word became flesh (John 1:14). Yes, Jesus was born male; but in the incarnation of the Son, the “one flesh” of humanity is united with God. Just as Eve was in Adam and shared a common human essence with him, Christ shares the common human essence of male and female. Why is this important? Jesus, God in the flesh, is the high priest who sympathizes with all human (male and female) weaknesses, who is tempted in all things as we (male and female) are (Hebrews 4:15). The preacher of Hebrews insists that
it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people (2:17 NLT).
If Jesus Christ does not share in the common human essence with females; then he cannot take upon himself the sins of all humanity – male and female. If Jesus does not share in the common human essence of male and female, He cannot be the high priest and savior of women. The witness of the New Testament is that Jesus Christ is indeed the savior of all humanity. Women, as individuals, were among his disciples; they were witnesses to his resurrection; they were filled with the Holy Spirit; they were baptized into Christ as individuals; they participated in the mission of God; and they will rule with men in the New Creation.
