Since God is not male, should we stop using masculine pronouns to refer to God?

Response

We understand that God is a spiritual being. Technically, God does not have a gender. However, God has chosen to reveal Himself to humanity using masculine pronouns and imagery. In the Bible, God does not describe Himself using gender-neutral terms; He uses masculine terms. Because God has opted to reveal Himself to humanity in language that specifies the masculine gender, we can and should refer to Him in similar language. There is no biblical basis to cease using masculine pronouns to address God.

Right from the beginning in the Bible, God identifies Himself using masculine pronouns: “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” «So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. », (Genesis 1:27). God refers to Himself from the outset in masculine terms. Ancient Hebrew lacked grammatically neutral-gender pronouns, so all entities were intentionally assigned a grammatical gender of masculine or feminine. That pronoun choice was intentional. In the Old Testament, the pronouns referring to God are grammatically masculine.

The same pattern is evident in the New Testament. The epistles (from Acts to Revelation) contain nearly 900 verses where the Greek word theos—a masculine noun—is used to refer to God. Despite Koine Greek having gender-neutral terms, God is consistently referred to in the masculine gender.

In addition to the grammatical structures, the imagery in the Bible also affirms that God has chosen to depict Himself as possessing male attributes. Various metaphors and titles are employed to portray God. There are numerous references to God as a Father, King, and Husband. Jesus instructed us to pray specifically to “our Father” «And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. », (Luke 11:2)., (Luke 11:2). There are numerous other references to God as Father, such as Deuteronomy 32:6, Malachi 2:10, and 1 Corinthians 8:6. God is explicitly called a king (not a queen) in many passages; for example, Psalm 24:10, Psalm 47:2, Isaiah 44:6, and 1 Timothy 1:17. He is also described as a husband in places like Isaiah 54:5 and Hosea 2:2, 16, and 19.

In one place a simile is used to refer to God comforting His people like a mother comforts her child «As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. », (Isaiah 66:13). Even there, God does not say He is a mother, only that He will comfort His people like a mother. Isaiah 49:15 is another verse that mentions a mother in a description of God, but it is not even a comparison; it is a contrast: God cares more for His people than a nursing mother does her baby.

The greatest revelation of God to us is His Son, Jesus Christ «hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; », (Hebrews 1:2). In the Incarnation, the Son came to earth as a physical man, not a woman. Jesus consistently referred to God as His Father, not as His mother. Before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed to God, calling Him, “Abba, Father” «And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. », (Mark 14:36). In the Gospels alone, Jesus calls God “Father” well over 100 times.

Again, God is spirit; He is not “male” in the sense tThat any person in this world is. God has no physical characteristics or genetics. He transcends gender. Simultaneously, God has intentionally disclosed Himself to us using masculine language. God is consistently referred to as “He” in the Bible. Because God uses masculine pronouns to describe Himself, we should also use masculine pronouns to address God.