Christians Only: Does God the Father have a physical form like that of a human?

[Katzpur]

When we say God has a body, that would mean He has literally a body, a human flesh? if not, how can you reconcile that God is spirit and has a body? That will mean that the nature of spirit is a body.

No, Yoshua, it wouldn't mean that at all. A spirit is what gives life.[/quote]You're making this a whole lot more complicated than it is or needs to be.

Spirit = a life force, the essence of life
Body = an empty shell
Body + spirit = A living soul

God could be either a spirit alone or a body + a spirit. You believe He is a spirit alone; I believe He is a body + a spirit. The Bible doesn't state explicitly one way or the other which view is accurate, but all of the clues, when taken in context, do provide a lot of evidence for the latter.

 

[leibowde84]

*edit* I would further state that Mormonism's insistence that "God has a body of flesh and bone, as tangible as man's" is one of traditional Christianity's primary issues with LDS theology. The point of this thread is not specifically to argue the point one way or the other (although it will probably end up turning into one). I don't actually care whether I even get any responses other than your vote on the poll I am posting.

Note: This is in the Same-faith Debates forum. I am asking this question of Christians only.

I can't think of a reason why God would have a human body, as human bodies are flawed/imperfect/limited.

 

[Katzpur]

I can't think of a reason why God would have a human body, as human bodies are flawed/imperfect/limited.

First off, did you read my Post #97? In it, the Apostle Peter is quoted as explaining how he sees it, and I'm pretty much on the same page as he is. But, to further clarify: First: God doesn't need a body; that does not mean He does not have a human body. Second: I never said God's body is "human" but that it has a human appearance. A human body is indeed flawed and limited, but a glorified, perfected, celestial body is not flawed, nor is it subject to future flaw, illness, disease, decay or death. Third: God's power is not limited by the fact that He has a physical form. His power, influence and knowledge extend everywhere at once. He does not need to exist spacialy in any given location in order to have absolute control over what happens in that location. The fact that when Jesus Christ (whom most Christians agree is "God") was alive on earth, He was able to perform miracles without being physically present is proof of this. Fourth: If God having a physical, corporeal form limits Him, then not having one also limits Him. When I stand face to face with God, I hope to be able to embrace Him and to feel His embrace in return. That would be kind of hard if He was completely lacking in physical substance.

Finally, I think james2ko explained it beautiful in the last two sentences of this post. God's body is not human. But if you were to see "the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God" as Stephen did in Acts, you would see two beings that you would describe as having what was essentially a human-like appearance.

 

[leibowde84]

First off, did you read my Post #97? In it, the Apostle Peter is quoted as explaining how he sees it, and I'm pretty much on the same page as he is. But, to further clarify: First: God doesn't need a body; that does not mean He does not have a human body. Second: I never said God's body is "human" but that it has a human appearance. A human body is indeed flawed and limited, but a glorified, perfected, celestial body is not flawed, nor is it subject to future flaw, illness, disease, decay or death. Third: God's power is not limited by the fact that He has a physical form. His power, influence and knowledge extend everywhere at once. He does not need to exist spacialy in any given location in order to have absolute control over what happens in that location. The fact that when Jesus Christ (whom most Christians agree is "God") was alive on earth, He was able to perform miracles without being physically present is proof of this. Fourth: If God having a physical, corporeal form limits Him, then not having one also limits Him. When I stand face to face with God, I hope to be able to embrace Him and to feel His embrace in return. That would be kind of hard if He was completely lacking in physical substance.

Finally, I think james2ko explained it beautiful in the last two sentences of this post. God's body is not human. But if you were to see "the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God" as Stephen did in Acts, you would see two beings that you would describe as having what was essentially a human-like appearance.

I guess by your description I wouldn't be able to see a body with the appearance of a human as perfect. God's gotta be able to do better than us. And, the Bible is riddled with the misconception that human beings are the best. We are even now still evolving and getting better. Just look at how height has changed since their time. So how tall would God "appear"?

 

[savagewind]

First off, did you read my Post #97? In it, the Apostle Peter is quoted as explaining how he sees it, and I'm pretty much on the same page as he is. But, to further clarify: First: God doesn't need a body; that does not mean He does not have a human body. Second: I never said God's body is "human" but that it has a human appearance. A human body is indeed flawed and limited, but a glorified, perfected, celestial body is not flawed, nor is it subject to future flaw, illness, disease, decay or death. Third: God's power is not limited by the fact that He has a physical form. His power, influence and knowledge extend everywhere at once. He does not need to exist spacialy in any given location in order to have absolute control over what happens in that location. The fact that when Jesus Christ (whom most Christians agree is "God") was alive on earth, He was able to perform miracles without being physically present is proof of this. Fourth: If God having a physical, corporeal form limits Him, then not having one also limits Him. When I stand face to face with God, I hope to be able to embrace Him and to feel His embrace in return. That would be kind of hard if He was completely lacking in physical substance.

Finally, I think james2ko explained it beautiful in the last two sentences of this post. God's body is not human. But if you were to see "the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God" as Stephen did in Acts, you would see two beings that you would describe as having what was essentially a human-like appearance.

Does God's physical form always look the same?

 

[Katzpur]

Does God's physical form always look the same?

According to my belief, yes, it does.

 

[savagewind]

According to my belief, yes, it does.

According to your belief does God's physical form look like the man Jesus did?

 

[Katzpur]

I guess by your description I wouldn't be able to see a body with the appearance of a human as perfect. God's gotta be able to do better than us. And, the Bible is riddled with the misconception that human beings are the best. We are even now still evolving and getting better. Just look at how height has changed since their time. So how tall would God "appear"?

I'm not sure I really understand what you're trying to say, but I don't think that there is a perfect height or a perfect weight, hair color or complexion. I have no clue as to how tall God would appear, but I am convinced that He would, in fact, actually "appear."

 

[leibowde84]

According to my belief, yes, it does.

How tall is God? Also, what color is his skin? What attractiveness standard does he fulfill. That of ancient or modern men and women?

 

[Katzpur]

According to your belief does God's physical form look like the man Jesus did?

Yes. Jesus was said to be "the express image of His [Father's] person." In other words, He not only bore a vague resemblance to His Father, He looked just like Him.

 

[leibowde84]

I'm not sure I really understand what you're trying to say, but I don't think that there is a perfect height or a perfect weight, hair color or complexion. I have no clue as to how tall God would appear, but I am convinced that He would, in fact, actually "appear."

But, don't you see the issues with those standards, as they change drastically over long periods of time? And, I have no problem with the "appear" part.

 

[Katzpur]

How tall is God? Also, what color is his skin? What attractiveness standard does he fulfill. That of ancient or modern men and women?

I already answered that.

 

[leibowde84]

I already answered that.

So, God will appear as an ancient middle-eastern Hebrew looking man about 33 years of age?

 

[savagewind]

Yes. Jesus was said to be "the express image of His [Father's] person." In other words, He not only bore a vague resemblance to His Father, He looked just like Him.

Are there two of them in physical form?

 

[Katzpur]

But, don't you see the issues with those standards, as they change drastically over long periods of time?

I have a book by a Protestant (I believe) author, Anthony DeStefano, called "A Travel Guide to Heaven." I bought it several years ago and have found some intriguing similarities between his perspective and my own. Chapter two of that book is called, "Luxury Accommodation -- Your New Body." He talks about what we human beings are going to look like once we return to Heaven. Here are a couple of paragraphs from that chapter:

"...We'll be able to recognize each other in heaven as the people we knew on earth. In not going to stop being Anthony DeStefano when I get to heaven. I'm going to have my body, my mind, my memories, my personality, my consciousness. I'm going to be me. Whatever makes me the person I am is what I'm going to keep in heaven.

The point is that people don't love their identify when they go to heaven. And that includes their physical identity. If you have brown eyes now, you're taking them with you to heaven. If you're a redhead now, you'll be a redhead in heaven. If you are white, black, or yellow now, you'll have that coloring in heaven....

In other words, if you want to know what you're going to look like in heaven, go take a look in the mirror right now!

But what if I hate the way I look now, you say? What if there are things about my body that I want to change -- that I need to change -- if I am going to be perfectly happy in heaven? Do you mean I have to stay the way I am now for all eternity? Absolutely not!

You have to trust God just a little bit. He knows better than you what is wrong with your body and how is should be fixed so that you will be happiest in heaven. 'Do not be anxious,' Christ said. 'If God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you?"

If your next observation is to be, "We're talking about God, not about us," I'd say that the concept is exactly the same. There isn't just one "perfect." There isn't just one standard against which beauty is measured. God will look like He looks, and no matter what He looks like, we will see Him as the most beautiful being imaginable.

And, I have no problem with the "appear" part.

Huh? Then how do you believe He is going to appear?

 

[Katzpur]

Are there two of them in physical form?

According to Mormonism, yes. Remember, we're not Trinitarians.

 

[Katzpur]

So, God will appear as an ancient middle-eastern Hebrew looking man about 33 years of age?

Quite possibly. Would you have a problem with that?

 

[leibowde84]

I have a book by a Protestant (I believe) author, Anthony DeStefano, called "A Travel Guide to Heaven." I bought it several years ago and have found some intriguing similarities between his perspective and my own. Chapter two of that book is called, "Luxury Accommodation -- Your New Body." He talks about what we human beings are going to look like once we return to Heaven. Here are a couple of paragraphs from that chapter:

"...We'll be able to recognize each other in heaven as the people we knew on earth. In not going to stop being Anthony DeStefano when I get to heaven. I'm going to have my body, my mind, my memories, my personality, my consciousness. I'm going to be me. Whatever makes me the person I am is what I'm going to keep in heaven.

The point is that people don't love their identify when they go to heaven. And that includes their physical identity. If you have brown eyes now, you're taking them with you to heaven. If you're a redhead now, you'll be a redhead in heaven. If you are white, black, or yellow now, you'll have that coloring in heaven....

In other words, if you want to know what you're going to look like in heaven, go take a look in the mirror right now!

But what if I hate the way I look now, you say? What if there are things about my body that I want to change -- that I need to change -- if I am going to be perfectly happy in heaven? Do you mean I have to stay the way I am now for all eternity? Absolutely not!

You have to trust God just a little bit. He knows better than you what is wrong with your body and how is should be fixed so that you will be happiest in heaven. 'Do not be anxious,' Christ said. 'If God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you?"

If your next observation is to be, "We're talking about God, not about us," I'd say that the concept is exactly the same. There isn't just one "perfect." There isn't just one standard against which beauty is measured. God will look like He looks, and no matter what He looks like, we will see Him as the most beautiful being imaginable.

Huh? Then how do you believe He is going to appear?

I wouldn't presume to know what God looks like. I fail to see sufficient reasoning to do so. Our limited minds are most likely not capable of understanding what God looks like.

 

[leibowde84]

Quite possibly. Would you have a problem with that?

No. I just find it kind of unreasonable. There was a reason why Jesus looked the way he did. I wouldn't think that God would be limited to human form like that.

 

[savagewind]

I understand belief in a physical God if there were no scriptures which contradict the ones which seem to say God has human aspects. But what about these?
1 Timothy 6:16 Exodus 33:20 John 1:18 1 Timothy 1:17 1 John 4:12

Does 1 John 4:16 say that to live in love is to live IN God?