Could Jesus Have Been A Woman?

[Samael_Khan]

You have evidence of this or is it simply opinion?




You think. So you delegate women to second class because god... i see that as a great reason to question beliefs and morals



Speak for yourself, many men (and women), an increasing number have no such incumberence



Dream on



We are talking jesus here.

You should start questioning God when he says that there is no reason for divorce besides if your spouse commits adultery. So you can't divorce your husband if he rapes you, beats you, abused your children, emotionally abuses you etc.

 

[PruePhillip]

Could Jesus have been a woman?

Kind of a two-fold question.

In the middle of the Great Awakening, a group of religious radicals called Moravians came to North America from Germany to pursue ambitious missionary goals. How did the Protestant establishment react to the efforts of this group, which allowed women to preach, practiced alternative forms of marriage, sex, and family life, and believed Jesus could be female? Aaron Spencer Fogleman explains how these views, as well as the Moravians' missionary successes, provoked a vigorous response by Protestant authorities on both sides of the Atlantic. Jesus Is Female | Aaron Spencer Fogleman

Is it possible that Jesus was actually a woman?

Second could God have used a female as easily as a male to die on the cross? Was there a theological reason that Jesus had to be male?

The Messianic prophecies were that the coming Messiah would be a man. He would be rejected of his people and die for the sins of mankind, and His Gospel would go to the Gentiles, and with it the end of the Jewish nation until the Gentiles are finished.. He is prefigured by the male lamb who's blood was put upon the lintel - brought into the home, a perfect male beast, and killed after the third day.

 

[blü 2]

Could Jesus have been a woman?

Kind of a two-fold question.

In the middle of the Great Awakening, a group of religious radicals called Moravians came to North America from Germany to pursue ambitious missionary goals. How did the Protestant establishment react to the efforts of this group, which allowed women to preach, practiced alternative forms of marriage, sex, and family life, and believed Jesus could be female? Aaron Spencer Fogleman explains how these views, as well as the Moravians' missionary successes, provoked a vigorous response by Protestant authorities on both sides of the Atlantic. Jesus Is Female | Aaron Spencer Fogleman

Is it possible that Jesus was actually a woman?

Second could God have used a female as easily as a male to die on the cross? Was there a theological reason that Jesus had to be male?

There are two ways of looking at your question ─

1. If Jesus' mother was a virgin then Jesus would have to have been female.

or

2. Ask Mary Magdalen.

 

[ChristineM]

You should start questioning God when he says that there is no reason for divorce besides if your spouse commits adultery. So you can't divorce your husband if he rapes you, beats you, abused your children, emotionally abuses you etc.

Luckily my husband is one of the good guys but i know of plenty who think the bible gives them the right to treat women poorly

 

[ElishaElijah]

As far as I know, you could have been a woman. Sorry, I know a loaded question for men.

Wonder if it would have been better though if Jesus had been a woman. Might have provided quite a boost to gender equality.

Jesus, the perfect man provided a great boost to women, men and women are different, would be great if our society would accept that reality. When God made Women He did an awesome job! I experienced this first hand when I got married how gifted and awesome they are.

 

[Kenny]

Jesus, the perfect man provided a great boost to women, men and women are different, would be great if our society would accept that reality. When God made Women He did an awesome job! I experienced this first hand when I got married how gifted and awesome they are.

I hear a choir of angels with this statement

 

[Nakosis]

No. Yeshua is male name and nobody would have thought that he was the Messiah if he was a she.

Though I wonder what we really know about the person of "Jesus". Her followers could have changed her name or she could have hidden her gender just for the reason you say. Some have even said Jesus may not have existed at all or may have been a composite of several people. One who died on the "cross", one who did not and continued to preach the gospel of heaven.

Not saying this is true just that we may not know as much as we think we know.

If some want to see Jesus as a woman, is that really less likely just because traditionally the narrative was that Jesus was male? If someone, for whatever reason, in their belief chooses to worship a female Jesus, I don't really see it as a problem.

 

[Vouthon]

Hey @Nakosis

It is not possible that the historical Jesus could have been a woman, given that his identity as a circumcised Jewish male is emphasised in all the extant New Testament sources (and early oral traditions that appear to lie behind them).

However, if you're asking instead for a hypothetical consideration - as to whether or not the Christian doctrine of the incarnation of God could have been fulfilled by His having a Daughter of God as opposed to the Son of God (i.e. in an XX female human phenotype rather than an XY male one as in the case of Jesus) - then, I would have to say that there's no theological reason I can think of which would absolutely preclude this. God very well could have chosen to incarnate as a woman and yet fulfilled the same salvific function, to my mind.

But this is not what orthodox Christian doctrine defines or scholarship, for that matter, will tell you. For us - and as per the historical record as best we can surmise - Christ was a man.

 

[Nakosis]

Back then, in that ancient culture, no one (or very few, anyways) would have listened to a woman...maybe her kids would.

Of course, so the story told would have had to been about the male Jesus. Reality does not always align with the story told though. Say a religious group worships Jesus as a female. Is there a problem with that?

 

[Windwalker]

Back then, in that ancient culture, no one (or very few, anyways) would have listened to a woman...maybe her kids would.

Is that because women's vocal cords were not as strong and muscular as a man's vocal cords? Or did they consider their brains and thoughts not as strong as a man's? Did they see women as less capable mentally?

What do modern Christians think about those points of view today? Do they allow women to be teachers and pastors in all Christian organizations, or do they still think women are less than men mentally, where men need to lead them and not the other way around?

 

[firedragon]

Could Jesus have been a woman?

Kind of a two-fold question.

In the middle of the Great Awakening, a group of religious radicals called Moravians came to North America from Germany to pursue ambitious missionary goals. How did the Protestant establishment react to the efforts of this group, which allowed women to preach, practiced alternative forms of marriage, sex, and family life, and believed Jesus could be female? Aaron Spencer Fogleman explains how these views, as well as the Moravians' missionary successes, provoked a vigorous response by Protestant authorities on both sides of the Atlantic. Jesus Is Female | Aaron Spencer Fogleman

Is it possible that Jesus was actually a woman?

Second could God have used a female as easily as a male to die on the cross? Was there a theological reason that Jesus had to be male?

The oldest historical reference to Jesus addresses him in the male gender. I am referring to Josephus. Not any of the biblical writers.

 

[Nakosis]

The oldest historical reference to Jesus addresses him in the male gender. I am referring to Josephus. Not any of the biblical writers.

How much did Josephus actually know and how much did he have to assume?

 

[firedragon]

How much did Josephus actually know and how much did he have to assume?

IN that case, no one knows much. The only thing that Josephus says as I already stated is that James was the brother of Jesus, the one who they called the Messiah. Thats it.

But its addressed in the male gender.

 

[Samael_Khan]

Though I wonder what we really know about the person of "Jesus". Her followers could have changed her name or she could have hidden her gender just for the reason you say. Some have even said Jesus may not have existed at all or may have been a composite of several people. One who died on the "cross", one who did not and continued to preach the gospel of heaven.

Not saying this is true just that we may not know as much as we think we know.

If some want to see Jesus as a woman, is that really less likely just because traditionally the narrative was that Jesus was male? If someone, for whatever reason, in their belief chooses to worship a female Jesus, I don't really see it as a problem.

OK, so I would go according to what the evidence shows as the most likely conclusion. So I would ask: What indication is there at all that Jesus might possibly have been a woman? If there is none then I have no reason to consider it.

These are the facts: The OT existed before Jesus was claimed to have been alive on earth. We see from those verses that the Messiah would be a man. Therefore, Jews would expected the Messiah to be a man hence why men claimed to be the Messiah and not women. So the most likely conclusion is that Jesus was a man so Jesus being a woman is extremely less likely.

People can and do believe whatever they want. They can worship Jesus, but they shouldn't be making any claims that they are Christians.

 

[PruePhillip]

Could Jesus have been a woman?

Kind of a two-fold question.

In the middle of the Great Awakening, a group of religious radicals called Moravians came to North America from Germany to pursue ambitious missionary goals. How did the Protestant establishment react to the efforts of this group, which allowed women to preach, practiced alternative forms of marriage, sex, and family life, and believed Jesus could be female? Aaron Spencer Fogleman explains how these views, as well as the Moravians' missionary successes, provoked a vigorous response by Protestant authorities on both sides of the Atlantic. Jesus Is Female | Aaron Spencer Fogleman

Is it possible that Jesus was actually a woman?

Second could God have used a female as easily as a male to die on the cross? Was there a theological reason that Jesus had to be male?

It's fascinating how Jesus is portrayed as a European, and good looking at that.
The Tanakh tell us Jesus will be a Jew, and he won't be a good looking man.

 

[Rival]

No, as Jesus is identified as the Messiah in Christian theology, which same theology piggybacks the Tanakh. In the Hebrew Scriptures, the Messiah is a male. He's designated 'he' and called also a 'King'.

As well as this, Jesus in the Gospels is clearly male; he does masculine things, he can read and write, he refers to himself as male etc.

Unless I missed this question and it is saying 'Is it possible for the Messiah to be female' as an abstract, not asking if Jesus were actually a female and there's some conspiracy. The answer to both is no.

 

[Nakosis]

No, as Jesus is identified as the Messiah in Christian theology, which same theology piggybacks the Tanakh. In the Hebrew Scriptures, the Messiah is a male. He's designated 'he and called also a 'King'.

As well as this, Jesus in the Gospels is clearly male; he does masculine things, he can read and write, he refers to himself as male etc.

Unless I missed this question and it is saying 'Is it possible for the Messiah to be female' as an abstract, not asking if Jesus were actually a female and there's some conspiracy. The answer to both is no.

First question I had is whether God is non-binary. I think most picture the Abrahamic God as male. Kind of hard really to imagine a non-binary God.

For Christians who see Jesus as God, If God is non-binary would that mean Jesus is non-binary? Or really asexual.

I realize the Jewish messiah is not the Christian messiah but I'd assume God is asexual. Having neither masculine nor feminine traits.

 

[Rival]

First question I had is whether God is non-binary. I think most picture the Abrahamic God as male. Kind of hard really to imagine a non-binary God.

For Christians who see Jesus as God, If God is non-binary would that mean Jesus is non-binary? Or really asexual.

I realize the Jewish messiah is not the Christian messiah but I'd assume God is asexual. Having neither masculine nor feminine traits.

G-d is, for lack of a much better term, anthropomorphised as male, but in Jewish thought is sexless/genderless. He is also given a male pronoun in Hebrew because in Hebrew 'God' is a male noun. In any case, as the Messiah is not G-d in Jewish understanding, he would be a normal human male. In Christianity he's not even seen as a sexless figure, especially in the Gospel of John, where certain encounters Jesus has clearly have erotic notes. These have been scrubbed in modern understandings, though.

 

[sojourner]

Could Jesus have been a woman?

Kind of a two-fold question.

In the middle of the Great Awakening, a group of religious radicals called Moravians came to North America from Germany to pursue ambitious missionary goals. How did the Protestant establishment react to the efforts of this group, which allowed women to preach, practiced alternative forms of marriage, sex, and family life, and believed Jesus could be female? Aaron Spencer Fogleman explains how these views, as well as the Moravians' missionary successes, provoked a vigorous response by Protestant authorities on both sides of the Atlantic. Jesus Is Female | Aaron Spencer Fogleman

Is it possible that Jesus was actually a woman?

Second could God have used a female as easily as a male to die on the cross? Was there a theological reason that Jesus had to be male?

Yes. In those days and that culture, Rabbis were male.

 

[sojourner]

In heaven, there is no gender because gender is only for reproduction. There is no reproduction in heaven. All the inhabitants of that realm, with the exception of God himself, are created not born.

When God created humans, he created an arrangement whereby the male was the 'President' or head of his company (family) and his wife was the Vice President, or second in command. Children would naturally be subject to their parents, following the pattern that Paul mentioned in 1 Corinthians 11:13...
"But I want you to know that the head of every man is the Christ; in turn, the head of a woman is the man; in turn, the head of the Christ is God."

So in God's arrangement, the male is the head of his household, not in a dictatorial way, but in a way that shows love and consideration for all members of the family....as Christ loved the congregation. (Ephesians 5:25) The man is subject to Christ and Christ is subject to God (ruling out any notion of a triune equality)

In God's family there is headship pertaining to their individual roles....and since the woman is subject to the man, portraying a Jesus as female would have been out of character with this arrangement because God portrays himself as male and refers to his son as such, even though they themselves are genderless in heaven.

Add to that the fact that Adam was a male and that it was his sin that plunged us into this situation in the first place.....a male life was given for an equivalent male life.

Pishtosh.