The Context

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:26-28

Male and Female

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. - Gen 1:27

I have read these verses before, yet it wasn’t till recently I honed into the emphasis of gender in the imago dei, צֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים, image of God.

Question

What significance does gender play in reflecting the image of God? If any?

Gender and the Image of God

Being around believers¹, I’ve seen varying fruits of the Spirit on display. One person may be more compassionate and empathetic; whereas, another might be more zealous for truth with steadfast faith in the Lord.

Certain fruit may be more pronounced from one believer to the next. Of course all glory goes to God, but there is diversity in the qualities that exhub from each believer.

Does gender play a role in this? Did God create humanity male and female because it shows an aspect of his image?

Femininity

qualities or attributes regarded as characteristic of women. -Oxford Dictionary

Masculinity

qualities or attributes regarded as characteristic of men. -Oxford Dictionary

Thoughts

Sometimes the right question even without an answer, tells a lot about the unknown. Obviously, I don’t know why God made genders, but I do know God does everything perfectly. Since we are created in the image of God and he chose to make us male and female, gender perfectly shows something perfectly of God. The End 😃

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