How Many Genders Did God Create?
Brother Bob Pellien: With the current climate of politicized issues prevalent on the internet, social media and even mainstream media, a number of you have reached out to us via email and are simply asking “How many genders does God recognize?” or even “How many genders did God create?” Hello, everyone. Welcome to That’s in the Bible. The basis of our faith here in the Church Of Christ is first and foremost the Bible or the Holy Scriptures. Now, we want to always clarify that the Bible does not answer just any and all questions. But regarding proper worship, the right relationship with God and most importantly, salvation. Those answers are most definitely here in the Holy Bible.
Brother Bob: I’m Bob Pellien. Welcome to the program That’s in the Bible. Now, to some, this might be a fairly simple question to answer: How many genders did God create? But for others, the fear of offending a whole community of people and being labeled as, well, not politically correct or even being labeled a bigot, have confused them regarding what is right and what is true, since the question is: How many genders did God create? We will simply use God’s own words to respond to that. And his words are written here in the Holy Bible.
Now, before we start reading the answer we would like to clarify something first, and that is that we really do value and recognize the human rights of every individual. We also do not tolerate that any person would be oppressed or discriminated against by anyone, due to their gender identity, or sexual orientation. And, we do not promote hatred against anyone. Instead we encourage seeking biblical truth about this and every subject.
Brother Bob: So, to understand of whether a gender spectrum or gender fluidity is recorded in the Bible, we first turn to the Bible and read Genesis 1:27 NKJV:
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Genesis 1:27 New King James Version
Brother Bob: Here, dear friends, we can clearly see that, from the very beginning, when God created people, there was not a gender spectrum. We’ve always been two biological sexes, manifesting in only two sexual genders. A human being is either male or female. God did not create additional genders other than those two. And, dear friends, since today, there are some that, well, they simply claim otherwise. We can pose a follow up question specifically for the time or era we are all living in now: the Christian era. Some wonder and say that, well, since Christ’s teachings are full of love—and that’s true—surely He would have accepted those who claim to be of a gender not mentioned in the Old Testament. So, have the number of genders changed or increased in this era according to the Lord Jesus Christ? Let’s go to the writings where he’s quoted here. Matthew 19:4 reads this way, our Lord Jesus said this:
And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’
Matthew 19:4 New King James Version
Brother Bob: Again, dear friends, we can clearly see the answer of the Lord Jesus Christ, since He’s actually quoting God’s very own words, showing that there’s no change, no change in the Christian era. We live in the Christian era still. But you might wonder why then are there some who have taken a very clear, very simple, very good and straight forward truth as we’ve read it here, and view it to be complex, quite complicated. Gender identity and Christianity have become, for some people, even opposing forces. There may be those who feel confused as to where they fit on that gender spectrum that was created, not by God, but created by society, and might be even blaming God for their personal confusion because they truly believe they were created in His image. Dear friends, how can one be created in His image, His image of holiness, if in fact they are tempted to represent themselves in a way they know to be different from what and how God created them to be? Or to say it even simpler, they might think “If God created me and I’m like this, it must be okay with God.” Let’s let God respond. And we turn to Ecclesiastes 7:29, let’s read together here what is God’s response about that:
Here is what I have figured out: God made humanity for good, but we humans go out and scheme our way into trouble.
Ecclesiastes 7:29 The Voice
Brother Bob: Clearly the fault then, dear friends, it’s not with the Creator. God created us for good, and His words determine, of course, what is good and what is not good. And since God already told us in the verses that we’ve already read previously, God created male and female. He created binary genders. He provides everything that we need to live our lives peaceful, live our lives happy and content. This is why when one properly follows God’s instructions and His commands, then he is able to enjoy and receive God’s promised blessings—His protection, His peace, His happiness. So, where then is the problem and confusion of some? The Bible states as we just read it, humans, we humans go out and scheme our way into trouble.
So following God’s commands and teachings is what every created person, male and female, has the ability to do. The disobedience and failure to follow God’s words, to live as God created them to live is no one else’s fault or struggle to overcome but the individual themself. Knowing these truths are vital, dear friends. So we all have human weaknesses, right? Weaknesses that make us susceptible to stray from God’s ways and from His words. But we can’t allow that. We must not allow that to happen. Why do we say it’s vital to know these biblical truths, meaning hearing them, learning, and studying and accepting what is actually written in the Bible should really be priority in our lives? We say this because, well, there’s a danger of not knowing or allowing sources other than God’s words to be our guide. What’s the danger? Let’s read about it. And the answer to that question was responded to by the Apostle Paul here. 2 Corinthians 11:3, wherein it says this:
But I am afraid that your minds will be led away from your true and pure following of Christ. This might happen just as Eve was tricked by the snake with his evil ways.
2 Corinthians 11:3 New Century Version
Brother Bob: So dear friends, we are reminded that Eve (the first woman created and one who was able to enjoy a life in paradise known, as we all know, as the Garden of Eden), she was tricked by who? The enemy of God (the devil in the form of a snake). She was tricked into straying from following God’s truth. Here the apostle warns us of the danger that we too could be tricked from following the truth written in the Bible that the Lord Jesus Christ taught. This is the reason why learning what is actually written here in the scriptures, written here in the Bible should really be a priority in our lives. If there are those who desire to follow biblical truth, but yet are struggling with their own tendencies, their own feelings that tempt them to go against God’s words – maybe they find themselves, for example, identifying with a non-binary concept of gender, or in confusion regarding which pronouns they want others to address them as – what instruction does the Lord Jesus Christ give? Let’s turn again to the Scriptures, this time the words of our Lord are recorded here in Matthew 26:41 NKJV it says:
Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Matthew 26:41 New King James Version
Brother Bob: Dear friends, temptations to sin or to break any of God’s laws are all around us. We should never allow anyone to convince us that any one of God’s laws is outdated, any of His laws in the Christian era is, obsolete, invalid, or no longer needs to be followed, or are in fact impossible to follow and still be happy. Why? Jesus Christ taught to us: “Watch,” He said. “Watch and pray.” Let’s be alert. Let’s all be ready, alert, aware of what is happening in these difficult and changing times, and pray that we accept God’s guidance through His words contained here in the Holy Bible. That’s how we should handle the situation. That’s how we can fight against temptations. The situations that are around us and are prevalent and being fed to us by other kinds of influencers other than God and His words, because that’s in the Bible. And we understand, dear friends, that these modern issues regarding sexuality have many more things that need to be addressed and can be addressed by studying the Bible with us here in the Church Of Christ, which provides, well, much hope and strength. Return for the next episodes as we continue diving deeper into these important topics, such as:
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Same sex marriage
Are homosexuals made in God’s image too?
Brother Bob: So, dear friends, we’d like you to continue learning about the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ).
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Visit incmedia.org
Brother Bob: Please visit us online and browse the different topics and set up an appointment to meet with one of the ministers of the Gospel here inside the Church of Christ, and if you have any questions about the Bible, salvation, these topics—please email them to us.
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answers@incmedia.org
Brother Bob: I’m Bob Pellien, thanks for watching. See you next time, right here on That’s in the Bible.
