The Heretical View Of God Was A Man Like Us With A Tangible Body of Flesh And Bones

Was God, once a man like us?

What evidence is there to show that God is once a man with a body of flesh and bones like us in the bible?

I believe this is not true; there are many bible verses that reveal what God is, and that he is SPIRIT.

God is a Spirit.

•  John 4:24 “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

God alone is immortal who lives in unapproachable light! No one has or can see him!!!

• 1 Timothy 6:15-16 “which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; ¹⁶ who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen!

God is incorruptible.

• Romans 1:22-23 “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.”

God is everywhere.

• Psalm 139: 7-10 “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? ⁸ If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. ⁹ If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; ¹⁰ even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.”

Jesus himself defined what spirit is – and pointed out that it is different from a human, physical body. After his resurrection, he told his disciples in Luke 24:39.

• Luke 24:39 “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.”

God is invisible.

• Colossians 1:15 “who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:”

Invisible again…

• Romans 1:19:20 “because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. ²⁰ For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:”

Well, here is another passage, Yep God is invisible.

• 1 Timothy 1:17 “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

Here is an example of Jesus before he became flesh, the Gospel according to John is a confirmation of the fact that Jesus existed as God before his incarnation – before becoming a human being. He became flesh – he was not already flesh. God took on the form of a human being in his Son, Jesus Christ, in order to communicate directly with us and to complete our redemption.

• John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
• John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

What of those passages that seem to speak of God in human terms?

Those are called anthropomorphisms, that is, descriptions of God’s being, actions and emotions put in human terms.

Let’s take a look at some of them.

By the power of his mighty arm

• Exodus 15:16 “Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased.

God is also pictured as having a face, hands, fingers and a back.

•  Psalm 27:8 “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.”
• Psalm 10:12 “Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.”
• Psalm 88:5 “free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.”
• Deuteronomy 9:10 “and the Lord delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the Lord Spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.”
• Exodus 33:23 “and I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.”

As well, God is described as talking, walking, laughing, and weeping. Such anthropomorphisms are poetic symbols or metaphors representing that which would otherwise be indescribable, because God in his being is invisible and unknown. Such symbols of God’s being are condescension’s to us – put in words that we can understand. We have to have some way of describing God’s relationship to us. The only way this can occur is through symbols that are understandable to our finite minds and experience.

The nature and size of the universe itself tells us that it would be impossible that a God made in the image of humans could create, maintain and control the universe.  

Yet, precisely the opposite is said of God – that the universe cannot contain him…

• 2 Chronicles 2:6 “But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?”

Anthropomorphism, as mentioned earlier, makes God in our image and forgets that we are made in his image. 

Man has been given the ability to reason and to express many divine qualities, such as communication, invention and the creation of new things, but only from existing materials. God has also given humanity dominion and stewardship over his creation, which shows humanity's place as ruler and king, much like God. This is the meaning of God creating us "in his own image," not that God is like humans in having bodily parts and shape.

Taking Anthropomorphism literally, is a dangerous and pagan doctrine that we should avoid. In the book of Romans, explains what happened in human philosophy and religion.

• Romans 1:21-23 “because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.²² Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.”

      

       This concludes my section on the heretical doctrine of God was once like man.