U.S. Episcopal Church to Stop Calling God “Father”

“The Episcopal church in the Diocese of Washington, D.C., passed a resolution last week to stop using masculine pronouns for God in future updates to its Book of Common Prayer” (LifeSiteNews, February 1, 2018). Those who drafted the resolution claimed that using gender pronouns (he, him, his) to refer to God act to “limit our understanding of God.” They stated, “By expanding our language for God, we will expand our image of God and the nature of God.” One minister and delegate observed that many people she knew were unable to accept “a male image of God.” The Episcopal Church is one of the most liberal Protestant denominations in the U.S.

As time goes by and we draw closer to the end of the age, many professing Christian groups continue to work to mold God into their own image. Often, it does not matter what the Bible actually says and teaches. What is more important to these groups is that Bible teachings “line up” with their personal and collective opinions. Christ Himself referred to God as His Father numerous times throughout the gospel accounts. God was also very purposeful in creating human beings “male and female” and modeling the human family to teach us about His own—a family where God is the Father, Jesus Christ is the Son and the Church becomes the bride of Christ (Hosea 2:16; Revelation 19:7-9). Christ even noted that some would have the arrogance to teach “as doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:7)—very much what we are witnessing among professing Christians today.

Ridding the Bible of the gender pronouns God Himself inspired to be written (2 Timothy 3:16) will certainly change how people understand the image and nature of God. But, it will accomplish this through the fabrication of unbiblical inaccuracies and deceptions. Approaches like this “re-make” God into a being that people want Him to be, rather than reveal a clearer image of who God really is. These are efforts by special interest groups to erase the masculine leadership God clearly outlines in the pages of His Bible. For more insight into the true nature of God as clearly explained in the Bible, be sure to read “What Is God Really Like?”