Why does God wear clothes?

[Jig]

This is something that I was thinking about today after reading my Bible. A little bit pointless, but sort of interesting.

Genesis is clear that humans wear clothes because of sin. Before sin, Adam and Eve were "very good" and naked. However, what is not clear is why Scripture depicts God as wearing clothes.

Is this purely for our benefit? Was God naked before sin? etc.

 

[ViaCrucis]

This is something that I was thinking about today after reading my Bible. A little bit pointless, but sort of interesting.

Genesis is clear that humans wear clothes because of sin. Before sin, Adam and Eve were "very good" and naked. However, what is not clear is why Scripture depicts God as wearing clothes.

Is this purely for our benefit? Was God naked before sin? etc.

God doesn't wear clothes because God doesn't have form or shape or body upon which to have clothes worn.

Jesus Christ, because He's human and has a physical human body, can and did wear clothes. But again, that's because our Lord Jesus became flesh, united Himself with human nature, and has a very real and solid human body. God, in His eternal and timeless Nature and Divinity has no form, no body, no shape and no appearance.

The only image we have of God is Christ Jesus Himself, who is the "image of the invisible God" and "the fullness of Deity in bodily form" who is God the Word incarnate, the only-begotten and eternal Son of the Father who in Mary's womb became and united Himself to our very humanity.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Blessedj01]

I doubt Jesus had shame, but being naked was serious in those times. Being seen naked was sinful and could mean bad things for those involved. Being naked in and of itself in public, could be a sin. Plus there's other issues.

Much like today, being naked in public was "illegal" and "immoral" and therefore Jesus dressed appropriately according to His peers.

 

[daydreamergurl15]

He's clothed with honor and majesty--Psalm 104:1. Is that what you're thinking?

If I'm not mistaken, the only person that ever saw a glimpse of God, besides Jesus, is Moses who saw God's back...and seeing as it tells us that it was His back, maybe He was naked in whatever it means in the spiritual sense.

 

[Lion King]

God doesn't wear clothes because God doesn't have form or shape or body upon which to have clothes worn.

Jesus Christ, because He's human and has a physical human body, can and did wear clothes. But again, that's because our Lord Jesus became flesh, united Himself with human nature, and has a very real and solid human body. God, in His eternal and timeless Nature and Divinity has no form, no body, no shape and no appearance.

The only image we have of God is Christ Jesus Himself, who is the "image of the invisible God" and "the fullness of Deity in bodily form" who is God the Word incarnate, the only-begotten and eternal Son of the Father who in Mary's womb became and united Himself to our very humanity.

-CryptoLutheran

Whose face do the angels see in heaven?

 

[Blessedj01]

BTW I don't think there's anything wrong with clothes. Clothes are symbolic of something. In genesis, they are symbolic of man's shame. For God they might mean something else.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Whose face do the angels see in heaven?

I don't know if that question makes sense for a reality that we cannot comprehend.

For example "seeing" in any sense we can comprehend means perceiving something with our eyes. Our eyes perceive reflections of a specific spectrum of electromagnetic radiation (what we call "visible light"), the eye receives reflections of this radiation bouncing off of objects and sends a signal to our brains which translates this into vision--thus we perceive depth, shape and color. This requires the physical forces of the material universe acting in concert with the organs of our bodies. What does "seeing" mean without that going on?

Do the angels "see" God? Do angels have ocular organs transmitting electric and/or chemical signals to brain matter?

Angels are immaterial creatures, Scripture calls them "ministering spirits", they are not somatic (that is, having a body).

Do the angels perceive God? Yes they do. However "seeing" is probably, in any literal sense, totally meaningless. And since God is invisible, formless, and ever-present everywhere, to speak of Him as having a "face" in a literal sense is likewise meaningless.

It would be no more possible to speak of such a reality in concrete language than it would be to explain three-dimensional space to a one- or two-dimensional being. We are squares on a two-dimensional plane talking about a reality of spheres and cubes.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Lion King]

I don't know if that question makes sense for a reality that we cannot comprehend.

For example "seeing" in any sense we can comprehend means perceiving something with our eyes. Our eyes perceive reflections of a specific spectrum of electromagnetic radiation (what we call "visible light"), the eye receives reflections of this radiation bouncing off of objects and sends a signal to our brains which translates this into vision--thus we perceive depth, shape and color. This requires the physical forces of the material universe acting in concert with the organs of our bodies. What does "seeing" mean without that going on?

Do the angels "see" God? Do angels have ocular organs transmitting electric and/or chemical signals to brain matter?

Angels are immaterial creatures, Scripture calls them "ministering spirits", they are not somatic (that is, having a body).

Do the angels perceive God? Yes they do. However "seeing" is probably, in any literal sense, totally meaningless. And since God is invisible, formless, and ever-present everywhere, to speak of Him as having a "face" in a literal sense is likewise meaningless.

It would be no more possible to speak of such a reality in concrete language than it would be to explain three-dimensional space to a one- or two-dimensional being. We are squares on a two-dimensional plane talking about a reality of spheres and cubes.

-CryptoLutheran

I never understand why you always try to over-complicate simple things? Angels do see the face of God in heaven:

Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 18:10


By the way, are you saying angels have no bodies? Angels do have bodies, just not physical ones.

 

[ViaCrucis]

I never understand why you always try to over-complicate simple things?

I want to be accurate and not present a dumbed down version of Christianity that does not represent the faith of the Apostles.

Angels do see the face of God in heaven:

Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 18:10

A metaphorical description rather than a literal one. How, pray tell, does the invisible God who exists everywhere and in all places and through all things has a literal "face"? Jesus is saying that the angels are present before God.

By the way, are you saying angels have no bodies?

Bodies require material substance. Angels are described as spirits, immaterial. So, no, they do not have bodies. They certainly can manifest with appearance as God so wills it, but they are not creatures of flesh and bone.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Lion King]

I want to be accurate and not present a dumbed down version of Christianity that does not represent the faith of the Apostles.

No offense, but you were hovering into science-fiction and not Christianity. Trying to use your carnal mind into understanding spiritual things is futile IMO. Let's stick with the Scriptures and not lean into our own understanding..

A metaphorical description rather than a literal one. How, pray tell, does the invisible God who exists everywhere and in all places and through all things has a literal "face"? Jesus is saying that the angels are present before God.

So, we will see the Father of Jesus after the resurrection of the dead? Yes or No?

Bodies require material substance. Angels are described as spirits, immaterial. So, no, they do not have bodies. They certainly can manifest with appearance as God so wills it, but they are not creatures of flesh and bone.

-CryptoLutheran

Angels have bodies, just not physical ones.

 

[Stryder06]

God doesn't wear clothes because God doesn't have form or shape or body upon which to have clothes worn.

Jesus Christ, because He's human and has a physical human body, can and did wear clothes. But again, that's because our Lord Jesus became flesh, united Himself with human nature, and has a very real and solid human body. God, in His eternal and timeless Nature and Divinity has no form, no body, no shape and no appearance.

The only image we have of God is Christ Jesus Himself, who is the "image of the invisible God" and "the fullness of Deity in bodily form" who is God the Word incarnate, the only-begotten and eternal Son of the Father who in Mary's womb became and united Himself to our very humanity.

-CryptoLutheran

Just out of curiosity, what do you think of the visions that Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and John saw of God sitting upon His throne?

 

[listed]

This is something that I was thinking about today after reading my Bible. A little bit pointless, but sort of interesting.

Genesis is clear that humans wear clothes because of sin. Before sin, Adam and Eve were "very good" and naked. However, what is not clear is why Scripture depicts God as wearing clothes.

Is this purely for our benefit? Was God naked before sin? etc.

Interesting subject and a break form my ususal involvement here.

Do you have a Scriptue suggesting that God wears clothes, even figuratively?

I doubt very much if many understand what they're redeemed from. Remember this promise was long before the law. I don't suggest that we can return to the Garden of Eden.

I think clothes cause many problems in many areas of life. They also help us in some.

They provide us a way to hide. That is exactly the first use of clothing as we know it. This extends itself in many ways. Even religion is a cloak of hiding for many and used as a means to deceive. So clothing has more than one form.

The ways clothing help us is the showing of authority and the extent of authority such as firemen, police, ministers, judges, paremedics etc.

 

[Theofane]

This is something that I was thinking about today after reading my Bible. A little bit pointless, but sort of interesting.

Genesis is clear that humans wear clothes because of sin. Before sin, Adam and Eve were "very good" and naked. However, what is not clear is why Scripture depicts God as wearing clothes.

Is this purely for our benefit? Was God naked before sin? etc.

The concept of nudity doesn't apply to God the Father because He is not flesh. God the Son was flesh, and because of that he wore clothing. The dichotomy of naked/clothed does not apply to God the Father. There is no sin in Him, and since He transcends time and space He does not conform to our idea of "naked." He does not conform to any of our ideas!

 

[Theofane]

Even religion is a cloak of hiding for many and used as a means to deceive.

Very truthful!

 

[ViaCrucis]

Just out of curiosity, what do you think of the visions that Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and John saw of God sitting upon His throne?

They were visions.

Glimpses of a reality that couldn't be described any other way.

I don't believe God is a man sitting on a golden chair in the sky. That may work for The Simpsons, but Christians who take their faith seriously should know better.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[listed]

BTW I don't think there's anything wrong with clothes. Clothes are symbolic of something. In genesis, they are symbolic of man's shame. For God they might mean something else.

Yes and I think the answer to that is found in Genesis 3.

 

[listed]

I want to be accurate and not present a dumbed down version of Christianity that does not represent the faith of the Apostles.

A metaphorical description rather than a literal one. How, pray tell, does the invisible God who exists everywhere and in all places and through all things has a literal "face"? Jesus is saying that the angels are present before God.

Bodies require material substance. Angels are described as spirits, immaterial. So, no, they do not have bodies. They certainly can manifest with appearance as God so wills it, but they are not creatures of flesh and bone.

-CryptoLutheran

Angels are very interesting creatures.

 

[listed]

The concept of nudity doesn't apply to God the Father because He is not flesh. God the Son was flesh, and because of that he wore clothing. The dichotomy of naked/clothed does not apply to God the Father. There is no sin in Him, and since He transcends time and space He does not conform to our idea of "naked." He does not conform to any of our ideas!

Well spoken.

 

[listed]

They were visions.

Glimpses of a reality that couldn't be described any other way.

I don't believe God is a man sitting on a golden chair in the sky. That may work for The Simpsons, but Christians who take their faith seriously should know better.

-CryptoLutheran

The perception of God is a very interesting topic.

 

[Stryder06]

They were visions.

Glimpses of a reality that couldn't be described any other way.

I don't believe God is a man sitting on a golden chair in the sky. That may work for The Simpsons, but Christians who take their faith seriously should know better.

-CryptoLutheran

I wasn't suggesting any such thing. I don't believe the Father is a man, but I don't believe He is "formless". That's why I was asking. The visions show the Father in a form upon His throne with the angels on either side. How can you be certain He doesn't have a form if He shows Himself with one in vision?