Anthropology (Doctrine of Humanity): Gender, Sexuality, and Marriage

The doctrine of humanity in Christian theology touches on some of the most significant and contested questions of our age—gender, sexuality, and marriage. Scripture presents humanity as created in God’s image, male and female, with marriage established as a covenantal union between one man and one woman. Sexuality is not an accident of biology but a gift of God, designed for intimacy, procreation, and the reflection of Christ’s relationship with his church.

Throughout church history, believers have wrestled with how to understand these realities. While the traditional view affirms the binary creation of male and female and the covenant of marriage, modern debates raise questions about gender identity, sexual orientation, and the place of marriage in contemporary society. To engage these questions faithfully, Christians must return to Scripture, which frames human identity and relationships in the light of creation, fall, redemption, and the hope of the last days.

1. Creation of Humanity as Male and Female

The Bible begins with the declaration: “So God created man in his own image…male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27). Gender is presented not as a cultural construct but as a divine design. Humanity’s creation as male and female is linked directly to the image of God, showing that both genders are equal in dignity and worth while distinct in form and calling.

Genesis 2 provides further detail, describing how the woman was formed from the man’s side, signifying both unity and complementarity. The man recognizes her as “bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh” (Genesis 2:23). This complementarity is not a product of sin but of creation’s goodness.

The creation of humanity as male and female highlights two truths:

• Equality – Both male and female bear the image of God fully.

• Distinction – Male and female are not interchangeable but complementary.

This binary framework of humanity underlies the biblical vision for marriage, sexuality, and family.

2. Covenant of Marriage

Marriage is instituted in Genesis as the union of man and woman: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). This covenant is lifelong, exclusive, and sealed by God’s design.

Marriage serves several purposes in biblical theology:

• Companionship – “It is not good that the man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18).

• Procreation – “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Genesis 1:28).

• Unity – Husband and wife become “one flesh” (Matthew 19:5–6).

• Witness – Marriage reflects Christ’s covenant love for his church (Ephesians 5:25–32).

The covenant of marriage is central to human flourishing, and Scripture consistently upholds sexual intimacy as belonging within this union alone. Adultery, fornication, and same-sex practices are identified as distortions of God’s design (Leviticus 18; Romans 1:26–27).

3. Sexuality in Creation and the Fall

Sexuality, like all aspects of human life, was created good. However, the fall introduced distortion and disorder. Human desires, once directed toward God and covenantal fidelity, became marked by lust, misuse, and rebellion. Paul describes this reality in Romans 1, where humanity “exchanged the truth about God for a lie” (v. 25), resulting in dishonorable passions and disordered relationships.

Throughout Scripture, sexual immorality is treated as both symptom and symbol of idolatry. Israel’s unfaithfulness to God is often portrayed as spiritual adultery (Hosea 1–3). The misuse of sexuality reflects a deeper turning away from God, and repentance is portrayed as a return to covenantal faithfulness.

Yet sexuality remains part of God’s good creation. Marriage sanctifies sexual intimacy, directing it toward union, fruitfulness, and holiness. In Christ, the Spirit renews human desires, enabling believers to honor God with their bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19–20).

4. Debates on Gender and Sexuality

Modern discussions raise challenges to the traditional Christian view. Some propose that gender is fluid rather than fixed, or that sexual orientation should be affirmed as a natural variation of human identity. Others argue that the biblical vision of gender roles reflects cultural conditions rather than permanent truths.

Christian theology, however, maintains that Scripture grounds gender and sexuality in creation, not merely in culture. While cultural expressions of masculinity and femininity vary, the created distinction between male and female is not negotiable. Jesus affirmed this in Matthew 19:4–6, returning to Genesis to answer questions about marriage.

The church must also confess its failures. At times, Christian teaching has reduced sexuality to prohibition rather than celebrating its goodness within God’s design. A biblical anthropology must uphold both the goodness of creation and the seriousness of sin, offering truth and grace in Christ.

5. Gospel and Last Days Fulfillment

Gender, sexuality, and marriage all find their ultimate meaning in the Gospel. Marriage points beyond itself to the union of Christ and his church (Ephesians 5:32). Sexuality, when redeemed by the Spirit, becomes a sign of God’s covenant faithfulness. Gender, as male and female created in God’s image, reveals something of God’s design for community and love.

In the last days, marriage will give way to the greater reality it foreshadows: the eternal union of Christ with his people (Revelation 19:7–9). While earthly marriage is temporary, the covenant of redemption is everlasting. The hope of the new creation does not abolish human identity but perfects it. Believers will be raised in glorified bodies, transformed yet still truly human (Philippians 3:21).

Thus, anthropology points us to eschatology. The constitution of humanity in gender, sexuality, and marriage is not arbitrary but purposeful, directing us to God’s eternal plan in Christ.

Conclusion

The doctrine of humanity teaches that gender, sexuality, and marriage are gifts from God, rooted in creation, distorted by sin, redeemed in Christ, and fulfilled in the kingdom to come. Male and female are created in the image of God, marriage is ordained as a covenant of one flesh, and sexuality is sanctified within that union.

While debates continue, Scripture calls the church to hold fast to God’s design with both conviction and compassion. The Gospel reveals that Christ redeems the whole person, including human relationships, and the last days promise that these gifts will find their ultimate fulfillment in union with him.

Bible Verses on Gender, Sexuality, and Marriage

• Genesis 1:27 – “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

• Genesis 2:24 – “A man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

• Matthew 19:4–6 – “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

• Proverbs 5:18–19 – “Rejoice in the wife of your youth…let her breasts fill you at all times with delight.”

• Song of Solomon 2:16 – “My beloved is mine, and I am his.”

• 1 Corinthians 6:18–20 – “Flee from sexual immorality…your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.”

• Ephesians 5:25 – “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”

• Hebrews 13:4 – “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled.”

• Romans 1:26–27 – “God gave them up to dishonorable passions…men committing shameless acts with men.”

• Revelation 19:7 – “The marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready.”