What does the Bible say about transgender?
The conversation around transgender identity is one of the most complex, personal, and culturally charged topics of our time. For people of faith, especially those who look to the Bible for moral and spiritual guidance, the question often arises: what does the Bible say about transgender people and gender identity more broadly?
The challenge is that the Bible does not directly address transgender identity in the way we frame it today—terms like “gender dysphoria,” “transition,” or “non-binary” are completely absent from ancient texts. But that doesn't mean Scripture is silent. Instead, the Bible offers foundational principles about human nature, creation, and redemption that help believers navigate this topic thoughtfully and faithfully.
Beginning with Creation: Male and Female in the Image of God
The Bible opens with a vision of humanity created by God—intentionally, beautifully, and with purpose. Genesis 1:27 states:
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
Here, the Bible presents a binary understanding of gender—male and female—as something good, rooted in creation itself. This distinction isn’t just biological; it’s spiritual and symbolic. The two sexes reflect something about God’s nature and his design for humanity. Theologically, the union of male and female in marriage is seen as a living metaphor of God’s covenant with His people (Ephesians 5:31–32).
This doesn't mean that gender roles are rigid or simplistic, but it does suggest that our bodies—and the sexes we are born into—are not accidental. Rather, they are part of how God intends human beings to live, relate, and image Him.
The Fall and Its Effects on Body and Soul
But the creation story doesn’t stop there. The third chapter of Genesis introduces the fall—humanity’s rebellion against God—which affects every aspect of life: relationships, desires, even our understanding of ourselves.
From a biblical perspective, the alienation and confusion many people experience—including gender dysphoria—can be understood as part of the brokenness that entered the world through sin. This doesn’t mean that transgender people are more sinful than anyone else—far from it. The Bible teaches that all of us are disordered in some way, whether in our desires, thoughts, or behaviors.
What this does mean is that not everything we feel or desire reflects God's design. In a fallen world, even something as intimate as our sense of self may be out of sync with our created nature. The Bible doesn't single out transgender identity, but it does call all of us to surrender every part of our lives—including our identity—to God’s truth and grace.
Upholding the Dignity of All People
A crucial point that must not be missed: the Bible teaches that every human being—male, female, cisgender, or transgender—is made in the image of God and therefore possesses inherent worth, dignity, and value (Genesis 1:27, Psalm 139:13–14).
This means Christians are called to treat transgender individuals with compassion, respect, and empathy, not contempt. Jesus consistently welcomed and dignified those on the margins of society—not by affirming everything about their lives, but by lovingly calling them into transformation and deeper relationship with God.
To follow Jesus faithfully means upholding the truth of Scripture and embodying the love of Christ. Those two things must go together.
Sexual Ethics and Identity in the New Testament
The New Testament reaffirms many of the Bible’s foundational teachings on gender and sexuality. For example, in Matthew 19:4–5, Jesus references the Genesis creation account:
“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife…’”
Here, Jesus confirms the created distinction of male and female as the basis for human relationships and marriage. Again, this does not directly address transgender identity, but it suggests that gender differences are part of God’s good design, not simply social constructs to be discarded or redefined.
Romans 12:1–2 urges believers not to conform to the patterns of this world but to be transformed by the renewing of their minds. This includes every aspect of life, including how we view ourselves, our bodies, and our identity.
Living in Tension: Compassion Without Compromise
Christian theology has always acknowledged that believers live “between the times”—between the brokenness of the fall and the full restoration that will come with Christ’s return. This tension shows up clearly in conversations about transgender identity.
On one hand, we acknowledge the real pain many people experience when their inner sense of gender doesn’t align with their biological sex. On the other, we affirm that the Bible calls us to trust God’s created order, even when it’s hard or counter-cultural.
Faithful Christian engagement means we don’t reduce people to labels. Nor do we let culture dictate our theology. Instead, we follow Jesus in truth and grace—holding fast to God’s design while walking alongside others in humility and love.
Eschatology: Gender and the New Creation
Some ask whether gender will continue to exist in the age to come. While Scripture doesn’t answer this definitively, there are a few key points worth noting.
First, in the resurrection, we will receive glorified bodies (Philippians 3:21), and in some mysterious way, our earthly distinctions—including gender—will be transformed. Jesus said that in the resurrection, people “neither marry nor are given in marriage” (Matthew 22:30), suggesting that human relationships will change dramatically.
That said, nothing in Scripture implies that gender will be erased or rendered meaningless. Rather, the new creation will fulfill God’s original intent, restoring our bodies and souls to perfect harmony. From this perspective, the hope of the gospel isn’t the erasure of our embodied selves—but their redemption.
This eschatological vision encourages us not to idolize our current experience or feelings but to look forward to the day when everything broken will be made whole. For those experiencing transgender identity or dysphoria, this offers deep, eternal hope: your identity is not defined by your pain or struggle, but by the God who promises to make all things new.
A Gospel-Shaped Response
So, what does the Bible say about transgender identity? It doesn’t provide a bullet-point answer. But it gives us a rich theological framework to think about gender, creation, fall, redemption, and restoration.
It affirms the goodness of our physical bodies and the male–female distinction as part of God’s original design.
It acknowledges that all of us experience confusion and disorder as part of living in a fallen world.
It calls us to submit every aspect of our lives to Christ—including our sense of self.
And it invites us into a community where compassion and conviction coexist.
Ultimately, the Bible doesn’t shame or reject people who struggle with gender identity. Instead, it points us all—whatever our story—to Jesus: the one who welcomes, transforms, and restores.
Final Word
Discussions about transgender identity can be emotionally and spiritually charged, especially in today’s polarized climate. But the Christian response must be rooted in both grace and truth. We hold fast to the vision of creation presented in the Bible, and we look forward to the day when Christ returns—not to destroy what He made, but to complete it.
In the meantime, the church is called to be a place where those wrestling with identity questions find clarity and kindness, not condemnation. The story Scripture tells is not one of rejection, but of redemption—for transgender people, for every one of us, and for the whole creation.
Verses about transgender:
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."
1 Corinthians 6:19-20, "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."
Psalm 139:13-14, "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."
Deuteronomy 22:5, "A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God."
Galatians 3:28, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
