In the Old Testament, the Israelites likewise “conceived even with Jahweh himself as having human form”. [Gerhard Von Rad, Theology of the Old Testament, 1:145]. For This reason, “a doctrine of God as spirit in the philosophical sense will be sought in vain in the pages of the Old Testament’s humanizing of deity leads us to see . . . that in fact it is not the spiritual nature of God which is the foundation of the Old Testament faith. It is his personhood – a personhood which is fully alive, and a life which is fully personal [Walter Eichrodt, Theology of the Old Testament, Philadelphia, 1961 1:212]
But even in the Old Testament it would be incorrect to say that God has a human form, “for according to the ideas of Jahwism, it cannot be said that Israel regarded God anthropomorphically but the reverse, that she considered man as the theomorphic” In other words, man was created in God’s image [Gen 1:26] not the other way around.
The reason is obvious; “God took the pattern for this, his last work of creation, from the heavenly world above. In no other work of creation is everything referred so very immediately to God himself.” [Ibid] Man, in short, possesses the same divine image that Christ possessed, for which reason of the author of Hebrews could say, “Both he that sanctifieth and they are that are sanctified are of one origin. [ex henos, masc., 2:11; see Kasemann, op, cit. p.90] [Ancient Texts and Mormonism, pp 26-27]
Those who believe God is an “immaterial being” have a difficult time explaining in what way we, as men are made in the “similitude of God” the Father [James 3:9] if it is not in a physical sense. Man’s basic nature, as scripture says, is sinful [1 John 1:8; Mosiah 3:19] and nothing like God’s [Heb 4:15]. Our thoughts are not his thoughts and our ways are not his ways [Isa 55:8-9]. Notwithstanding, Genesis teaches clearly that man was created in both the image and likeness of God [Gen 1:26-27]. A few chapters later, we are told that Adam’s son Seth, resembled Adam in like manner, using the identical Hebrew words translated in the King James Version as: “in his own likeness” and “after his own image” [Gen 5:3]. Thus it is clear that we must resemble God and his Son just as mortal sons physically resemble their fathers. Paul applied the same literal meaning to these words by explaining that as man “is the image and glory of God” so “woman is the glory of man” [1 Cor 11:7]
The Old Testament describes Jacob's encounters with God, stating that he did see "God face to face" [Gen 32:30] and taht God spoke to Moses "face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend" [Ex 33:11]. We are also told that "Enoch walked with God" [Gen 5:22-24]. How could this possibly be, unless God had a bodily shape that of a man?
The New Testament also confirms that Christ is in the "image of God" [2 Cor. 4:4; Col 1:15; Heb 1:3] and the "form of God" [Phil 2:6]. If further telss us that in the resurrection our vile bodies will be made like Christ's "glorious body" [Phil 3:21] so that when he returns, "we shall be like him" [1 John 3:2] and"see his face" [Rev 22:4]. If we were created in the similitude of both God and Christ, and Christ is in image and form like his Father, then God the Father and his Son must have corporaeal bodies like ourselves.
The Church of England teaches that "there is but one living and true God, everlasting , without body, parts, or passions; of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness" [Book of Common Prayer, Articles of Religion, Article 1 - Of Faith in the Holy Trinity p.685]. This immarterial God is at variance with scripture since the original God of the Bible is described as having body parts, and passions:
Furthermore it is inacurrate to claim that members of the LDS Church belive in a God with a physical body like man's. James E. Talmage as affirmed that God, unlike man is "of infinite power; his mind of unlimited capacity; his powers of tranferring Himself from place to place are infinite; plainly, however, His person cannot be in more han one place at a time. Admitting the personality of God, we are compelled to accept the fact of his mertiality; indeed, an immertial being under which meaningless name some have sought to designate the condition of God, cannot exist, for the very expression is a contradiction in terms" [James E. Talmage, Articles of Faith, p. 43].1. Body - Ex 21:10-11; 33:23; Num 12:5; Jud 13:22; Kings 11:9; Isa 6:5; Matt 5:8; John 5:37; Acts 7:55-56; and other scriptures cited above.
2. Parts - Gen 8:21; Ex 24:10-11; 31:18; 22:23; Num 12:8; Deut 9:10; 34:10; Job 19:25 ; Ps94:7-11; Matt 4:4; Rev 19:12; 22:4
3. Passions - Ex 20:5-6; 34:6-7, 14; Deut 4:24. 31; 6:15; 7:8-9; 10:15, 18; Josh 24:19; Jud 2:14; 3:8; Kings 22:53; 2 Kings 13:3; Neh 9:17; Ps 6:16; 116:5; Isa 30:27; Jer 4:8; 7:19-20; 44:4-6; Hosea 11:1; 9:17; Zech 8:17; John 16:27; Rom 1:18; James 5:11; 1 John 16:27; Rom 1:18; James 5:11; 1 John 3:1; Rev 15:1
Bruce R. McConkie, after reviewing serveral personal apperances of the resurrrected Christ [Luke 24:18-25, 37-43; John 20:15-17, 25-27; 21:5-7; Acts 1:11 and others ] pionted out:
From this brief review we learn serveral important things; we know that resurrected beings, containing their glory within themselves, can walk as mortals do on earth; they can converse and reason and teach as they once did in mortality; they can both withhold and manifest their true identities; they can pass with corporeal bodies through solid walls; they have bodies of flesh and bones which can be felt and handled; that if need be (and at special times) they can retain the scars and wonunds of the flesh; they can eat and digest food; that they can vanish frommoratl eyes and transport themselves by means unknown to us. [Doctrines of the Restoration, p 123-124]Christ was God even before the creation of the world [John 1:1-3, 14; 1 Cor 10:1-4; Heb 1:1-3; Isa 9:6] and he followed in the footsteps of the Father [John 5:19-20; Phil 2:5-6] to become exalted. [Phil 2:9-11; Rev 3:21] If we further realize that Jesus Christ, being a God, now has a body of flesh and bones in apperance as man's [Luke 24:15-16, 30-31. 36-39, John 20:27] and yet can pass through walls [John 20:19] and influence and mankind through his power [Phil 1:19; Moroni 7:16], it should not be difficult to realize that God the Father likewise is an exalted Man of Holiness. [Moses 6:57; see also John 3:13] Christ has being like him [Rom 8:29; 2 Cor 4:4; Phil 2:6; Col 1:15; Heb 1:3] in both appearance and physical attributes. [John 14:9; D&C 130:22] Aas such Christ chose in mortality to call himself the "Son of man which is in heaven" [John 3:13] or simply "Son of man" [See LDS Topical Guide, p 256]
Two Scriptures are generally cited by critics to show that God is not a man. Numbers 23:19 informs us that "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent". Never-the-less Jesus called himself Son of man [Matt 8:20] and yet was himself God. [John 1:1-3; Heb 1:8-9] First Samuel 15:29 informs us: And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that should repent". [note that 1 Sam 15:11 contradicts this verse in part.] God and Jesus Christ are perfect and, as such, are not as man that they will lie or need to repent. The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus Christ is the God of the Old Testament [John 1:1-3,14 ect] and that Jesus Christ was a man even after his resurrection. [1 Tim 2:5; 1 Cor 15:21-22, 47; Phil 2:8] Thus, the above-mentioned scriptures are saying that God is not weak like "corruptible man" [Rom 1:23] and therefore not susceptible to sin. [Matt 5:48; Peter 2:22]
Though much of Christdom is as Thomas and will not believe that God has a glorified and exalted body of flesh and bone [D&C 130:22] unless they are shown, we may be sure of this fact. Blessed are they that have not see, and yet have believed, for they truly know God and his Son [John 17:3; Eph 4:13; see also Teachings, p 181]
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