Did Jesus Have a Penis?

Many centuries ago, the Church had to grapple with the very big question “Was Jesus human or divine? Was he fully human or fully God? After many years and much debate, the Church concluded that Jesus, the Son of God, our Savior who died on the Cross and rose on the third day was both fully human and fully God. Out of this query and answer was born the creeds of the Church. It was settled. Just like the Scriptures tell us, the Church made it clear to ALL believers, once and for all, that Jesus Christ was a full human being. Which means he had and was everything that any other human had or has. He differed only in the fact that he did not sin.

So today, as I continue my commitment to talk and write about sex in the Church, through #TheChristianSexChronicles, I want to discuss a very important aspect of Jesus’ humanity, and especially as it relates to manhood AND male sexuality. Specifically, I want to ask the question

Did Jesus have a penis?

In a world that encourages dichotomy among peoples, especially among God’s people based on the possession of a penis, it becomes pertinent to investigate the anatomical constitution of the person the Church follows, i.e., Jesus.

If Jesus was fully human, and according to his humanity was a male, did he have a penis?

Jesus was birthed by a human mother, and nurtured by both a human father and mother. Therefore it bears to reason that if he were in any way ‘abnormal’ physically, that is, not a ‘regular male,’ his parents and the Scriptures would have noted and recorded it.

However, the Scriptures tell us ‘in all things’ Jesus was made like us (humans),

For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:17)

Thus IF Jesus was ‘fully human in every way,’ it is proper to believe that as a male human, he possessed the full anatomy of the human male, which includes a penis.

What is NOT clear for understanding present day discrimination against females being full participants in what Christ offers and accomplished for all humanity, is why the those who discriminate against the full participation of females in Christ’s victory do so on the premise that only those humans with penises have a right to the ‘full’ inheritance of heirs in Christ.

When the Scriptures tell us

For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory.(Romans 8:16-17c)

is it speaking only to those with penises?

When Jesus himself says

I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.(Luke 10:19)

to whom was he speaking? To those with penises, only??

According to the preceding Scripture verses, and indeed the entire New Testament Gospel, the full rights of sons/heirs (the ownership of all that God has and which belongs to Jesus, to include Jesus’ authority to preach and teach about, as well as represent God’s Kingdom) belongs to ALL whom Christ has redeemed.

Many have erroneously used the lack of possession of a penis as the criteria for NOT ‘including women’ in the ‘heirdom’ and ‘authority’ given by Christ. Yet, no where in bequeathing these favors, did Jesus mention ‘they’ belonged only to men.

What is more troubling is how the possession of a penis has fueled the arguments from the proponents of the sexual privileges and rights of men. How these proponents have argued that a man’s worth is defined by the gratification of his sexual desires, and how he is less of a man IF a woman does not grant him sex every time he demands or wants it.

The proponents also argue that a male sex drive (defined by possession of a penis) is one that is designed by nature to be aroused by the mere sight of an attractive female.

They also argue that a female puts herself at risk of and invites rape from the male (possessor of a penis) if she is attractive by looks or by dress.

They also argue that because the male (possessor of a penis) is designed to be aroused by the female, close interactions between males and females should be discouraged.

As I listen to and hear these arguments, it appears to me that the proponents have based these theories on the only distinguishing difference between a male and a female – their genital organs. And that they have derived a whole new Gospel out of Christ’s Gospel that is based upon the possession of penises!

I would argue that this new Gospel IS NOT the Gospel of Christ! For Christ truly DID possess a penis, but Christ who had the supernatural powers to do so if he so chose,

NEITHER insisted on sex with a woman (and he would have been within his rights to do so, after all he created the human body, and could therefore make an argument of sexual entitlement for the same body which most males claim was created for sexual gratification at arousal),

NOR claimed any woman tempted him, despite being so close to several women (Lk.7:38, 10:38-9; Jn.11:5),

NOR raped any woman because he had a penis,

NOR separated or prevented himself from having close friendships with women because he had a penis (Lk.10:38),

NOR considered any woman a threat to his spirituality because he had a penis.

NOR lorded it over any woman because he had a penis!

NOR oppressed any woman because he had a penis!

We could say more, but I would rather return to my original question and therefore propose my answer, which is,

Jesus DID have a penis (and when we see him again, he will STILL have a penis), but that Jesus’ private parts had and still have nothing to do with either the bequeathal of the message or the gift of the Gospel.

In other words, the possession of a penis has nothing to do with fully following or being a part of what Christ won and offers to humankind!!! Christ DID NOT COME to elevate the possessors of penises above the possessors of vaginas. Indeed, as Apostle Paul rightly says in Galatians 3:27-28, neither ANATOMY (physical marks), nor STATUS (economic and social), nor ETHNICITY, etc., has ANYTHING whatsoever to do with being fully part of what Christ won and offers to humankind.

It therefore becomes incumbent upon us Christians, to pull down and destroy the theology and the idol of the phallus that has been ‘snuck’ into the Gospel, because of its distortion of the Gospel of Christ; because of the separation it brings between those whom Christ died to reconcile; because of the damage it does to the souls Christ died to reform (both possessors and non-possessors of penises); because of the barbarism it introduces into the Gospel of Christ, to make men nothing but those who are ruled by their primal urges and women nothing but those who are the assuagers and victims of men’s primal urges.

It is therefore incumbent upon us as Christians to return the penis back to where it belongs – under the authority of Christ (2 Cor.10:5), hidden away from sight between the legs of those who possess them, and not in their heads, not in their theology, and most definitely not in their Gospel!

The possession of a penis has no place in Christ’s Gospel to warrant and or perpetuate ‘male authority’ or ‘male privilege’ in and outside the bedroom. This is a hedonistic and non-biblical theory (1 Cor.7:4), which must be rejected by all Christians.

Yes, Jesus had a penis, but his penis was not the instrument of power, privilege and pride that men have made theirs. Rather, his relationship with God, his Father, was his instrument of power, privilege and pride and this is what he passed on to all believers (Rom.5:11; 1 Cor.1:31).

Thus it should follow for all believers – that our faith and the working out of our faith should be in relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ his Son, rather than through our penises or the lack of them thereof. We should relate with one another – inside and outside the bedroom- from the place of our relationship with God the Father through God the Son. For in that place we all stand equal in age, sex, status, etc.. In that place we behold what Christ came to do for humanity – restore us to the image of God, male and female, rich and poor, slave and free, black and white…In Christ ALL humanity is RESTORED to the place of the original creation.

To create demarcation or attempt to rule, dominate or oppress -inside and outside the bedroom-based on any differences, no matter how little, would be to take us back to what Christ came to deliver us from. In which case I say, as the Apostle Paul says in Galatians 5:12,to all who would do that…”Let them be castrated!!!” So that possession of a penis may no longer hinder the coming forth of the new creation (inside and outside the bedroom) in Christ!