What does the Bible teach about gender?

The Bible teaches that gender is rooted in God’s created design. Genesis 1:27 says that God created humanity male and female in His image.

Is gender self-defined according to Scripture?

According to Scripture, gender is not self-defined but given by God as part of His good and personal design in creation.

How should Christians speak about gender?

Christians should speak about gender with both conviction and compassion, holding firmly to biblical truth while showing gentleness and care toward those who are confused, hurting, or struggling.

What does the Bible teach about gender?

The Bible teaches that gender is rooted in God’s created design. Genesis 1:27 says that God created humanity male and female in His image.

Is gender self-defined according to Scripture?

According to Scripture, gender is not self-defined but given by God as part of His good and personal design in creation.

How should Christians speak about gender?

Christians should speak about gender with both conviction and compassion, holding firmly to biblical truth while showing gentleness and care toward those who are confused, hurting, or struggling.

Gender and God’s Created Design

⏱️ Estimated Reading Time: 2 min read

Gender and God’s Created Design

Contending for the Word Q&A

Episode Summary

Few topics today generate more confusion than gender. In this episode of Contending for the Word Q&A, Dave Jenkins looks at Genesis 1:27 and explains that gender is rooted in God’s created design, not self-definition or cultural opinion.Dave helps Christians understand why biblical clarity on gender matters for identity, marriage, family, society, and faithful Christian witness. He also encourages believers to speak the truth with both conviction and compassion, remembering that many people are genuinely struggling and need the clarity, grace, and hope found in God’s Word.

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Episode Highlights

Gender is rooted in God’s created design.
Genesis 1:27 teaches that God created humanity male and female.
Gender is not self-defined, fluid, or disconnected from creation.
God’s design is good, stable, and personal.
Christians must speak about gender with both conviction and compassion.
Biblical truth brings clarity where cultural confusion brings instability.

Key Scripture

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.”Matthew 19:4: “He answered, ‘Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female.’”

More from Contending for the Word Q&A

Contending for the Word Q&A helps Christians think biblically about theology, discernment, culture, and the Christian life by answering important questions from the truth of God’s Word.Listen to more Contending for the Word Q&A episodes.Watch the Contending for the Word Q&A playlist on YouTube.

Dave Jenkins

Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah, and lives in beautiful Southern Oregon. He is a writer, editor, and speaker who loves Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology.Dave serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries and the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine. He is the Host and Producer of the Equipping You in Grace Podcast and a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word.He is the author of The War of Worldviews: Truth, Lies, and the Battle for the Christian Mind (Theology for Life, 2026), Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021).You can connect with Dave on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, or subscribe to his newsletter.When he is not engaged in ministry work, Dave enjoys spending time with his wife, going to movies, sharing a meal at a favorite restaurant, or playing a round of golf with friends. He is also a voracious reader, particularly of Reformed theology and the Puritans, and is often found working through a stack of new books from a wide range of Christian publishers.Dave earned his M.A.R. and M.Div. from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.

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