curious

[Melethiel]

Agree but you might want to read my post again please.Theres nowhere where i said that God wasnt a spirit.

You said that "man is a physical appearance of what God looks like." That implies that God has some sort of form - does a spirit have form? The historical Christian understanding of imago Dei is that it is much deeper than a mere superficial appearance, but a reflection of the nature of God - the ability to interact with and worship Him, love, knowledge - namely, that which makes us different from the animals.

 

[interested in life]

Well since my first response got completely ignored, I'll try a simple question.

In Genesis 3:15 God says to the serpent "and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."

In it's context, what does that verse mean to you? I'm just looking for what IIL has to say about it.

Thanks

Your first response was ignored because its missing the first few chapters.
Id rather not try and discuss something without considering all of it.
Can you interpret genesis 1:27 from a TEs perspective please?

 

[interested in life]

You said that "man is a physical appearance of what God looks like." That implies that God has some sort of form - does a spirit have form? The historical Christian understanding of imago Dei is that it is much deeper than a mere superficial appearance, but a reflection of the nature of God - the ability to interact with and worship Him, love, knowledge - namely, that which makes us different from the animals.

Sorry when you said youve studied the bible i just took it for granted that you knew that God had an actual location and in fact does have a spiritual form.Theres a very good reason why we cant see him.

 

[interested in life]

John 4:24 says "God is spirit".

We do not bear the physical appearance of God.

At least you are honest with your beliefs.I request that you read genesis 1:27 again and interpret it for me.So when he says lets create man in our image he means what? according to a TE?

 

[interested in life]

Its taken 3 pages??.2 verses and still no interpretation.Its like trying to interpret it another way would bring a plague or something???
Well thats how i see the reticence to actually answer it.Could be wrong though
Please show me how a TE would rewrite these particular verses.

 

[Dark_Lite]

Its taken 3 pages??.2 verses and still no interpretation.Its like trying to interpret it another way would bring a plague or something???
Well thats how i see the reticence to actually answer it.Could be wrong though
Please show me how a TE would rewrite these particular verses.

Um, have you not been reading those 3 pages? The interpretation is spiritual image. We are made in the spiritual image of God. God does not have a physical form (unless he feels like manifesting as one), and since we are made in the image of God, the only thing that makes logical sense is a spiritual image.

 

[Mick116]

how much of the bible do you actually believe in?,apologies if this has been asked before

Well, that depends on what you mean by "believe".

If you mean an acknowledgement that all scripture is "God-breathed, and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" then yes, I believe all of it.

If you mean a commitment to the accuracy of scripture in all of its historic and scientific details - even those incidental to its primary message - then no, there are parts of the bible I don't believe.

 

[Mallon]

At least you are honest with your beliefs.I request that you read genesis 1:27 again and interpret it for me.So when he says lets create man in our image he means what? according to a TE?

Obviously it isn't something physical, as you seem to think.

The meaning of the image of God has been debated for decades among Christians of all stripes. There's no simple answer as to what it is exactly. Some think it has something to do with knowing good from evil. Some think it has to do with our dominion over the earth. Some think it has to do with our ability to relate to God. Try reading a book on the subject -- there are many. One thing is for sure, though: We don't physically look like God because the Bible tells us God is spirit. If God is omnipresent, as Christians traditionally believe, then He cannot have a body. He is everywhere.

 

[interested in life]

Um, have you not been reading those 3 pages? The interpretation is spiritual image. We are made in the spiritual image of God. God does not have a physical form (unless he feels like manifesting as one), and since we are made in the image of God, the only thing that makes logical sense is a spiritual image.

Really you need to swot a bit more before commenting if you dont think God doesnt have a form.When i finish doing some work like i should, ill show you some verses.
If he doesnt have a form why did he say lets make man in our image.
Image ----form.
Btw im not disagreeing that we inherited spiritual qualities either so lets not go down that road.
No straw in the thread please.

 

[Melethiel]

Sorry when you said youve studied the bible i just took it for granted that you knew that God had an actual location and in fact does have a spiritual form.Theres a very good reason why we cant see him.

Millenia of Christianity would disagree with you. Better start backing up your views - why do you think that God has a physical location and form?

 

[Mick116]

God is spirit, and as beings created in God's image, humans possess a spiritual nature. This spiritual nature incorporates characteristics unique to the human species such as morality, rationality, creativity, and the ability to love and to worship God.

 

[Melethiel]

Really you need to swot a bit more before commenting if you dont think God doesnt have a form.When i finish doing some work like i should, ill show you some verses.
If he doesnt have a form why did he say lets make man in our image.
Image ----form.
Btw im not disagreeing that we inherited spiritual qualities either so lets not go down that road.
No straw in the thread please.

If image must equal form, why can we says things like "I'm getting the image..." in the sense of getting an idea? Clearly, language disagrees with you here. Now, I'm not familiar with the Hebrew, but I would venture to guess that "image" is not as narrow as you would think.

 

[Willtor]

Its taken 3 pages??.2 verses and still no interpretation.Its like trying to interpret it another way would bring a plague or something???
Well thats how i see the reticence to actually answer it.Could be wrong though
Please show me how a TE would rewrite these particular verses.

Ah! I'm sorry, I totally misunderstood. I thought you were asking YECs for their interpretation.

Yeah, the Imago Dei is definitely not literal. Seriously, I'm hopeful that most YECs here will back me up on this. The literal meaning is heresy.

Gen. 1:27 -- There are a number of levels, but looking strictly at this verse indicates something about humanity and how we rightly understand the purpose for which we were made. Some people interpret being made in the image of God to indicate our ability to reason and introspect. This may be part of it, but I think it's poignant that it is both man and woman in the passage. It seems like we understand something of the trinitarian nature of God in marriage. It isn't merely that the man and the woman are equally in the image of God (an important point in itself), but that their union is in the image of God. As a consequence, I think that the Imago Dei specially references love/charity and our ability to participate in it and have fellowship with one another and with God. Reason, introspection, etc., are a part of it inasmuch as they are necessary for fellowship.

Gen. 2:7 -- God commanded the earth to bring forth all of the animals, and the fact that we were made from the dirt indicates a similarity to them (not that Moses knew about evolution, mind you: this was more of a comment on perspective). On the other hand, we were given life in a way that animals were not. The breath that filled our lungs was divine. I'd be interested to research the implications of this. Breath seems to me like such a tenuous connection to God, but it might be less so in ancient Hebraic culture. It is certainly significant that God was deliberate in making us. The Genesis story was intended to compete with various myths in which humanity was basically an accidental by-product such that we were not particularly relevant to the gods.

 

[philadiddle]

Your first response was ignored because its missing the first few chapters.
Id rather not try and discuss something without considering all of it.

I just asked you to read the intro. What does missing a few chapters have to do with that?

Can you interpret genesis 1:27 from a TEs perspective please?

It means that we are God's representative here on earth. Though there are 3 ways of looking at it that are all ok with me.

Now can you tell me what Genesis 3:15 means to a creationist?

 

[interested in life]

Well, that depends on what you mean by "believe".

If you mean an acknowledgement that all scripture is "God-breathed, and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" then yes, I believe all of it.

Me too.

If you mean a commitment to the accuracy of scripture in all of its historic and scientific details - even those incidental to its primary message - then no, there are parts of the bible I don't believe.

Contradiction then.How can all scripture be inspired if some is not true?

 

[interested in life]

Millenia of Christianity would disagree with you. Better start backing up your views - why do you think that God has a physical location and form?

Actually due to time constraints i ask nicely of course you check yourself.
Theres plenty of verses that say that God rules from an actual place and his "omniprescence" is an ability to see everywhere.Not the same thing.
Ah im starting to see why theres confusion over such a simple verse.

 

[interested in life]

God is spirit, and as beings created in God's image, humans possess a spiritual nature. This spiritual nature incorporates characteristics unique to the human species such as morality, rationality, creativity, and the ability to love and to worship God.

Agreed ,now explain to me how a protozoa exhibits these qualities please?

 

[brinny]

every-single-part-of-it

 

[interested in life]

If image must equal form, why can we says things like "I'm getting the image..." in the sense of getting an idea? Clearly, language disagrees with you here. Now, I'm not familiar with the Hebrew, but I would venture to guess that "image" is not as narrow as you would think.

Might want to reread one of my original posts where i said that image doesnt mean clone.
Now look at genesis 2:7 where the method on how this image was created in the material form.

 

[interested in life]

I just asked you to read the intro. What does missing a few chapters have to do with that?
It means that we are God's representative here on earth. Though there are 3 ways of looking at it that are all ok with me.

Now can you tell me what Genesis 3:15 means to a creationist?

Stop trying to hijack the thread please,ive barely touched on what i want to talk about.And the link i looked at was missing the first 5 chapters.
I agree with those 3 ways and have no problem with all 3 being intertwined.However im having a real problem trying to correlate the idea that God not only made adam in his likeness or image with the idea we evolved from protozoas.
It simply doesnt say that.
Its actually funny reading some of the responses,its stock standard fundie explanations. im agreeing with it.lol.
So how does the evolving from protozoas enter into the equation?
We agree that God instituted spiritual as well as physical qualities into man? or not?
Genesis 2 even tells you how he made the form of man from the ground and breathed through his nostrils.
Now theres a logical disconnect to what a TE believes.
Its really obvious.