Made in the image of God?

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seebs

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I have always assumed that it means that we have free will, and that we are able to create things, and change the world, and also that we have the ability to judge the effects we have on the world.

If you look, the only things God has done up to this point in the Bible are "create things" and "see that things are good". So... I tend to read it in that sense.

This has curious implications for the question of what it is to say someone is "playing God". We were made in His image; perhaps we're supposed to change things.
 
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Originally posted by psycmajor
So, we were created in God's image. I've been familiar with this scripture for years, but what does it MEAN?

Human beings are like God as no other earthly creatures are. The special dignity of being human is that as men and women we may reflect and reproduce at our own creaturely level the holy ways of God. Human beings were made for this purpose, and in one sense we are truly human to the extent that we fulfill it.

The scope of God's image in humanity is not specified in Gen. 1:28,27, but the context of the passage helps to define it. Gen. 1:1-25 sets forth God as personal, rational (having intelligence and will), creative, ruling over the world He has made, and morally admirable (in all that He creates is good). Plainly, God's image will reflect these qualities. Vv. 28-30 show God blessing the newly created humans and setting them to rule creation as His representatives and deputies. The human capacity for communication and relationship with both God and other humans appears as a further facet of the image.

God's image in humanity at creation, then, consisted in: (a) existence as a "soul" or "spirit" (Gen. 2:7), that is, as personal and self-conscious, with God-like capacity for knowledge, thought, and action; (b) being morally upright, a quality lost at the Fall but now being progressively restored in Christ (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10); (c) dominion over the environment; (d) the human body as the means through which we experience reality, express ourselves, and exercise dominion; and (e) the God-given capacity for eternal life.

The Fall diminished God's image, not only in Adam and Eve, but in all their descendants, the whole human race. We retain the image structurally, in the sense that we remain human beings, but not functionally, for we are now slaves to sin, unable to use our powers to mirror God's holiness. Regeneration begins the process of restoring God's moral image in our lives. But not until we are fully sanctified and glorified shall we reflect God perfectly in thought and action as we were made to do and as the incarnate Son of God in His humanity actually did (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38; 8:29,46).

God bless.
 
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Originally posted by psycmajor
So, of all the things that God created, we are most like Him?

That's right. And, as I said, we only truly fulfill the purpose for which we were created when we reflect and reproduce God's holy ways, at least to the extent that we can do so.

God bless.
 
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While I don't disagree with all that's been said, perhaps there's more to this than just our reasoning powers:

"A man ought not to cover his head (contextually in worship), since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man." 1 Corinthians 11:7

If God's image is only internal, why would an external covering matter? (Of course, one could always say it's beyond our understanding :D )

Even so, it would appear that something about more than just our intellect is in the image of God. What does that mean? :holy: I'm not going to profess to know.

Peace to all who seek it,
<><
 
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Through sin the divine likeness was marred, and well-nigh obliterated. Man's physical powers were weakened, his mental capacity was lessened, his spiritual vision dimmed. He had become subject to death. Yet the race was not left without hope. By infinite love and mercy the plan of salvation had been devised, and a life of probation was granted. To restore in man the image of his Maker, to bring him back to the perfection in which he was created, to promote the development of body, mind, and soul, that the divine purpose in his creation might be realized--this was to be the work of redemption. This is the object of education, the great object of life.

Satan was exulting that he had succeeded in debasing the image of God in humanity. Then Jesus came to restore in man the image of his Maker. None but Christ can fashion anew the character that has been ruined by sin. He came to expel the demons that had controlled the will. He came to lift us up from the dust, to reshape the marred character after the pattern of His divine character, and to make it beautiful with His own glory.
 
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JohnR7

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>>So, we were created in God's image. I've been familiar with this scripture for years, but what does it MEAN?

Adam and Eve were created in the image of God. They fell from grace and took on the image of Satan. Satan is stubborn, rebellious, a liar, thief, murder and so forth. When we become born again, we then become children of God, and take on the same divine nature Jesus had.

2 Peter 1:4-8
by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
[5] But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, [6] to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, [7] to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. [8] For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 
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seebs

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Originally posted by Othniel
While I don't disagree with all that's been said, perhaps there's more to this than just our reasoning powers:

"A man ought not to cover his head (contextually in worship), since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man." 1 Corinthians 11:7

Keep reading; starting around verse 10 or 11, Paul turns around and refutes the claims made in 3-9.
 
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Gerry

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Someone in another forum started a discussion on God's Names. But before we could get started good the one who started lost all interest. So for that reason, I am always reluctant to get too involved for there are so very many ways in which we are created in His image.

But is it not interesting to note we are emotional beings, and God exhibits emotion to a degree beyond our ability to even comprehend?
 
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JohnR7

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(quote)We cannot be exactly like God

We can be exactly like Jesus. Even we are told that we would do greater works than He did. We can take on the divine nature of God and the mind of Christ. The sermon on the mount goes a long way toward telling us what sort of person we are to be. What sort of attitude we should have.
 
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suzie

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Jesus is fully human and fully divine. Jesus is the image of the invisible God and the exact representation of God. He reflects and reveals God to us. We cannot be exactly like Jesus. The Christian process will not be complete until we see Christ face to face--until then we as part of the family of God,embark on a journey of sanctification becoming more and more like Christ.
 
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Originally posted by Othniel
While I don't disagree with all that's been said, perhaps there's more to this than just our reasoning powers:

"A man ought not to cover his head (contextually in worship), since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man." 1 Corinthians 11:7

If God's image is only internal, why would an external covering matter? (Of course, one could always say it's beyond our understanding :D )

Even so, it would appear that something about more than just our intellect is in the image of God. What does that mean? :holy: I'm not going to profess to know.

Peace to all who seek it,
&lt;&gt;&lt;

Male and female he created them. Different? Obviously different. Different physically. Different mentally. Different emotionally. Men and women are pleased with these differences. It makes them complements of one another. They were created to be complements. (Gen. 2:18, 20) In a particular respect man was in God’s image where woman was not—in headship. (1 Cor. 11:3, 7) Both the man and the woman shared in being in God’s likeness insofar as each one possessed the divine attributes given at the time of their creation.&nbsp; So man being in the image and glory of God whereas the woman was in the glory of man (incidentally, the word Glory here can also be translated Honor)simply means he was created with&nbsp;Headship over the woman.
 
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suzie

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headship as in 1 Cor does not mean man has authority over women. Head or "kephale" in Greek terminology means "source", "origin" or "starting point". If Paul were indicating a term of authority it would be extremely rare to use this word. The passage in 1 Cor 11 returns to the relationship of a man and woman in vv8-12 in terms of source ("For man did not come frmo woman but woman from man") and concludes that "as woman came from man , so also man is born of woman, but everything comes from God." This indicates man and woman are interdependant and both find their source in God.

Man and women share the same nature, the same image as God. Both are commissioned to rule the earth. They both share the same essence and dignity, the same equality of role. (Genesis 1:26-27)
 
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JohnR7

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(quote Suzie)1 Cor 11 returns to the relationship of a man and woman

The point Paul is making in 1 Cor 11 has to do with the Angels. They always do the will of God. Women are given long hair as a covering so that the Angels can see that they are yielded and in submission to God.

If we want to serve God in this final hour, we will need to learn, like the Angels, how to yield ourselves to Him and how to always do His divine will. A lot of the work will be done by the Angels and those who through obedience are able to work with the Angels of God.

Matthew 13:39b the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

You can see this in shaddows and types with Ruth. Boez is a type of Christ, the men who work for him to harvest the fields are a type of the Angels. Ruth a type of the Bride, went forth to glean the Fields. She followed behind the harvesters to gather what they had missed. Even Boez told them to throw her handfuls on purpose. This was intended to strengthen and encourage her in the work that she was doing.

Matthew 13:38-43
The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; [39] The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. [40] As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. [41] The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; [42] And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. [43] Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

"they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity"

Paul is making it clear that women who do not have a proper cover over their head are an offense to the Angles.

1 Cor. 11:10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.

Their hair is given to them as a covering. It shows that they honor God and glorify Him in all they say, think or do. They follow the commandments of Christ, to love one another and submit themselves to God to always perform and do His divine will.
 
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Originally posted by suzie
headship as in 1 Cor does not mean man has authority over women. Head or "kephale" in Greek terminology means "source", "origin" or "starting point". If Paul were indicating a term of authority it would be extremely rare to use this word. The passage in 1 Cor 11 returns to the relationship of a man and woman in vv8-12 in terms of source ("For man did not come frmo woman but woman from man") and concludes that "as woman came from man , so also man is born of woman, but everything comes from God." This indicates man and woman are interdependant and both find their source in God.

Man and women share the same nature, the same image as God. Both are commissioned to rule the earth. They both share the same essence and dignity, the same equality of role. (Genesis 1:26-27)

The top of the human body; the location of the brain and the senses of sight, hearing, smell, and taste. The head (Heb., ro´sh; Gr., ke·pha·le')

Sorry, but Headship means what it says, head or authority over.

The basic principle of headship is set out at 1 Corinthians 11:3: “The head of every man is the Christ; in turn the head of a woman is the man; in turn the head of the Christ is God.”

Man’s Place. The first part of this counsel on headship applied to the man; he is not independent and without need to recognize a “head.” Rather, he is obliged to follow the directions and pattern provided by his head, Christ. (1Jo 2:6) This is so not only in regard to his religious activities (Mt 28:19, 20) but also in his personal activities. For instance, if he is a family man, then out of respect for his own head, Christ, he should comply with the counsel to dwell with his wife according to knowledge, ‘assigning her honor as to a weaker vessel,’ and he should put forth an earnest effort to train his children properly. (1Pe 3:7; Eph 6:4) This counsel was provided in the Bible for all in Christ’s congregation; so respect for headship is involved in a man’s heeding it. Eph 5:23, 24.&nbsp;

As man had priority in human creation, he is given priority of position over the woman. (1Ti 2:12, 13) The woman was made from a rib taken from the man and was bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh. (Ge 2:22, 23) She was created for the sake of the man, not the man for her sake. (1Co 11:9) Therefore, the woman, in God’s arrangement for the family, was always to be in subjection to her husband and was not to usurp his authority. (Eph 5:22, 23; 1Pe 3:1) Also, in the Christian congregation the woman is not to teach other dedicated men nor to exercise authority over them. 1Ti 2:12.
 
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