made in His image

vibrant · May 28, 2004

Genesis 1:26: let us make man in our image

how do you interpret it?

i usually interpreted it literally as a physical image, but now, i'm reading references it to be something spiritual. my study Bible notes say the following: "it does not refer to anything physical but rather to something spiritual. most point to the human spirit by which individuals can communicate with God and have a relationship with their Maker, others point conscience, personality, or will." (paraphrased)

now, i don't get that. to use a random example, when sue says that bob is the splitting image of his father, she means that he physically looks like him, not that his conscience is similar. why would it be any different for a Biblical reference to that kind of phrasing. so, imo, taking that verse figuratively and excluding a literal interpretation is too much of a jump.

billwald · May 30, 2004

Probably because the people who translated from Hebrew to English didn't have a better word to use. Can you suggest a better word?

Yebo · May 31, 2004

According to my NIV Study Bible the following could share some light on your problem:

"Image" includes such characteristics as "righteousness and holiness" (Eph 4:24) and "knowledge" (Col 3:10), which believers aquire as they put on Christ, walk in his Spirit and are "conformed to the likeness of his Son" (Ro 8:29)

I hope it can help.

daveleau · May 31, 2004

I've always thought of it as our souls are created in God's image. Our flesh is so weak that I have always doubted the notion that God is anything like our physical body.

Crazy Liz · May 31, 2004

daveleau said:
I've always thought of it as our souls are created in God's image. Our flesh is so weak that I have always doubted the notion that God is anything like our physical body.

Yet the author(s) of Genesis wrote as if humans do not have souls. According to Genesis, a human being is a soul. (Genesis 2:6)

The one characteristic of humanity that is specifically mentioned in direct connection with the image of God in Genesis 1:27 is male and female.

daveleau · May 31, 2004

The author of Genesis and all of the OT were holistic thinkers, versus trichotomous (trinity of body, soul and spirit) or dichotomous (soul/spirit and body). To them, any time you used the words body, soul or spirit, it was as a whole. There are instances of two or three of these words being used in a verse or passage, but they are mostly resolved when looking at the context and syntax. They did not look at humans as having the dichotomous or trichotomous being that many current theologians believe we have. The writers of the OT looked at man as being one body of many parts. An anology would be that of water. There are 2 hydrogens (soul and spirit) and one oxygen (body). 3 parts, indivisible from each other until a major action has occurred (electrolysis or chemical reaction/ in human terms- death), yet each part has different characteristics. More exegesis also shows that the word used for soul and spirit is the same word in the original languages, yet translated to have two different meanings in our English text. We have let Greek thought change our ideas on this, and people don't really look stringently at the OT ideas on this because they are not as easily gleened from history.
The image that is talked about is probably that of the soul and spirit. We are created in His image in this way, but not bodily. In the NT, it says there is no male or female in Christ. Gal 3:28

newname · Jun 8, 2004

man was made in the image of God, but Adam and Eve offended God and obeyed another. man was then under subjection to Satan, who now "influenced" man-man was now made in Satan's image-born in the "flesh", with fleshly desires. After Adam obeyed Satan, man has the desire to "please" his false father-the "father of lies", Satan. Man lives to fulfill these fleshly desires. Just as all children live to please their earthly father. This is why man MUST be born again in the spirit of God. Man can only be made in the image of God by "grace"-which is "divine influence" from our Heavely Father, no longer made in the image of the false father-the father of lies. We are NOT born in the image of God when born into THIS world.

I pray that all of the church seek to find out the truth, do not resist the Holy Spirit, speaking truth in love,
newname

Bizzlebin Imperatoris · Jun 8, 2004

Image cannot mean physical imgae, because God is spirit! It has to mean qualities and traits, such as desire for righteousness, good, etc.

christian-only · Jun 9, 2004

(Col 1:15 NKJV) "He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation."

(John 1:9 NKJV) "That was the true Light [Jesus] which gives light to every man coming into the world."

Man being created in the image of God must have something to do with rationality and free will, since Jesus is the image of God, and He is the Word (Logos [Reason]).

mythbuster · Jun 9, 2004

And have put on the new man which is being renewed unto full knowledge according to the image of Him who created him... Colossians 3:10.

Could the corporate one new man be the image of God?

Ainesis · Jun 9, 2004

vibrant said:
Genesis 1:26: let us make man in our image

how do you interpret it?

i usually interpreted it literally as a physical image, but now, i'm reading references it to be something spiritual. my study Bible notes say the following: "it does not refer to anything physical but rather to something spiritual. most point to the human spirit by which individuals can communicate with God and have a relationship with their Maker, others point conscience, personality, or will." (paraphrased)

now, i don't get that. to use a random example, when sue says that bob is the splitting image of his father, she means that he physically looks like him, not that his conscience is similar. why would it be any different for a Biblical reference to that kind of phrasing. so, imo, taking that verse figuratively and excluding a literal interpretation is too much of a jump.

Hi Vibrant!

Maybe the following links will help shed some light.

God Bless!

http://www.jesuscult.org/Ezines/images.htm

http://www.omegaministry.org/trinity.html

revrobor · Jun 10, 2004

Yebo said:
According to my NIV Study Bible the following could share some light on your problem:

"Image" includes such characteristics as "righteousness and holiness" (Eph 4:24) and "knowledge" (Col 3:10), which believers aquire as they put on Christ, walk in his Spirit and are "conformed to the likeness of his Son" (Ro 8:29)

I hope it can help.

What you are quoting is the opinion of one of the translators of the NIV and is not Scripture. We need to be careful when quoting translator's footnotes that we do no consider them as inspired Scripture. I'm not challenging the statements correctness.

Regarding "...in His image" the Bible clearly says "God is Spirit". As Spirit He has no physical form so it has to be referring to other aspects of a being.

Eusebios · Jun 26, 2004

revrobor said:
Regarding "...in His image" the Bible clearly says "God is Spirit". As Spirit He has no physical form so it has to be referring to other aspects of a being.

Except that God did condescend to take on human flesh so that we could be restored to the image and likeness of Himself in the God/man Jesus Christ.
His unworthy servant,
Eusebios.

Crazy Liz · Jun 27, 2004

Eusebios said:
Except that God did condescend to take on human flesh so that we could be restored to the image and likeness of Himself in the God/man Jesus Christ.
His unworthy servant,
Eusebios.

True.

Also, I have often wondered how this verse relates to the command not to make any graven images.

Is it not plausible that God would command God's people not to make images of deity to worship or bow down to because God had already created images of God for our contemplation - our brothers and sisters?

Is this not the basis for the ethic of loving one's neighbor?

herev · Jun 27, 2004

Crazy Liz said:
True.

Also, I have often wondered how this verse relates to the command not to make any graven images.

Is it not plausible that God would command God's people not to make images of deity to worship or bow down to because God had already created images of God for our contemplation - our brothers and sisters?

Is this not the basis for the ethic of loving one's neighbor?

you hit the nail on the head--that is (IMHO) exactly why we aren't to create any images--He already did.

mythbuster · Jun 27, 2004

Isn't it image and likeness?

Eusebios · Jun 27, 2004

I would contend that it is precisely God's condescention, His taking on of human flesh in the incarnation that makes it not only possible, but imperative that images be created.
If God had meant for us not to make images for our temples, why would he have said this?
[bible]Exodus 25:17-19[/bible]
Just a thought.
His unworthy servant,
Eusebios.

mythbuster · Jun 28, 2004

Are we not conformed to His image so that He is the Firstborn among many brothers?

Eusebios · Jun 28, 2004

mythbuster said:
Are we not conformed to His image so that He is the Firstborn among many brothers?

Could you help me out here? I'm not quite sure what it is that you are saying.
Under His Mercy,
Eusebios.

jbarcher · Jun 28, 2004

Crazy Liz said:
Is this not the basis for the ethic of loving one's neighbor?

I'm under the impression that the fundamental relationship is not horizontal, but vertical. Love for God does a lot of healing horizontally...

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