Man - 'Created in the image of God'

[Thorwald Johansen]

In Genesis, it is written that God created man in His own image. The ministers that I have talked to, do not take this statement as meaning, "We look like God, or God looks like us". They interpret it as spiritual (ie. "holy", etc.). We know that we are created above all other living things on this earth. In the scriptures, angels appeared in similar form to humans. We know that Christ said, "If you see me, you see my father." If I just apply general logic, and look at the whole animal kingdom as well as man, and even call the young of animals 'sons/daughters', the young look the same as their 'parents' (ie. a newborn fish doesn't change into a turtle). If angels are 'sons of God', and we can become 'equal unto the angels', and angels look like man, then God must look like us????????? What are your thoughts?

 

[Midnight Pete]

My opinion is that "image" is something other than literal resemblance.

 

[Thorwald Johansen]

My opinion is that "image" is something other than literal resemblance.

We know that God has no limitations, that we know of. He must have some kind of 'form', because we see by Rev chpt 4 & 5, that He is sitting on His throne (albeit, in all of His glory) and we have the resurrected lamb of God. We know that Isaiah saw the 'Lord of Hosts' (The Son), also. What is hard to comprehend, is all of the 'additions' that are written, concerning the figures on the thrones (ie. changes their appearances).

 

[TheKnight]

God doesn't have a physical image. And the Bible says so on many occasions. I'm not sure what it is that you're suggesting.

 

[Thorwald Johansen]

God doesn't have a physical image. And the Bible says so on many occasions. I'm not sure what it is that you're suggesting.

I don't remember reading this in the Bible. Do you know the scripture?

 

[james2ko]

In Genesis, it is written that God created man in His own image. The ministers that I have talked to, do not take this statement as meaning, "We look like God, or God looks like us". They interpret it as spiritual (ie. "holy", etc.). We know that we are created above all other living things on this earth. In the scriptures, angels appeared in similar form to humans. We know that Christ said, "If you see me, you see my father." If I just apply general logic, and look at the whole animal kingdom as well as man, and even call the young of animals 'sons/daughters', the young look the same as their 'parents' (ie. a newborn fish doesn't change into a turtle). If angels are 'sons of God', and we can become 'equal unto the angels', and angels look like man, then God must look like us????????? What are your thoughts?

One of the basic fundamentals of biblical interpretation is to take everything literal, until proven otherwise. This would be no exception. Gen 1:26, states "....let us make man in our image, after our likeness...." A quick glance at other verses which use these two words "image and likeness" will reveal its plain literal meaning.

Furthermore, the bible is sprinkled with references of God’s body parts. They show that God has eyes, ears, hands, feet, a mouth, nostrils, arms and legs, etc. In just one location, Isaiah 59:1-2 mentions His face, ears and hands. Numerous verses make reference to the mind of God and Christ (Phil. 2:5). Humans have all of these same physical attributes that God Himself possesses, although made of flesh and not Spirit. So would it be so incomprehensible to conclude, based on scripture, that God's spiritual body has the image or likeness of our physical bodies?

 

[Midnight Pete]

I don't remember reading this in the Bible. Do you know the scripture?

God is classically depicted as an white-bearded old man dressed all in white, but of course this is not what God actually looks like. The ceiling of the Cistine Chapel was just Michelangelo's whimsy, of course. In my opinion, the "face of God" is sort of Rorsach for whoever describes it.

 

[England my lionheart]

In Genesis, it is written that God created man in His own image. The ministers that I have talked to, do not take this statement as meaning, "We look like God, or God looks like us". They interpret it as spiritual (ie. "holy", etc.). We know that we are created above all other living things on this earth. In the scriptures, angels appeared in similar form to humans. We know that Christ said, "If you see me, you see my father." If I just apply general logic, and look at the whole animal kingdom as well as man, and even call the young of animals 'sons/daughters', the young look the same as their 'parents' (ie. a newborn fish doesn't change into a turtle). If angels are 'sons of God', and we can become 'equal unto the angels', and angels look like man, then God must look like us????????? What are your thoughts?

IMO the Abrahmic God was made in our image

 

[kai]

IMO the Abrahmic God was made in our image

I tend to agree, we have a tendency to personify things.

 

[A Thousand Suns]

In Genesis, it is written that God created man in His own image.

This is common concept of Christians they imagine god to be like a santa-clause sitting in haven

 

[Pegg]

In Genesis, it is written that God created man in His own image. The ministers that I have talked to, do not take this statement as meaning, "We look like God, or God looks like us". They interpret it as spiritual (ie. "holy", etc.). We know that we are created above all other living things on this earth. In the scriptures, angels appeared in similar form to humans. We know that Christ said, "If you see me, you see my father." If I just apply general logic, and look at the whole animal kingdom as well as man, and even call the young of animals 'sons/daughters', the young look the same as their 'parents' (ie. a newborn fish doesn't change into a turtle). If angels are 'sons of God', and we can become 'equal unto the angels', and angels look like man, then God must look like us????????? What are your thoughts?

considering Jesus said 'if you have seen me you have seen the father' he obviously wasnt speaking literally....so us being in the 'image' of God is not literal.

Genesis 1:26-27 actually uses the word 'likeness'. Its a likeness to God which sets us apart from the animals...we obviously are not physically like God but we can be psychologically like him. Our sense of Justice is one obvious mental ability we have which the animals dont. Also our ability to love is far different to animals. So our likeness to God is in our inner qualities.

 

[England my lionheart]

I tend to agree, we have a tendency to personify things.

Yes even our Cars

 

[Reptillian]

One of the basic fundamentals of biblical interpretation is to take everything literal, until proven otherwise. This would be no exception. Gen 1:26, states "....let us make man in our image, after our likeness...." A quick glance at other verses which use these two words "image and likeness" will reveal its plain literal meaning.

Furthermore, the bible is sprinkled with references of God’s body parts. They show that God has eyes, ears, hands, feet, a mouth, nostrils, arms and legs, etc. In just one location, Isaiah 59:1-2 mentions His face, ears and hands. Numerous verses make reference to the mind of God and Christ (Phil. 2:5). Humans have all of these same physical attributes that God Himself possesses, although made of flesh and not Spirit. So would it be so incomprehensible to conclude, based on scripture, that God's spiritual body has the image or likeness of our physical bodies?

Reference is also made to God's wings...and we don't have those. (although I admit I haven't checked recently)

 

[james2ko]

Reference is also made to God's wings...and we don't have those. (although I admit I haven't checked recently)

Care to share your scriptual "reference(s)"?

 

[Midnight Pete]

Reference is also made to God's wings...and we don't have those. (although I admit I haven't checked recently)

Try some Redbull.

 

[Reptillian]

Care to share your scriptual "reference(s)"?

Psalm 17:8-9 "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me."

There are other verses...makes God sound like a mother bird protecting its chicks.

 

[ellenjanuary]

Look within to see the god without, it says... personally, those two lines are in there so that I can smack some Creationists upside the head with 'em.

 

[james2ko]

Psalm 17:8-9 "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me."

I believe the rest of the verses are Ruth 2:12; Psa 57:1...If you carefully consider the context of each verse, it will become apparent the term "shadow of thy wings or under whose wings" is a metaphor for God's protection. This is confirmed by Jesus in Luk 13:34, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing." (NIV)

There are other verses...makes God sound like a mother bird protecting its chicks.

Great metaphor BTW "makes God sound like [not look like] a mother bird protecting its chicks"[emphasis mine].

Besides, if God did have wings, why didn't Jesus have them? Did Jesus not say "...he who has seen me has seen the father"? (John 14:9)

Finally, for arguments sake, let's say you are correct. What's to keep our Omniscient God from excercising His divine wisdom by excluding this physical feature from mankind, while including the rest of His Spiritual image and likeness?

 

[Midnight Pete]

Psalm 17:8-9 "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me."

There are other verses...makes God sound like a mother bird protecting its chicks.

It's a metaphor.

 

[Reptillian]

I believe the rest of the verses are Ruth 2:12; Psa 57:1...If you carefully consider the context of each verse, it will become apparent the term "shadow of thy wings or under whose wings" is a metaphor for God's protection. This is confirmed by Jesus in Luk 13:34, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing." (NIV)



Great metaphor BTW "makes God sound like [not look like] a mother bird protecting its chicks"[emphasis mine].

Besides, if God did have wings, why didn't Jesus have them? Did Jesus not say "...he who has seen me has seen the father"? (John 14:9)

Finally, for arguments sake, let's say you are correct. What's to keep our Omniscient God from excercising His divine wisdom by excluding this physical feature from mankind, while including the rest of His Spiritual image and likeness?

I knew there was one in Ruth, but I couldn't find it. The point I was trying to make was that all the references to God's body parts can be thought of as metaphorical. From a theological perspective it would make sense to refer to human body parts when using metaphors regarding God's perception and emotion, since the Bible's messege is aimed at humans. The passage in John refers to the idea that Jesus was God incarnate. So John would say that God only has human form through Jesus.