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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Distiction in "will" not "rationality" | Gen 3:1 | DocTrinsograce | 153969 | ||
Dear RWC, Great question! I like Lionstrong's answer. However -- and I hope he will forgive my presumption -- I think that his statement at the end of his post falls short. He wrote, "So, the image of God is not the will, but rationality." In Genesis 1:26 we see God's statement of what He is about to do. He says, "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness." The Hebrew words for image and likeness refer to something that is similar but not identical to the thing of which it is a representation. Consequently, God is saying that He is going to make a creature that is similar to Himself. (Furthermore, because of this statement, we can conclude that nothing else in creation has these characteristics to the degree that God intended when creating man.) The word "image" (Hebrew: tslem) means an object similar to something else, often representing the original object. The word is used of statues or replicas (1 Sam 6:5); of painted pictures (Eze 23:14); and of idols (Num 33:42; 2 Kings 11:18; Eze 7:20; 16;17). The word "likeness" (Hebrew: demut) also means an object similar to something else. However, it is usually used in a context where similarity is emphasized rather than representation (2 Kings 16:10; 2 Chr 4:3-4; Eze 23:15; Psalm 58:4). From what I can tell, the English words "image" and "likeness" are pretty good translations of the Hebrew. Of course, I'm no Hebrew scholar. Nevertheless, I rather think that the original Hebrew reader of Genesis 1:26 would have read something like, "Let Us make man to be like Us and to represent Us." I want to be quick to point out that much of what human beings were, in terms of the image of God has been lost or distorted by the fall. We know that God's work was perfect (Genesis 1:31). We also know that men generally, not just believers, are made in God's image (James 3:9). Nevertheless, Ecclesiastes 7:29 says that men were made upright, but they have sought out alien ways to be knowledgeable and wise. I believe that the more we understand God and who He is and what He does, the more we will see similarities in man. Also, the more we will see how we fail to live as appropriate representatives of the Lord. Consequently, I would suggest that some specific aspects of our likeness to God include moral, spiritual, mental, and relational aspects. (With great care, we might even see something of God in our physical attributes. Again, we must be very careful in this respect (Exodus 20:4; Psalm 115:3-8; Romans 1:23).) I believe that many have erred when they speak too narrowly of how man is created in the image of God. If you're interested, we could go into further details. In Him, Doc |
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2 | Distiction in "will" not "rationality" | Gen 3:1 | Lionstrong | 153971 | ||
Hi Doc, I think your criticism of my conclusion is that it is not broad enough. And I concur. The Scripture supports your view of the image of God. The Apostle Paul says, " ...and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." Eph 4:24. We see here that the image includes righteousness, holiness and truth. The image includes knowledge as well, for Paul says, "... and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him--" (Col 3:10) My conclusion was not an attempt to give a full answer to what the image of God is, but to show that it is not the will. But having said that, the answer of rationality is a pretty broad answer in itself. This is so because without a rational mind none of the other attributes in your list ("moral, spiritual, mental, and relational aspects") is possible. Lastly, the image of God has nothing to do with man's body, for God is a spirit (John 4:24) and does not have a body. |
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3 | Distiction in "will" not "rationality" | Gen 3:1 | DocTrinsograce | 153973 | ||
Dear Lionstrong, Thank you for the explanation. You're right that rationality is integral to many of the aspects in which we have the likeness of God. Although I would expect that Jonathan Edwards would wrangle with us over that kind of statement. In his thinking rationality was only one attribute of the mind. He'd argue that in addition to rationality (or what he'd call reason) the mind also has the inseparable components of the will and the affections. You wrote, "the image of God has nothing to do with man's body, for God is a spirit (John 4:24) and does not have a body." First, as an aside, never say that God is "a spirit." He is not "a spirit" but rather He is spirit. This is quite an important distinction. The implications associated with calling Him "a spirit" are very serious indeed. This is not a simple matter of semantic hair-splitting. We can discuss it further in another thread if you like. Second, note that I did not state that God had a body. I even pointed out the passages of Scripture where such an assumption is forbidden. What I wrote was, "With great care, we might even see something of God in our physical attributes." Since you bring it up, I'll clarify my thoughts in this respect: Human beings were created with a body, not just a spirit and a mind. Certainly this is very important and significant. After all, eventually they will be transformed (1 Cor 15:43-45, 51-55) and part of our existence forever. Even our thinking, our decisions, our prayer, our praise, and the way we express our love, concern, and compassion for one another are things done with and through the body. We see by the means of our eyes. We hear by the means of our ears. We speak by the means of our mouths. All of these are attributes that in a very simple and reduced fashion reflect attributes we know that God posses (although He does those things without a body). Even the ability to move reflects in some sense something of what God does. Other creatures also posses some of these attributes. But often these differences are exceptional in degree if not in an absolute sense. However, I'd suggest that the Scriptural admonitions to imitate God (Ephesians 5:1; 1 Peter 1:16) indicate that we are much more like God than any other creatures. Indeed, our ability as believers to become more like God throughout our lives (sanctification) are a dead giveaway of our God likeness. But I digress... I hope this clarifies my position. Honestly, from your previous posts, I doubt we really differ. However, it is often important to be more explicit in order to properly and carefully state our minds in order to avoid misunderstanding and to avail ourselves of correction if we err. In Him, Doc PS Sorry for the haste in which I've prepared these posts... I'm running behind in my studies, posting on the forum when I should be working on a paper due soon. :-( |
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4 | Distiction in "will" not "rationality" | Gen 3:1 | Lionstrong | 154010 | ||
Ps 94:9 He who planted the ear, does He not hear? He who formed the eye, does He not see? Hi Doc, I apologize in advance for this quick answer. If a thing possesses a degree of the image of God, then to that extent it is the image of God, which is why it is false that animals are the image of God. Man only is image God. Never in Scripture is the image ascribed to animals. Nor is the body of man or animals the image of God, and so, the sense organs of the body are not the image of God. God, who made the sense organs, perceives without them. If we die before Jesus returns, we will be with the Lord and perceive him without sense organs. Both animals and man perceive, but we perceive and understand what we perceive. Animal perceive but they have no understanding. So, perception is not the image of God. The image of God is rationality. And thanks for the correction. God is spirit. Iron sharpens iron! |
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5 | Distiction in "will" not "rationality" | Gen 3:1 | DocTrinsograce | 154038 | ||
Dear Lionstrong, You pretty much stand alone in your thesis that rationality (i.e., the ability to reason) is the sense in which man is made in the image of God. Aristotle might have agreed with you -- but Aristotle didn't believe in the God of the Bible. However, he is the one who first stated that the ability to reason was what distinguished man and beast. Augustine, in "City of God" goes to great length to show that man has a triune nature that reflects the Trinity. From then on, no theologians take your position. Indeed, I do not find a single commentator on these verses in Genesis to hold your position. I'll admit that these facts don't invalidate your argument in and of themselves. But Christian discussion of the Imago Dei over the centuries seem a bit more persuasive... at least to me. ;-) In Him, Doc "In the mind perfect intelligence flourished and reigned, uprightness attended as its companion, and all the senses were prepared and moulded for due obedience to reason; and in the body there was a suitable correspondence with this internal order. But now, although some obscure lineaments of that image are found remaining in us; yet are they so vitiated and maimed, that they may truly be said to be destroyed. For besides the deformity which everywhere appears unsightly, this evil also is added, that no part is free from the infection of sin." --John Calvin "As there are two kinds of attributes in God, according to our way of conceiving of him, his moral attributes which are summed up in his holiness and his natural attributes of strength, knowledge, etc., that constitute the greatness of God; so there is a two-fold imago Dei in man, his moral or spiritual image, which is his holiness and man's natural image, consisting in man's reason and understanding, his natural ability and dominion over the creatures, which is the image of God's natural ability." --Jonathan Edwards "Man's creation in the image of God does not first and foremost entail his rational facilities, but his built-in teleology as a receptacle and reflector for the divine glory-presence." --Geerhardus Vos "Love is central in the image of God." --Anthony Hoekema "From the doctrine that man has been created in the image of God flows the clear implication that that image extends to man in his entirety. Nothing in man is excluded from the image of God. All creatures reveal traces of God, but only man is the image of God. And he is that image totally, in soul and body, in all faculties and powers, in all conditions and relationships. Man is the image of God because and insofar as he is true man, and he is man, true and real man, because and insofar as he is the image of God." --Herman Bavinck |
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