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NASB | Genesis 5:3 ¶ When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Genesis 5:3 ¶ When Adam had lived a hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth. |
Bible Question:
Hi Tim, Please permit me to jump in here: Therein lies my question. We know that Adam and Eve were created perfect. But scripture also makes it clear that they fell and passed sin and death to all their offspring (accept Christ). So, as you have so aptly asked, what is this image that Seth was created in? If it was truly God's image in the sense of moral purity, then it would seem to violate what we understand scripture to say about mankind being born in trespasses and sin. If it was simply an outward physical image, then it doesn't quite seem to fit with Adam being the outward image of God, for God is Spirit. If it was a personality image (mind, emotions, will - what one would call a soul), does this interpretation carry the most weight? Or should we not even interpret 'image' to be a reasonably exact representation but merely a 'form'? Thanks for your input. It is interesting that Moses did not write that Seth was born ALSO in God's image. In Christ, Bill Mc |
Bible Answer: Greetings Bill! One point of correction before I address the rest of your post. Scripture never says that Adam and Eve were created perfect. It only says that they were created good and innocent. What is the image of God? No one knows for sure. I would agree that it cannot simply refer to outer form. Personally, I view it as a combination of things. That, like God, we have the ability to choose, to think, to love, ect.... Obviously, the fall has impacted our natures, but there isn't anything in Scripture that says we lost the image of God because of the fall. Most theologians would argue that it has been marred, but not lost. So, I would say that all humans still partake in the image of God, though it is marred by sin. This question was originally raised because of the death penalty discussion. However, this question isn't the decisive point. As I have pointed out elsewhere, whatever our view on the death penalty, by definition it cannot be immoral simply because our Holy God commanded it to be done. We can debate whether it should still be done, but we can not debate whether or not it is moral. So, born or created in the image of God is not really the issue. The issue is what does Scripture say. For instance, we know that murder is forbidden. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |