We Were Created In the Image of God?

[Goodboy]

We Were Created In the Image of God?

“Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

Have you ever wondered what God meant when he said we were to be created in his image? As a child, I thought it meant that God looks like us. I guess even adults think that, as in books and paintings they show God looking like us. But is that what it means? So what is God like? Well from scripture we know that God has three parts.
“Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”

The Bible also says that man has three parts?
“1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

So what are God’s parts like?

The Bible states that God the father is the authority and makes the decisions for them all.
“John 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”

The Bible states that Jesus is the image of God who is invisible.
“Colossians 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:”

The Bible states that the Holy Spirit will teach us all things.
“John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

So far I have stated truth based on the Bible. Now I will state what I believe based on the truth that I know. Here is what I believe God’s and our three parts are.

God
Father = The head one in authority and commander over the other two parts.
Son (Word/Jesus) = The image, meaning who you can see and the one who accomplishes the work of God.
Holy Spirit = The part of God that can communicate directly to those other than himself.

Man
Soul = The head one in authority and commander over the other two parts.
Body = The image meaning the part that you can see and the one who communicates with others like us and accomplishes any work we do.
Spirit = The part that allows direct communication with God without requiring words.

Do you see the similarities between God and us? The main difference is that God’s three parts do not have to be together at the same time. Currently all three of our parts are together, at least while we are alive. If we die we know that our soul and spirit will be separated from the body until the Rapture anyway.
“2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”

This understanding helps those like Jehovah’s Witnesses who ask, how can God have three parts? Most people who are not religious even believe that we have at least two parts. Most believe we continue to exist in some form after we die. Some even try to communicate with the soul of someone they love that died.

Goodboy

 

[Kaatje]

Love it.
It reminded me to something I read years ago. You might want to read it too, @Goodboy.

Three in One - Elohim

Many people of other faiths will question a Christian's belief in the Trinity. They will ask us why we believe that Jesus is God. Often they aren't asking us to learn, but really just to argue with us. This past year I have dealt online with many Jehovah's Witnesses. They do not believe Jesus is...

www.passiontoknowmore.com

 

[Goodboy]

Love it.
It reminded me to something I read years ago. You might want to read it too, @Goodboy.

Three in One - Elohim

Many people of other faiths will question a Christian's belief in the Trinity. They will ask us why we believe that Jesus is God. Often they aren't asking us to learn, but really just to argue with us. This past year I have dealt online with many Jehovah's Witnesses. They do not believe Jesus is...

www.passiontoknowmore.com

Yes that was very well written and has many Bible verses so anyone can read the scriptures for themselves and hopefully open their eyes!
Thanks for posting that!

 

[Andy C]

We Were Created In the Image of God?

“Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

Have you ever wondered what God meant when he said we were to be created in his image? As a child, I thought it meant that God looks like us. I guess even adults think that, as in books and paintings they show God looking like us. But is that what it means? So what is God like? Well from scripture we know that God has three parts.
“Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”

The Bible also says that man has three parts?
“1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

So what are God’s parts like?

The Bible states that God the father is the authority and makes the decisions for them all.
“John 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”

The Bible states that Jesus is the image of God who is invisible.
“Colossians 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:”

The Bible states that the Holy Spirit will teach us all things.
“John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

So far I have stated truth based on the Bible. Now I will state what I believe based on the truth that I know. Here is what I believe God’s and our three parts are.

God
Father = The head one in authority and commander over the other two parts.
Son (Word/Jesus) = The image, meaning who you can see and the one who accomplishes the work of God.
Holy Spirit = The part of God that can communicate directly to those other than himself.

Man
Soul = The head one in authority and commander over the other two parts.
Body = The image meaning the part that you can see and the one who communicates with others like us and accomplishes any work we do.
Spirit = The part that allows direct communication with God without requiring words.

Do you see the similarities between God and us? The main difference is that God’s three parts do not have to be together at the same time. Currently all three of our parts are together, at least while we are alive. If we die we know that our soul and spirit will be separated from the body until the Rapture anyway.
“2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”

This understanding helps those like Jehovah’s Witnesses who ask, how can God have three parts? Most people who are not religious even believe that we have at least two parts. Most believe we continue to exist in some form after we die. Some even try to communicate with the soul of someone they love that died.

Goodboy

Were we all created in Gods image, or was that just adam and Eve? How does the below tie in with your OP?

Genesis 5
5 This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created. 3 And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth

The rest of your post was interesting, thanks.

 

[Goodboy]

Were we all created in Gods image, or was that just adam and Eve? How does the below tie in with your OP?

Genesis 5
5 This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created. 3 And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth

The rest of your post was interesting, thanks.

The answer is yes, we were all created in God's image.

Not sure where you are going with this?

Yes Adam's children are in Adam's image, meaning of the same makeup. So Adam passed down his makeup to his children just like we currently do. So if we have the same makeup as Adam, then we are also created in God's image!

 

[Hol]

Were we all created in Gods image, or was that just adam and Eve? How does the below tie in with your OP?

Genesis 5
5 This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created. 3 And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth

The rest of your post was interesting, thanks.

Yesterday I heard an insight about this, I'm still chewing on it -- so please tell me what you think?

Adam's son Seth was born 'in his own likeness' and Adam was about 130 years old.

Andy, I know we're both followers of Arnold Fruchtenbaum's work. Have you ever read where he interprets this verse?
Genesis 4:1 Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have obtained a male child with the help of the LORD.”

Notice the italics. Arnold says that in the Hebrew she is saying that she birthed Messiah. Here's a commentary I found: "According to the traditional Patristic and mediaeval interpretation, the sentence admitted of a literal rendering in a Messianic sense: “I have gotten a man, even Jehovah,” i.e. “In the birth of a child I have gotten one in whom I foresee the Incarnation of the Lord.” Genesis 4:1 Commentaries: Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, "I have gotten a manchild with the help of the LORD."

The person with the insight (forget who it was ) suggests that had the verse read that Seth was born in God's image, it would have implied that Adam was God!

As I chewed on that I realized that after 130 years of the world following evil, both Adam and Eve were uniquely humbled. Only those parents had lived in and witnessed pure innocence. I think of Eve who had pure eyes and never had seen anything evil, until she bit. Couple the fall and God's promise that a Messiah would be born, my guess is that they grabbed onto our blessed hope for dear life, even hoping it was Jesus, not Cain she gave birth to.

Add 130-yrs, I'm guessing both Adam and Eve were very grateful for Seth, even though it might mean a long wait for the Promised Seed, Jesus. Perhaps the more deeply troubling sinfulness they witnessed for over a century matured them and helped them trust God's plan for us all, in His time.

 

[Batman]

I believe that is Andy Woods interpretation of Eve's comment too.

 

[Tall Timbers]

Man
Soul = The head one in authority and commander over the other two parts.
Body = The image meaning the part that you can see and the one who communicates with others like us and accomplishes any work we do.
Spirit = The part that allows direct communication with God without requiring words.

When I mull over these pieces and parts I envision it like this:

Spirit: Our eternal life
Soul: Our personhood (what makes me me and you you)
Body: Our current mortal shell which will be replaced with a permanent shell

 

[mattfivefour]

Yesterday I heard an insight about this, I'm still chewing on it -- so please tell me what you think?

Adam's son Seth was born 'in his own likeness' and Adam was about 130 years old.

Andy, I know we're both followers of Arnold Fruchtenbaum's work. Have you ever read where he interprets this verse?
Genesis 4:1 Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have obtained a male child with the help of the LORD.”

Notice the italics. Arnold says that in the Hebrew she is saying that she birthed Messiah. Here's a commentary I found: "According to the traditional Patristic and mediaeval interpretation, the sentence admitted of a literal rendering in a Messianic sense: “I have gotten a man, even Jehovah,” i.e. “In the birth of a child I have gotten one in whom I foresee the Incarnation of the Lord.” Genesis 4:1 Commentaries: Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, "I have gotten a manchild with the help of the LORD."

The person with the insight (forget who it was ) suggests that had the verse read that Seth was born in God's image, it would have implied that Adam was God!

As I chewed on that I realized that after 130 years of the world following evil, both Adam and Eve were uniquely humbled. Only those parents had lived in and witnessed pure innocence. I think of Eve who had pure eyes and never had seen anything evil, until she bit. Couple the fall and God's promise that a Messiah would be born, my guess is that they grabbed onto our blessed hope for dear life, even hoping it was Jesus, not Cain she gave birth to.

Add 130-yrs, I'm guessing both Adam and Eve were very grateful for Seth, even though it might mean a long wait for the Promised Seed, Jesus. Perhaps the more deeply troubling sinfulness they witnessed for over a century matured them and helped them trust God's plan for us all, in His time.

When I see this quoted Genesis passage, I am brought to this thought-- when man sinned, God made a promise; and as the human couple led their lives --now fallen in an also fallen world-- they had a child and immediately jumped to a conclusion that this was a gift from God and a fulfillment of His promise of a Messiah. But as events would prove, Cain was no Messiah at all, but a human who lived for self and committed the worst of crimes-- murdering a fellow human being out of selfish emotion.

The point I am getting to is not the murder, but the fact that Adam and Eve presumed that their first son was the promised Messiah. We humans are presumptuous: it's a product of our innate pride. We are quick to apply human thinking to godly things, and thereby mess things up. I think Abraham and Sarah are clear examples of this. God promised a child; but when their patience had run its course, they decided it was up to them to make the promise come true. So they did what they thought necessary. The result is something that has troubled humankind until this very day!

So, what's the application to us? Well, we think of pride as something that makes us feel better than someone else. But that's only one manifestation of it. Pride is presuming that we know how to live our lives better than God does. We may not think we think that, but we do. If we prayerfully and honestly look back on our lives, we can see numerous examples.

We need to learn humility. We need to learn to accept God's promises and then wait upon His fulfillment. We need to stop trying to help God fulfill them. I say "we" on purpose. We are all guilty of stepping ahead of God. I have messed up this way more than I want to remember. I thank God that He is teaching me more and more to stop and wait on Him. Yes, He gives us strength to continue through the trials that our self-will and presumptions lead us into; and, by His grace, He eventually leads us out into pleasant places. And hopefully, through the process, we learn something each time, something that lessens our willfulness, teaches us patience, and, thereby, draws us closer into intimate trust and relationship with our Maker, the lover of our soul.

Oh Lord! Teach me the humility before You that will take me from presumption to patience in all aspects of my walk on this planet. May I thereby bring less stress to my life, and more glory to Your name.
-----
Just my thoughts as I look at Genesis 4:1 and also consider Arnold Fruchtenbaum's and Andy Wood's views of what the Hebrew is possibly saying.

 

[Goodboy]

The point I am getting to is not the murder, but the fact that Adam and Eve presumed that their first son was the promised Messiah.

While I totally agree with the point you are making which absolutely applies to Abraham and Sarah not waiting on God, I personally don't think it applies to Adam and Eve. I don't think that Eve was being presumptuous, which is something negative. I think she may have assumed that Cain was the Savior, but even that is not clear. I don't see the statement of "I have gotten a man from the LORD" to be taken in the negative. If my wife said that when our son was born, I would say praise God that she was acknowledging that all blessings come from the Lord.

Again I want to make it clear that I totally agree with your point and that Abraham and Sarah are a good example of it. However, I think accusing Eve of being presumptuous is a stretch just because she acknowledged that God gave her a son.

Just my thoughts, nothing to debate about.