Image of God
The "image of God" is a concept and theological doctrine in Judaism and Christianity. It is a foundational aspect of Judeo-Christian belief with regard to the fundamental understanding of human nature. It stems from the primary text in Genesis 1:27, which reads : "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female he created them." The exact meaning of the phrase has been debated for millennia.
Following tradition, a number of Jewish scholars, such as Saadia Gaon and Philo, argued that being made in the image of God does not mean that God possesses human-like features, but rather the reverse: that the statement is figurative language for God bestowing special honour unto humankind, which he did not confer unto the rest of creation.
The history of the Christian interpretation of the image of God has included three common lines of understanding: a substantive view locates the image of God in shared characteristics between God and humanity such as rationality or morality; a relational understanding argues that the image is found in human relationships with God and each other; and a functional view interprets the image of God as a role or function whereby humans act on God’s behalf and serve to represent God in the created order. These three views are not strictly competitive and can each offer insight into how humankind resembles God. Furthermore, a fourth and earlier viewpoint involved the physical, corporeal form of God, held by both Christians and Jews.
Doctrine associated with God's image provides important grounding for the development of human rights and the dignity of each human life regardless of class, race, gender, or disability, and it is also related to conversations about the human body's divinity and role in human life and salvation.
Biblical sources
Hebrew Bible
The phrase "image of God" is found in three passages in the Hebrew Bible, all in the Book of Genesis 1–11:Apocrypha / Deuterocanonical books
In the Apocrypha or Deuterocanon, there are three passages that explicitly use "image" terminology to describe humanity.New Testament
The New Testament reflects on Christ as the image of God and humans both as images of God and Christ.Interpretation of the Biblical texts
Image vs likeness
Theologians have examined the difference between the concepts of the "image of God" and the "likeness of God" in human nature. Origen for instance viewed the image of God as something given at creation, while the likeness of God as something bestowed upon a person at a later time.While "image and likeness" is a Hebraism in which an idea is reinforced using two different words, a view arose that "image and likeness" were separate; the image was the human's natural resemblance to God, the power of reason and will, while the likeness was a donum superadditum—a divine gift added to basic human nature. This likeness consisted of the moral qualities of God, whereas the image involved the natural attributes of God. When Adam fell, he lost the likeness, but the image remained fully intact. Humanity as humanity was still complete, but the good and holy being was spoiled. The image of God and the likeness are similar, but at the same time they are different. The image is just that, mankind is made in the image of God, whereas the likeness is a spiritual attribute of the moral qualities of God.
However, the medieval distinction between the "image" and "likeness" of God has largely been abandoned by modern interpreters. According to C. John Collins, "Since about the time of the Reformation, scholars have recognized that this does not suit the text itself. First, there is no "and" joining "in our image" with "after our likeness." Second, Genesis 1:27 simply reads "in God's image"; and finally, in Genesis 5:1 God made man "in the likeness of God." The best explanation for these data is to say that "in the image" and "after the likeness" refer to the same thing, with each clarifying the other."
Specific nature of image
The primary biblical texts do not convey any specific ways in which the image of God is recognized in humanity. They do not speak about rationality, morality, emotions, free will, language, or any other similar statements. The words "image" and "likeness" simply carry the basic meaning that humans are like God and represent God. "Such an explanation is unnecessary, not only because the terms had clear meanings, but also because no such list could do justice to the subject: the text only needs to affirm that man is like God, and the rest of Scripture fills in more details to explain this." The various ways in which this is explored are found below in the discussions about substantive, relational, and functional understandings of the image of God.Progressive resemblance
Early Christians recognized that the image of God was perverted by sin. The Genesis 9 text, however, confirms that the image of God is not destroyed by sin, for the image remains in humanity after the fall and flood. Without compromising a commitment to the dignity of humanity as made in the image of God, the biblical texts point to the idea that the image of God can be developed and matured.In Genesis 5, the image of God in humanity is correlated with the image of Adam in his son Seth. Commentators have reflected that the son better reflects the father as he matures and that while there may be physical comparisons there is also a resemblance in character traits. "The biblical text, by offering us this explanation, gives us the key that while humans are all in the image of God, they likewise have the capacity to become more and more in the image of God; that is, created with the potential to mirror divine attributes." This lines up with several of the New Testament texts which refer to "being renewed in knowledge" and "being conformed to the image". The idea is that through spiritual growth and understanding one can mature spiritually and become more like God and represent him better to others.
Humans differ from all other creatures because of the self-reflective, rational nature of human thought processes – their capacity for abstract, symbolic as well as concrete deliberation and decision-making. This capacity gives the human the possibility for self-actualization and participation in a sacred reality. However, the creator granted the first true humans the free will necessary to reject a relationship with the creator that manifested itself in estrangement from God, as the narrative of the fall exemplifies, thereby rejecting or repressing their spiritual and moral likeness to God. The ability and desire to love one's self and others, and therefore God, can become neglected and even opposed. The desire to repair the imago dei in one's life can be seen as a quest for wholeness, or one's "essential" self, as described and exemplified in Christ's life and teachings. According to Christian doctrine, Jesus acted to repair the relationship with the Creator and freely offers the resulting reconciliation as a gift.
Christ as image
A uniquely Christian perspective on the image of God is that Jesus Christ is the fullest and most complete example of a human in God's image. Hebrews 1:3 refers to him as "the very image of his substance" and Colossians 1:15 reveals Jesus as "the image of the invisible God". This is relevant to Christology which is beyond the scope of this article. Christians however would look to the teachings and example of Jesus to guide their spiritual maturity and conformity to the image of God.The Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-12, Colossians Chapter 3, Gospel of John chapters 1-12, and the book of Deuteronomy chapters 6-30 describe the image of God as the moral positives of the Ten Commandments. When the Ten Commandments are separated into moral opposites, seven vices or moral negatives and seven virtues or moral positives result. The seven vices are pride, rebellion, hatred/bitterness, defilement, theft/slothfulness, deceit, and greed/covetousness. The seven virtues or moral positives are humility, obedience, forgiveness/compassion, purity, diligence, honesty, and gratefulness. Failure to see the Beatitudes, or light, or the moral positives of the Ten Commandments results in the moral negatives of the Ten Commandments. Colossians Chapter 3 contrasts all seven moral opposites of the Ten Commandments. The moral opposites in Colossians 3 contrasts the character of the old man with the image of God found in the new man. See Colossians 3:9-10 for reference to the image of God. The seven moral positives of the Ten Commandments are in the same sequence as the Beatitudes. An outline of the word pictures in the Gospel of John chapters 1-12 and the book of Deuteronomy chapters 6-30 are a contrast of the same seven moral opposites in the same sequence as the Beatitudes. A word picture example of the moral opposites of gratefulness and greed is shown by Mary and Judas in John 12:1-6. Gratefulness in shown by Mary in John 12:1-3. Greed is shown by Judas in John 12:4-6. Another example of greed is pictured in John 11:48. The basis for humility is described as the typological journey to maturity in Deuteronomy 8:3-20. This passage also warns of the pathway to pride. These observations or correlations are a fulfillment of Deuteronomy 30:11-15, John 5:46, John 12:44-50, John 14:21-24, Matthew 5:14-16, and Rev 12:17.
| Negatives | Positives |
| Pride | Humility |
| Rebellion | Obedience |
| Bitterness | Forgiveness |
| Defilement | Purity |
| Theft | Diligence |
| Deceit | Honesty |
| Greed | Gratefulness |
| Moral Opposite Pairs Described in Word Pictures | Chapters in the Gospel of John |
| Pride vs. Humility | Chapter 1 |
| Rebellion vs. Obedience | Chapters 1-2 |
| Bitterness vs. Forgiveness | Chapters 2-3 |
| Defilement vs. Purity | Chapters 3-4 |
| Theft vs. Diligence | Chapters 4-6 |
| Deceit vs. Honesty | Chapters 6-10 |
| Greed vs. Gratefulness | Chapters 11-12 |
| Moral Opposite Pairs Described in Word Pictures | Chapters in Deuteronomy |
| Pride vs. Humility | Chapters 6-9 |
| Rebellion vs. Obedience | Chapters 9-18 |
| Bitterness vs. Forgiveness | Chapters 19-22 |
| Defilement vs. Purity | Chapters 22-23 |
| Theft vs. Diligence | Chapters 23-25 |
| Deceit vs. Honesty | Chapters 25-28 |
| Greed vs. Gratefulness | Chapters 28-30 |