![]() See, Miguel Gutierrez, “‘L’homme créé à l’image de Dieu’ dans l’ensemble littéraire et canonique Genèse, chapitres 1-11,” Th.D. Wenham, Genesis 1-15, Word Biblical Commentary 1 (Waco: Word Books, 1987), 29-31. Believers are becoming conformed to the image of Jesus (Rom 8:29) and transformed into the image of the Lord (2 Cor 3:18). He is the ideal image and at the same time “the radiance of his glory and the exact representation of his nature” (Heb 1:3). He is called the “image of God” (2 Cor 4:4 Col 1:15). In the NT Jesus is presented as the ideal Israel–Matthew 2:15, 17. Genesis 5:1-3 may therefore suggest that the image of God also includes a resemblance of all human faculties and the entire human being with the Lord of the universe. The two preceding verses (Gen 5:1-2) connect the image of God with the fact that Seth is born in Adam’s image. Both words found in Genesis 1:26 occur here again and remind us of that text. According to verse 3 Seth is the image and likeness of Adam. This image of God is found in both genders who are blessed (verse 2). In verse 1 Adam is described as in the image of God. The image of God may also be explained somewhat by Genesis 5:1-3. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, and Israel are therefore–in a limited way–images of God, but the ideal is not reached in them because they are affected by sin, and obviously it was sin that damaged the image of God in humanity. Thus, it seems likely that the image of God primarily has to do with being God’s representative as well as with standing in an intimate relationship with God. Interestingly enough, the divine blessing given to Adam and Eve in Gen 1:28 (and mentioned again in 5:2) is to a certain extent repeated to Noah and his family (9:1, 7), Abraham and Sarah (Gen 12:2-3 17, 7, 15-16), Jacob (Gen 35:9-12), and Israel (Ex 1:7). ![]() ![]() At the end of Genesis 4 those who live in sin have become quite perverted and are hostile to God. Genesis 3 and 4 are similar in structure insofar that a transgression occurs, God begins an investigative process and a dialogue with the sinners, and then utters a verdict. The term “sin” is used for the first time in Genesis 4. After their transgression of God’s command, Adam and Eve realize that they are naked (Gen 3:11). ![]() By mentioning nakedness Genesis 2:25 prepares for the fall. The first blessing seems to present the idea that humans become God’s representatives to rule over creation. The immediate context contains two blessings, namely Genesis 1:28 and 2:2-3. Since no definition is given of what the image of God means, the context should be consulted. Yet others talk about the capacity to have a relationship with God. Still others connect the image of God to the idea of being God’s representative on earth. The question is, what does the image of God stand for? Some have suggested that the image refers to mental and spiritual capacities. In addition the term “likeness” is employed in Genesis 1:26 5:1, 3, which may be a synonym. Whereas Seth is son of Adam according to his image (Gen 5:3), the text in Numbers talks about idolatrous images, in which we are not interested right now. In the Pentateuch the Hebrew term “image” occurs also in Genesis 5:3 and in Numbers 33:22. The phrase “image of God” is found four times in the OT–Genesis 1:26, 27 and 9:6. ![]() According to Gen 1:26-27 humanity was created in the image of God. ![]()
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