Lesson No. 29 

Lesson No. 29 Image and Likeness of God in Man

The human being is a special creation by God, composed of body, rational soul, and spirit of life, as confirmed by the Holy Scriptures in First Thessalonians chapter 5: verse 23,51 and Hebrews chapter 4: verse 12.51 Created in the image and likeness of God, as declared by His Holy Word:

Genesis chapter 1: verses 26 and 27: “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. 27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them”.51

Evidently, the Hebrew term from which image is translated in this passage is "זֶלֶם" (zelem: [“internal image or internal aspect”]). It consists of God's faculties as an intelligent Being to interact with the universe and govern it. Just as He conferred upon man to submit under his authority the environment that surrounds him. However, when it says: "in our likeness", it indicates a confirmation of the aforementioned, and is translated from the Hebrew term "דְּמוּת" (demut). This comes from a root meaning: (“resemblance”). It alludes to conduct or behavior. The truth is that, in all of this, there is nothing whatsoever to do with the (“physical or facial image”) defined as "תְּמוּנָה" (temunah). Exodus chapter 20: verse 4. And as "תֹּאַר" (toar). Genesis chapter 39: verse 6.7

Therefore, Christian theology has defined that the image and likeness of God in humans consist of the moral and spiritual aspect, which originally characterized man with his Creator.

Spiritual aspect: This has been related to the image or internal aspect, which includes the natural faculties that characterize man with God, and consists of the rational soul, which empowers him to think, create concepts, make judgments, and reason. Thus transforming the human being into an intelligent creature, endowed with the faculty of intellect. Making it possible, furthermore, that he is subject to experiencing different emotions or feelings.

These mentioned faculties allow man to become a being similar to God, also possessed of some of the natural attributes of his Creator, although to a very limited degree.

Moral aspect: This has been associated with the likeness or resemblance of man with God, likewise of an internal character. It is indicated that it comprises the moral qualities of God in man and that it resides in the state of holiness with which he was created at the beginning. For it is defined that the human being was created with a holy mind that did not conceive evil by itself. Possessed of the holiness of God, under the influence of His moral attributes. This characteristic of the image of God was lost by the human being when he fell into sin, a matter we will discuss more extensively in chapter 4 of this treatise.

Corporal aspect: Although the Hebrew terminologies do not literally refer to this characteristic as part of the image of God in man, it is worth admitting the possibility that such qualities are also included in the referred concept. Several passages of the Holy Scriptures allude to it. In one of these biblical portions, according to Exodus chapter 33: verse 20, God said to Moses: …Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.51

The prophet Isaiah, according to Isaiah chapter 40: verse 5 says: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.51

Likewise, the Prophet Ezekiel, according to the Reina Valera Version, issues a message from God saying: ...After they have filled the earth with wickedness, and they turned to irritate me, behold, they put stench to my nose. (Ezekiel chapter 8: verse 17). (trans.)

In Exodus chapter 33: verses 21 to 23, the Lord said: …Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: 22And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: 23And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.51

The prophet Jeremiah also issues the divine message saying: I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me. (Jeremiah chapter 27: verse 5).51

For the second time, the prophet Isaiah alludes to these divine characteristics, saying: Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? (Isaiah chapter 66: verse 1).51

According to these biblical quotes, we can appreciate how God Himself declares several of His corporal characteristics: face, ears, nose, mouth, back, arms, hands, and feet. Thus confirming the possibility that the corporal aspect is also included in the imageand likeness of God in man. Although this description is cataloged under the concept known as anthropomorphism, which consists of attributing human traits or characteristics to God, the exposition of these passages, however, is not based on the writer's conception but on God's own declaration. Consequently, for me, Christ's assertion according to John chapter 14: verse 9 is very clear when He said: "...He that hath seen me hath seen the Father…” 51 And although this declaration is attributed to the concept of theophany based on the fact of manifesting the divinity of God, the sense of logic indicates that in this case, the Lord is not referring to the divine aspect, but rather to His corporal appearance.

Therefore, with all due respect and deserved regard for the most eminent theologians and Hebrew scholars, it is inconceivable to me that, being God a personal and infinitely intelligent Being, we imagine Him as something that does not have a defined corporal figure, such as that of angels, whose nature is equally spiritual. As stated in First Corinthians chapter 15: verse 44: …There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.51 Therefore, I consider it logically assumed that our Creator's appearance should not be other than that to whose image humans were created.