“Today, many people have taken knowledge so far that they have been skeptical about the knowledge itself. Gene Edward Veith, Jr.
The scriptures teach that men and women were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). They were created by God according to the divine pattern (Ephesians 4:24). [2] This does not mean that man is physically equal to God. God has no form, is spirit (Jn 4:24), [3] nor does it mean that he is of the same essence as he is incommunicable [4]. But, as a creature, it is up to God as such. [5]
- The image and likeness reflect.
- In Adam.
- His own characteristics through which he could relate to himself.
- The world.
- And God.
- The image of God is an essential precondition for his relationship with God.
- And he also expresses his essential nature: man is what he is because he is the image of God.
- There would be humanity just because he was the image of God.
- This understanding has profound ethical implications in the theology of Calvin [6] and Schaeffer (1922-1984).
- [7].
It is our authentic and inclusive existence. Thus, spykman (1926-1993) writes, “To be human is to be the image of God. So, imago Dei describes our normal state, doesn’t it indicate something that’s in us, or something about us, but our humanity??. [8]
The image of God is not something pasted or attached to us, but can be removed or replaced. Rather, it is essential to our being. Erickson interprets: “The image of God is intrinsic to humanity. We wouldn’t be human without him. Of all creation, are we the only ones capable of having a conscious personal relationship with the Creator and responding to him?[9]
Therefore, man does not simply have the image of God, as something external or accessory, but is the image of God [10].
The Confession of Westminster (1647), Chapter IV, Section 2, states
After making the other creatures, God created man, man and woman, with rational and immortal souls, and endowed them with intelligence, justice and perfect holiness, in his own image, having the law of God written in his heart and the power to achieve it, but with the possibility of transgressing him, remaining to freedom of his own will, which was changing , in addition to this writing in their hearts, they were given the precept of not eating from the tree of science of good and evil; as long as they obeyed this precept, they were happy in their fellowship with God and had dominion over the creatures.
Man was created as a personal being who has his own conscience and determination, unlike other animals, distinguishes between the self, the world and God, hence the ability to connect with God (Gen 3:8-14; Jr 29. 13; Mt 11:28-30) and others, and can (rationally) understand God’s will, be understood, and evaluate all things (Gen 1:28-30; 2,18,19). [11]
As an indication of the high position in which man was placed, does the Creator share with him?Bless you and give you power [12]? The power to name animals?Involving intelligence and non-arbitrariness in this process [13]?name your wife (Genesis 2. 19, 20, 23; 3. 20).
In this context, we noticed Adam’s intelligence. He was able to discern species, exercising their ability to judge, attributing names that were certainly related to the essential characteristics of animals. [14] Man perceived the essence of the thing, thus creating language. He had unparalleled clarity, intuition, and unity of thought. We certainly lost a lot of that with the fall.
God delegates powers to them to cultivate (db; [?) (? Abbot) (plow, serve, work the earth) and maintain (rm; v?) (Sh-mar) (protect, monitor, keep things) [16] Garden of Eden (Gen 2:15 / Gen 2. 5; 3. 23), demonstrating its relationship of domination, not of exploitation and destruction, but of conscious, responsible and preserving care of nature (Ps 8:6-8). [17]
However, all these activities involve God’s shared work with human beings. Naming, procreating, dominating, nurturing, and cultivating all reflect God’s farsighted and empowering grace. Is this domain particular? This man was very close to God because of the power that had been given to him.
Man has been given the power to go beyond matter, to be able to reason, to establish a connection and visualize the invisible. ”The thoughts and knowledge of man, though drawn from his brain, are nevertheless at its essence an entirely spiritual activity. as they transcend what he can see and touch,” performer Bavinck (1854–1921). [18]
Thinking is a challenging privilege. Man was created with the ability to freely analyze, doubt, inform and choose his way of life [20].
He is able to verbalize his thoughts and emotions, thus being able to dialogue with his neighbour (Gen 3:6) and with God (Gen 3:9-13), being understood by Him and understanding his will, with a compatibility between creation and ours. God, of course, has communicated accommodatively to the intellectual structure he himself has given us. As a result, a community was formed from the beginning, as: “Communication is a means of mutual understanding. “21]
When men and women properly use the resources God has given to rule the earth, they achieve the purpose of creation by glorifying God. Therefore, we need to glorify God in our work by the right way we do it. We must be aware that our dominion is under The Dominion of God. Creation belongs by right to God; to us by delegation of God (Psalm 24:1; 50,10-11; 115,16). [22] He himself shared this power with us, but did not abandon him. [23] We will have to inform you.
That is why, even if our mastery is demonstrated, especially because of the advancement of science, new challenges arise. We have the fullness of this dominion in Christ Jesus, true God and true man.
Adam and Eve, before they sinned, had a true understanding of God (Colossus 3:10). [24] However, “after his rebellion he was deprived of true divine light, in whose absence there is only terrible darkness,” Calvin describes (1509–1564).
His knowledge has become totally devoid of salvation. [26] It is worth remembering that understanding was not exhaustive as God is infinite and inexhaustible and, moreover, that Adam ignored, in his first state, aspects of God’s being, such as his redeeming love, his saving plan, his mercy, etc. . .
The fall had serious consequences: death and slavery. Calvin summarizes: “Because spiritual death is but the state of alienation in which the soul remains in relation to God, we were all born dead, as well as the undead until we became partakers. in the life of Christ. “
Man has totally lost his spiritual perception: he is dead!Sin takes idolatry to another stage, for man alone cannot relate to God, and even ignores the true God (Acts 17:22-29).
Comenius (1592-1670) comments
It is clear that every man is born capable of acquiring knowledge of things: first because he is the image of God; indeed, the image, if perfect, necessarily presents the features of its archetype, otherwise it will not be an image. Now, as omniscience arises among God’s attributes, something similar will necessarily shine in man (?) Is the spirit of man so inexhaustible that, in knowledge, he appears as an abyss?
[However] after the fall, which obscures and disturbs him, he cannot free himself; and those who should help him only increase the shame he finds himself in. [28]
The Heidelberg Catechism (1563), to question 6, answers
God created the good man and his image, that is, in true righteousness and holiness, so that He might know God, his Creator, to love him with all his heart and to live with him in eternal bliss, praising and glorifying him. He.
[1] Gene Edward Veith, Jr. , Of All Your Understanding, Sao Paulo: Cultura Crist, 2006, p. 108.
[two]? God is the prototype of which man and woman are only copies, replicas (Selem, “statue or carved or worked copy?”) And facsimiles (must,? Similarity?) (Walter C. Kaiser Jr. , Theology of the Ancient Testament, Sao Paulo: Vida Nova, 1980, p. 78). For a different interpretation of the concept of image and similarity, pointing in the direction of the human being, God, his only representative, without indicating anything ontologically, see: Eugene H. Merrill, Old Testament Theology, Sao Paulo: Shedd Publications, 2009, p . 175ss. To criticize this position, see: Anthony A. Hoekema, Created in the image of God, Sao Paulo: Editora Cultura Crist, 1999, p. 84ss.
[3] J. Gresham Machen, The Man, Lima: The Banner of Truth, 1969, p. 145.
[4] See: R. L. Dabney, Readings in Systematic Theology, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1985, p. 293.
[5] “Man was created in the image of God. Is he therefore like God in all things in which a creature can be like God?(Cornelius Van Til, Christian Apologetics, Sao Paulo: Cultura Crist, 2010, p. 35).
[6] See: Hermisten M. P. Costa, Joel Calvino 500 years: introduction to his thought and work, Sao Paulo: Christian Culture, 2009.
[7] “I am convinced that one of the great weaknesses of evangelical preaching in recent years is that we have lost sight of the biblical fact that man is wonderful. (?) The man is truly lost, but that does not mean that he is nothing. We must resist humanism, but classifying man as zero is not the correct way to resist it. You can point out that the man is totally lost and still has the biblical answer that the man is really cool. (?) From a biblical point of view, man is lost, but is he great? (Francis A. Schaeffer, Morte na Cidade, São Paulo: Cultura Cristã, 2003, p. 60,61). “Will we never be able to treat people as human beings, to attribute to them the highest level of true humanity, unless we really know their origin?” who are these people. God tells man who he is. God tells us that he created man in his own image. Therefore, man is a wonderful thing. (?) The Bible says that you are wonderful because you were created in the image and likeness of God, but you are imperfect, because in a certain space-time in history, is man serious? (Francis A. Schaeffer, The death of reason, São Paulo: Cultura Cristã, 2002, p. 34). The analogies made by Olyott are very timely and sensible. (See: Stuart Olyott, Jonas? The Successful Missionary Who Failed, São José dos Campos, SP . : Fiel, 2012, p. 75).
[8] Gordon J. Spykman, Reforming Theology: A New Paradigm for Doing Dogmatica, Jenison, Michigan: The Evangelical Literature League, 1994, p. 248-249. In the same way: Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics: God and Creation, Sao Paulo: Cultura Crist, 2012, v. 2, 542,564.
[9] Millard J. Erickson, Introduction to Systematic Theology, Sao Paulo: Vida Nova, 1997, p. 207.
[10] See: Morton H. Smith, Systematic Theology, Greenville, South Carolina: Greenville Seminary Press, 1994, v. 1, 238.
[eleven]? 28 And God blessed them and said to them: Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it; He reigns over the fish in the sea, over the birds in the sky, and over all the animals that crawl on the land. 29 And God said: Behold, I have given you all the herbs that give seed, and that are on the face of all the earth, and on all the trees in which there is fruit that gives seed; It will be yours for the food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth, and to all the birds of the sky, and to all the reptiles of the earth, in which there is a breath of life, all green grass will serve as food. And has it been done? (Genesis 1,28-30). 18 The Lord God said: It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make you a suitable helper. 19 And when the Lord God formed all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the sky on earth, he brought them to man to see what he would call them; And the name that man gave to all living beings, would that be his name? (Genesis 2: 18-19).
[12] See: Gerard Van Groningen, Messianic Revelation in the Old Testament, Campinas, SP. : Luz para o Caminho, 1995, p. 97.
[13] It is very interesting to address this Exercise of Adam analyzed by the field of semiotics. See: Umberto Eco, The Search for Perfect Language in European Culture, 2. Ed. Bauru, SP. : EDUSC, 2002, p. 25ss.
[14] See: Francois Turretini, Compendium of Apologetic Theology, Sao Paulo: Christian Culture, 2011, v. 1, 591.
[15] See. Abraham Kuyper, Wisdom
[16] See: Gen. 3. 24; 30,31; 2Sm 15. 16; Ps 12. 7; It’s 21. 11-12.
[17] See: Francis A. Scheffer, Pollution and Death of Man, Sao Paulo: Cultura Crist, 2003, p. 48-50.
[18] Herman Bavinck, Systematic Theology, Santa Barbara d?West, SP. : SOCEP. , 2001, p. 18.
[19] Let us understand here that freedom is linked to the fact that there was nothing in human nature that conditioned it, for example, on sin.
[20] See: Westminster Confession, IX. 1-2
[21] Rollo May, Poder e Innocência, Rio de Janeiro: Artenova, 1974, p. 57-58.
[22] See: John W. R. Stott, The Radical Disciple, Icaosa, MG . : Ultimato, 2011, p. 45.
[23] See: Gerard Van Groningen, Creation and Consummation, Sao Paulo: Christian Culture, 2002, v. 1, p. 86-87, especially note 47.
[24] See: Anthony A. Hoekema, Created in the Image of God, p. 40-41; Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Sao Paulo: Hagnos Editora, 2001, p. 557-558; Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics: God and Creation, Sao Paulo: Christian Culture, 2012, v. 2, 97-99, 110; John M. Frame, The Doctrine of God, Sao Paulo: Christian Culture, 2013, p. 168.
[25] Joel Calvino, Ephesians, Sao Paulo: Paracletes, 1998, (Eph 4. 18), p. 137.
[26] After the fall of the first man, was salvation not worth the knowledge of God without the mediator?(Joo Calvino, The Institutes, II. 6. 1).
[27] John Calvin, Ephesians, (Ephesians 2. 1), p. 51. La humanity, having been ruined by the fall of Adam, has not only been deprived of such a distinguished and honorable state, and stripped of its primitive dominion, but is it also captive under degrading and ignominious slavery?(Joo Calvino, The Book of Psalms , Sao Paulo: Paracletes, 1999, v. 1, (Ps 8. 6), p. 171). “The first man was created by God in righteousness; However, in his fall, did it lead to corruption so profound that any light originally given to him was completely obscured?(Joo Calvino, The Book of Psalms, v. 2, Sao Paulo: Paracletes, 1999, (Ps 62. 9), p. 579). “Are we all lost in Adam? (Joo Calvin, Ephesians, (Ephesians 1. 4), p. 24).
[28] Joel Ams Coménio, Didactica Magna, 3rd ed. Lisbon: Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, (1985), p. 102-103.