I know some of you read the Bible and take what you read literally and do not look "between the lines" or see figurative meanings in what is written. And I don't want upset any of you and start "that argument".
I am on dial up and I got an e-mail from my sister with an attachment (video clip) titled "New Image of God". While waiting for it to download I had some time to think about what I think God "looks like". (which is one way of interpreting "image of God")
Some people say that as it says in the Bible "...God made man in His image and likeness..." and so literally God must look like a man.
Man has two eyes to see with (why would God have eyes? What does He need to See?)
Man has a nose to smell and breath with (what need does God have with a nose? What does He need to smell, and breath?)
Man has hair and beard. (Why would God have hair or beard? Would He cut His hair and beard and with what?)
Man has a mouth to breath, eat and speak with. (God would not need to eat or breath. Talking as we do, requires making viberations in the air with our vocal cords and turning those sounds into words with our mouth so that the sounds travel through air to anothers ears. As God doesn't need air why would he comunicate in air with speach as we do? ( I know there are many cases of God "talking to man" but The fact God produced words man could hear, does not mean He used vocal cords and a mouth.)
Man has legs and feet to walk, run, jump on the earth (and now the moon). (What use would God have for legs and feet?)
We see with our eyes. The images we see are the way our brains interpret the light reflected from an object to our eyes. And so a flower "looks like "this and a bird "looks like
"that. Is God an "object" that can reflect light to our eyes so we can see His image?
Gen.1:26And 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.
God is a Spirit... that is scripture. We we're created in his Image(or likeness, ...which could mean different than physical appearance..think inwardly). I know that every human has basically the same physical make-up, and that God created us this way,purposely. Does He have 2 legs? ..He walked with Adam.....
Does he have ears?.... He sometimes hears my cries( or @ least responds to 'em)... I HEAR His voice... so He communicates... how? I dunno......don't need to. God "sits" on the Throne... so I know He has a Buttocks.....Jesus "sits" besides Him, & I KNOW he had a butt..............so God has some kind of physical resemblence to us......
As Remington said, God is a Spirit, and only Moses was allowed to see Him, on one occasion, in a fleeting glimpse, seeing only His 'hinder parts',or essentially His trailing off as He passed. Any such references as His 'hands', His 'eyes', etc. are called an anthropomorphism--literally meaning the form of man, from 2 Greek words, anthropos(man), and morphos(form). Being Spirit , He has no form, but performs functions that are described in anthropomorphic terms, which are described in terms we grasp, such as hands, feet, etc. Christ was God becoming a human to give us a special 'look' at God. He said, if you have seen me, you have seen the Father. By this He meant that He acts as the Father would, so when you see Him taking action, He is acting asthe Father would if He were to take on a human form. His actions, attitudes, values, judgements perfectly reflected the Father's.Onename He had was Emmanuel, which literally means, God with us.We know what God looks like in action by looking at Christ, but He is Spirit, so we don't know what He 'looks' like in form--that which is sprit is invisible, or unable to be detected by the human eye, but very detectable by the human spirit, to which He relates to us, and actually becomes 'connected' to us by His Spirit uniting with ours when we are 'born again'.
Good answer Manuman. He was speaking of Jesuswhen He said let's make man in our image..Jesus created the world and all there is therein..and through his death on the cross, we who know him as our LORD and Saviour are Heirs to all heaven has to offer..John writeswiththe inspiration of God through the Sweet Holy Spirit,
"Beloved now we are the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but weknow that, when He shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as He is." 1 John 3:2 KJV.
one of my favorite verses is, "As for me i will behold thy face in righeousness: i will be satisfied when i awake with thy likeness." Psalm 17:15
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wayne
"There's room at the cross for you."
I believe God can appear in any form He chooses and can communicate in any way He chooses.
I do not think that God (at the time of creation) looked like a man and so made man to physically look like Himself.
No more than I think that the "Holy Spirit" looks like a dove or parted toungs of fire.
Now if you strip the meat and bones from a man and are left with his spiritual being (soul). Thats when I think he is "in the image and likeness of God".
I would have to say that I would offer a different opinion than most here. There are several reasons why. First, the Spirit inside teaches me otherwise. Second, mortal life teaches differently. Third, mortal life follows scripture dealing with the teaching and rites of the Firstborn. Fourth, scripture teaches a different pattern and does not support creedal tradition. Allow me to try and explain briefly what I mean.
First, I attempt to live righteously that the Holy Spirit can be my guide each day. I beleive that the Holy spirit can reveal the wisdom and mysteries of God to those who search and are willing to abide what the Spirit teaches. In fact 1st Corintians 2:7-16 teaches us that this is so. Even the deep things of God can be revealed. Even things about him and his nature that may seem incomprehensible. Even eyes have not seenfor most what can be revealed.
Second, I am a father of two mortal children. My eldest son has passed away. However, even at 5 years of age he had a strikingresemblance to his Father. Most people would tell us we looked exactly alike even though we are 29 years apart. I am 35 years older than my second son. However, he too bears a striking resemblance to his Father. Some who are biblically inclined even joke that since I lost my first son in death, the Lord gave me a second one to look exactly like me. They will jokingly compare this to the loss of Abel via Cain and the eventual birth of Seth (Who bore an exact likeness of his Father and replaced Abel).
Third, why would the pattern of mortality be any different that that of pre or post mortality? As one reads the Old Testament and comes to understand the laws concerning the Firstborn, one must understand that that has a purpose in all this. God gave his eldest Son, his only begotten, even Jesus Christ as a ransom for all of us.Somehow unbeknowst to us, The Father begat a son. This son, his First and only begotten in mortality carried his name--The Son of God. This son characterized everything that was good, wholesome and perfect about his Father. He also had a mortal body of flesh and blood. Blood was the only imperfection in his. That to was released from the Son once he was resurrected by His Father. Luke clearly teaches us that the perfect body of our resurrected Lord was an immortal body of flesh and bone (no imperfect blood). (see Luke 24:26-29).
This same perfect Son of God had in his mission to shed his spirit from his body and then to return to said body and reclaim it.The godly ordinance of resurrection teaches us that the body is special, sacred and necessary for the salvation of man. The reunification of the body and the spirit comprise the eternal soul of man.
Now, if we are to follow Christ, even the Son of God and obtain a resurrection, with a body like unto Him, why would the Father not have a body? The son spoke of the will of the Father concerning the resurrection. The Son will do nothing of himself but what he has seen the Father do. The Father (with a body) restored his Son to life through the ordinance of resurrection. The Father then grant the power to his only begotten Son to raise man to the same status of resurrection (See John 5:19-22).
So, If I live worthy, I too will be raised from the dead by the Son. In turn, as patriarch to my family, I will be given the power to raise my Sons (and daughters as well). The mortal pattern of Father-Son is not all that different than post mortal. We have an obligation to those who bear our image and likeness just like the Eternal Father did with his only begotten Son.
Fourth, scripture does not supoort the notion of an anthropomorphic God. I pray to aGod who will understand me. Theholy Bible clearly teaches that God the Father is a God of parts and passions. The anthropomorphic God came directly from creeds, not from Christ! No parts and no passions. My God the Father isman who clearly reveals things to me about my body, my emotions, my feelings and passions. My God would be a God who Has a body, just like he gave his only begotten Son. Both would understand who I am, and how I feel. How I hurt and how I joy. The body of man is essential in knowing and understanding my hurting and healing both physical and spiritual. If the body of man is essential. the Bodies ofBoth the Father and the Son are even more essential.
I can claimthe same as Job...in my fleshI shall see God. (In my resurrected flesh I shall see his flesh). Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another...(Job 19:26-27).
One need not file the body of God under Isaiah 55:8-9. There is much too much evidence to the contrary!
Just my .05 (a little more than .02)
God Bless,
Porter
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"The Lord commands us to be peacemakers. This is more than peace keeping. Peacemaking is an active thing that requires much greater effort at making peace happen rather than just keeping ones peace."
God's image
..........so God has some kind of physical resemblence to us......
