Lecture 3 - The Image of God

Question 1

“After God had made all other creatures, he created man male and female…In his image, in knowledge, righteousness, and Holiness. With living, reasonable and immortal souls”

Answer 1

1) Westminster Larger Catechism #17
2) Expounds on Gen. 1
3) Helps us understand how we are created in his image.

Question 2

“God created man male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures”

Answer 2

1) Westminster Shorter Catechism #10.
2) Pulls from Eph 4 and, Col 3.
3) Locates the image of God in a triad of moral traits

Question 3

“and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Answer 3

1) Ephesians 4
2) Tells us we should reflect Christs righteousness
3) Gives us 2 of 3 moral traits man was created with

Question 4

“and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”

Answer 4

1) Colossians 3
2) As we grow in the knowledge of Christ we are renewed into his image
3) Affirms we were created with knowledge as a moral trait

Question 5

Knowledge, Righteousness, and Holiness

Answer 5

1) - These three make up the moral Triad in which man was created
2) Foundation text Col 3, and Eph 4
3) Calvin refers to this as a Synecdoche “Part of a whole”

Question 6

“The Christians Reasonable Service”

Answer 6

1) - Book authored by Brakel
2) According to Brakel knowledge = mind, righteousness = the will, Holiness = heart
3) This is Brakel’s interpretation of the Moral triad

Question 7

Did God, then, create man so wicked and perverse?

Answer 7

1) Heidelburg Catechism #6
2) The Catechism answers this question with a “No”. Referencing the moral triad
3) The principle glory of man is that we are made in God’s image

Question 8

Imago Dei

Answer 8

1) Latin; the Image of God
2) Turitan “ The Imago Dei is the principle Glory of man”
3) key text for Imago Dei is Gen. 1

Question 9

Who is the “us”?

Answer 9

1) There is a sense of “togetherness”
2) A seed in growing understanding of the Trinity
3) A reason for why it is not good for man to be alone, since God is not “alone”

Question 10

What is “image” and “likeness”?

Answer 10

1) Heb. Tselem “image, to carve out”; Heb. Demuth “likeness, resemble”
2) Parallels or synonyms
3) Man IS the image of God

Question 11

Gen 1:26-28

Answer 11

1) The key text for Imago Dei.
2)
3) Key text for the cultural mandate

Question 12

“The whole person is the image of the Triune God.”

Answer 12

1) Quote from Herman Bavinck
2) The wholistic definition of the Imago Dei
3) Whole person is reflected in 1) living souls 2) faculties 3) moral composition 4) human body

Question 13

The Whole Person - covenantal relationship w/ God

Answer 13

1) The structural aspect (what kind of being man is) - reflection of God’s character/moral composition
2) The functional aspect (what man does) - exercise dominion
3) The Liturgical position (why we exist) - to commune, love, and worship God.

Question 14

Image of God after the Fall

Answer 14

1) Gen 5 & Gen 9
2) Two key texts for the continuation of the image of God in man
3) Man is still the image of God after the fall & the institution of capital punishment because man is the image of God

Question 15

Image of God in Christ

Answer 15

1) 2 Cor. 4
2) Heb 1
3) Col. 3

Question 16

Image of God in Sanctification:

Answer 16

1) Rom 8
2) 1 Cor. 15
3) 2 Cor. 3
4) James 3

Question 17

“Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God and are enabled more and more to die unto sin and live unto righteousness.”

Answer 17

1) Westminster Shorter Catechism 35
2) We are renewed in two ways, mortification (triumph over sin) and vivification (to reflect and grow His holiness more and more).
3) The progressive conformity of the whole man is enabled by God

Question 18

“The Spirit of God makes the reading, but especially the preaching of the word, an effectual means driving [sinners] out of themselves, and drawing them unto Christ; of conforming and subduing them to his will; of strengthening, building, and establishing their hearts in holiness and comfort through faith unto salvation.”

Answer 18

1) Westminster Larger Catechism 155
2) Showing how the word is made effectual to salvation

3)

Question 19

“Because Christ, having redeemed us by His blood, also renews us by His Holy Spirit to be His image, so that with our whole life we may show ourselves thankful to God for His benefits, and He may be praised by us. Further, that we ourselves may be assured of our faith by its fruits, and that by our godly walk of life we may win our neighbors for Christ.”

Answer 19

1) Heidelberg Confession 86
2) Why we should do good works
3) Our good works reflect Christ in gratitude toward Him