What is the biblical basis for the belief that man is no longer made in God's image?

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This is an interesting topic. Who have you met that truly reflects "the image of God" in their entire lives and lifestyles? Absolutely no-one if you are honest!

The truth is that man was never "fully" in God's image -- otherwise Adam would not have disobeyed His Father. The confusion is due to the translation of "God created man in His own image..." This part of this answer is probably a topic for the Biblical Hermeneutics thread, but the Hebrew actually reads "God CREATES man in His own image, in the image of God creates He him... and her."

Adam's children were born in his image, not God's (Genesis 5:3). Christ is the image of God (Colossians 1:15-17). We are not anything near (yet) to imaging God as Christ did.

BUT, since we were sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13)... we are to conform ourselves to the image of Christ (Romans 12:1,2) and as we do that... we are being changed into that same image by the Spirit (II Corinthians 3:18)

When Christ returns we will be changed -- the new spiritual body is required for us to be fully conformed to Christ's image who is the image of God.

It's very informative to learn that it was not until man "fell" (a non-Biblical term for Adam's disobedience -- he didn't "fall" because he was not "exalted) that God said, "And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil" (Genesis 3:22)! To be conformed to God's image requires the knowledge of good and evil, and so we see the purpose of that test. God knew what Adam would do and planned for it by slaying the lamb "from the foundation (disruption) of the earth" before he even made man (Revelation 13:8). Mankind has to learn good from evil and that is the entire purpose of this earthly existence WHILE we are being made into God's image.

So we see we are now partially (knowing good and evil) -- but not yet fully -- in the image of God. When God becomes "All in all" (I Corinthians 15:28) then "all" will be in His image.

Hope this clarifies things.

Upvote:2

In this particular broadcast (I provided a link in my comment - fast forward to around 9:10), Pastor Rogers claims that although Adam was made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26), Scripture later states - in Genesis 5:3 - that Adam begat a son [Seth] in his own likeness, after his image (KJV). Rogers interprets this to mean that all descendants of Adam were therefore made in Adam's image and likeness, which he says was the "marred and defaced" image of God.

In a very narrow sense, Rogers assertion seems more in alignment with eastern Christian thought than western. The eastern Church understands that one of the consequences of the fall was spiritual damage to man that impaired his ability to cooperate with God's grace. The western view, somewhat tersely, is more along the line of God's removing His grace from man. (As an aside, Orthodox soteriology deals with the healing of man, whereas I think it could be said that western Christian soteriology largely deals with the restoration of God's grace).

It is a subtle theological point, but the eastern Fathers probably would have argued that it was not God's image in man, but rather His likeness that was "marred and defaced". No Orthodox Christian (I think) would dare to say that a consequence of the fall was that man was no longer made in God's image.

There is also a somewhat pedantic point in that Genesis 5:3 refers to Seth, but does not say anything about Cain or Abel.

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