How is humanity "created in the image of God"?

[PJM]

Gen.1 Verses 26 to 27

“Then 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 birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them”

 

[GaryTaylor]

Right, and if you won’t believe this Book, what book will you believe?

 

[JHow]

There are many ways to answer this question, but I think one of the most telling is that, like the Creator, we also like to create and make things: works of art, music, buildings, crafts, products, etc. It not just that we need to make things to live, but also that we enjoy it.

 

[GaryTaylor]

There are many ways to answer this question, but I think one of the most telling is that, like the Creator, we also like to create and make things: works of art, music, buildings, crafts, products, etc. It not just that we need to make things to live, but also that we enjoy it.

Right for me, the Fire of Love God instilled in all those through Baptism we spread and desire to do so. This enables perfect Love of self and others and humanity itself. The ultimate result can only be itself on a larger scale. God is pure LOVE.

The Fire of this Love cannot nor will not be extingushed, sometimes its been contained, most ofter its grown. We learn to take this spiritual aspect with us where we go. Its our reality which is a direct reality to Gods. The pure state of Love is His pure state of Love.

Peace

 

[stayinthelight]

Hi, PJM

I hope my question isn’t taken the wrong way, but is this thread in the right forum? How is this related to non-Catholic religions?

I’m somewhat new here, so I’m genuinely curious about why this thread appears in this forum.

I have another question for you or anyone else who wants to try to answer it.

Why is the plural “us” or “we” mentioned in that verse? Is it a reference to the Trinity?

I remember seeing a comment on YouTube about how someone interpreted the plural “we” or “us” as many Gods. They were trying to debunk Christianity by using that verse.

 

[VeritasLuxMea]

Hi, PJM

I hope my question isn’t taken the wrong way, but is this thread in the right forum? How is this related to non-Catholic religions?

I’m somewhat new here, so I’m genuinely curious about why this thread appears in this forum.

I have another question for you or anyone else who wants to try to answer it.

Why is the plural “us” or “we” mentioned in that verse? Is it a reference to the Trinity?

I remember seeing a comment on YouTube about how someone interpreted the plural “we” or “us” as many Gods. They were trying to debunk Christianity by using that verse.

You have to understand that they were polytheistic for a long time. There were multiple gods in the old tradition. There were gods and goddesses. That is why there is a plural and that is why the genders are mentioned.

You really can’t retrofit the trinity, a concept imagined far later, back into this text. Plus, it simply makes no sense to mention the genders if it’s the trinity because neither God nor Jesus nor the Holy Spirit are female.

That person was correct that it is PLURAL, “We” and “OUR image”, etc., and also correct about there being multiple gods. This does not debunk Christianity, though. It just tells you that many people of the time were polytheistic. In and of itself, that is hardly surprising as it is confirmed throughout the Old Testament.

 

[PJM]

=stayinthelight;8431164]Hi, PJM

I hope my question isn’t taken the wrong way, but is this thread in the right forum? How is this related to non-Catholic religions?

I’m somewhat new here, so I’m genuinely curious about why this thread appears in this forum.

I have another question for you or anyone else who wants to try to answer it.

Why is the plural “us” or “we” mentioned in that verse? Is it a reference to the Trinity?

I remember seeing a comment on YouTube about how someone interpreted the plural “we” or “us” as many Gods. They were trying to debunk Christianity by using that verse.

I choose this forum in order to gain the widest possible set of reasons

And I’m unclear about the second part. Where did I reference “we or us”? I’m most happy to respond if yo’ll clarify what your looking for.

God bless,
Pat

 

[stayinthelight]

Hi Pat

"Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness;”

I was referring to the “us” mentioned in that quote.

I’m not sure I understand VeritasLuxMea’s response above. I thought the God of the Old Testament was the same God of the New Testament, one God, not many gods. Isn’t the one true God the God that speaks in Genesis? Why would He use the word “us”? Or, in my Bible, the word “we”?

Having said that, I must admit that I’m not a Bible expert by any stretch of the imagination.

But the good news is I love God and Christianity more than I ever have in the past, so hopefully my journey with the Bible is just beginning.

Have a good day.

 

[PJM]

=stayinthelight;8431407]Hi Pat

"Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness;”

I was referring to the “us” mentioned in that quote.

I’m not sure I understand VeritasLuxMea’s response above. I thought the God of the Old Testament was the same God of the New Testament, one God, not many gods. Isn’t the one true God the God that speaks in Genesis? Why would He use the word “us”? Or, in my Bible, the word “we”?

Having said that, I must admit that I’m not a Bible expert by any stretch of the imagination.

But the good news is I love God and Christianity more than I ever have in the past, so hopefully my journey with the Bible is just beginning.

Have a good day.

THANKS!

yep: Only One God always and forever too:thumbsup:

Pat

 

[VeritasLuxMea]

Hi Pat

"Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness;”

I was referring to the “us” mentioned in that quote.

I’m not sure I understand VeritasLuxMea’s response above. I thought the God of the Old Testament was the same God of the New Testament, one God, not many gods. Isn’t the one true God the God that speaks in Genesis? Why would He use the word “us”? Or, in my Bible, the word “we”?

Having said that, I must admit that I’m not a Bible expert by any stretch of the imagination.

But the good news is I love God and Christianity more than I ever have in the past, so hopefully my journey with the Bible is just beginning.

Have a good day.

The word is “Elohim”, which is the plural form. People have tried to explain this away with all sorts of clever maneuvering but the facts are the facts.

This is a problem only for Biblical literalists who believe the Bible is inerrant.

It is not so much an issue in Catholicism, though, as the Church has grown in understanding over time. Likewise, so did the Hebrews.

A lot of people harp on this passage because of the polytheistic element of it, but polytheism is all over the Old Testament. So, it’s really no surprise.

It doesn’t mean that God has changed, but rather, what man knows about God has indeed changed. Think about it: Jesus didn’t appear on Earth until about 2,000 years ago. Yet, man exist for much, much, MUCH longer than that. So, did Jesus change man’s understanding of God? Certainly (well, for all Christians, certainly.) Does that mean that Jesus changed or didn’t exist before that? Certainly not.

The ancient Hebrews were polytheistic for a very long time and then came to see unity in the god of the Bible, Yahweh. Yahweh is the same god as the god of the New Testament.