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Imago Dei (Image of God)
I attach my preach notes from Sunday.
The prayer points at the end of the talk possibly indicate a relevant way in to the subject with regards to application and some suitable questions for how people are living out the call to be image bearers.
Have a good one! Robin
Preach on Imago Dei - What does it mean to be fully human??
[As Christians, what does it mean for us to be the new humanity]
P Diddy video - what does God think of it?
Intro.
Imago Dei
Read Genesis 1:26-28
God is God, we are not! (idolatry!)
He is the one who describes what we are
We carry His thumb-print
At the same time, He does not control us!
He gives us a free will
We are not compelled to do stuff by God or by the gods
He doesn’t war with us, He wants to share with us, work with us, He wants to harness our creativity
Relevance for us as individuals and as church (major on church)
Focus will be expanded through subsequent talks on gender, sexuality, ecology
Find that as ever, a close look at scripture + grasp of doctrines about God - e.g. Trinity
enable us to make assessments of the values and culture of our day rather than vice-versa [- lot of theology through history + today that is shaped by the culture around us!]
Imago Dei - definition
Scripture
OT
Hebrew - selem (image) carving or cutting - e.g. carved likeness of person or animal
demut (likeness) root = ‘ to be like’ - used interchangeably
combined = ‘man is a representation of God, who is like God in certain respects’
Gen 1:26-28 - everything refers back to
NT
Greek word: ‘eikon’ = image
David Cairns: used in 3 main senses in NT
1. Christ’s dignity and divine Sonship
2. likeness of God which believers enter into through faith in Christ
3. man’s humanity
‘second is the central one’
e.g.
2Cor. 3:18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever–increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
now/not yet of discipleship - more later!
Passage
v26 Let us (probably angelic host) but Trinity involved
Image of God phrase used together with commission or covenant blessing
1. male and female v27
2. be fruitful and increase (families) v28
3. fill the earth and subdue it v28
Three key elements of what it means for us to be fully human and to be fully church together.
Three areas that get cursed following the fall (3:16-19)
Posing question: how is God going to fulfill his purpose of bringing blessing in these areas
Genesis follows the story with account of marriage + division and curse within marriages
childbearing + curse of child-bearing, difficulties with child-bearing, pain of having children who commit terrible sins
work + curse of work
3 elements of Imago Dei:
[What makes us human? How do we bear the image of God?]
Theologians asking these questions historically have described the Imago Dei in one of the following terms:
1. Substance..
(Often influenced by Plato - divided spirit and matter
Irenaeus, Acquinas - our intellect or ability to reason
Reformers - just a relic of God’s image, refers only to our ability to reflect God (Calvin)
2. Relationship..
More recent theologians - Imago Dei found in our relationships to God, to one another, to non-personal creation
3. Function..
Image found in something that man or woman does
Purely refers to dominion
As we obey God’s command to rule we are in His image
Q. Which is right??!!
All three: look at how relates to a) God and b) to His image bearers:
Substance of God
Three persons, one substance - Trinitarian God
Comments that the substance of God is love
God’s relationality
e.g. Gregory of Nyssa and perichoresis - the dance - mutual inclusion,
We derive our sense of self from the relationships that we have
God as functional being
God creates in first five days of creation then calls man to create
The Imago Dei fulfilled in Christ Jesus:
Problem of call of image bearers unfulfilled because of sin and death - problem overcome, call fulfilled in Christ
Christ referred to as second Adam in NT
1 Corinthians 15: 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
Not just function:
Substance of Love, not least for the Father
Many children!
Summary:
“In some way humans in the beginning were like God. An aspect of this likeness was lost in the Fall, and an aspect was retained. Christ is the image of God, the new Adam. Those who are in Christ are being transformed through the restoration of the image of God.” (B.Skrentny)
We are only fully human when we are in union with Christ!
The Christian and the Church’s status:
Marriage - bride of Christ
Family - body of Christ
Work - Christ’s army, His servants
The Christian and the Church’s activity:
Worship - attending to the bridegroom
Community - serving the body
Mission - seeking to multiply so that Jesus Kingdom comes everywhere
[I feel alive when... ]
Our society struggling with the tensions of these three areas outside of union with Christ
business, politics and culture
Church model something beautiful!
Do you want to be fully human? Offer is there through Jesus!!
“God’s creation was for definite purposes. Man was intended to know, love and obey God. He was to live in harmony with his fellow man, as the story of Cain and Abel indicates. And he was certainly placed here upon the earth to exercise dominion over the rest of creation. Man is most fully man when he is active in these relationships and performs this function, for he is then fulfilling his telos, God’s purpose for him. But these are the consequences or the applications of the image. The image itself is that set of qualities that are required for these relationships and this function to take place. They are those qualities of God which reflected in man, make worship, personal interaction and work possible. If we think of God as being with these qualities, we will have no problem accepting the fact that man has such qualities as well. [...] This is the image in which man was created”
Millard J Erickson, Christian Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1984)
Response:
Want to grow in the qualities of an Image Bearer?
Want to grow in the qualities of what it means to be fully human?
1. Idolized yourself, idolized other people
Jesus is the only one to totally fulfill the call of Genesis 1:28
He doesn’t want you to be someone else!
2. Feel controlled by stuff - God is in business of setting us free, of harnessing our gifts
He wants to work with you towards that aim
3. How we think about others, how we treat others - (in the church, in the world) potential that God is wanting to enjoy and harness - not control
Pray:
A. Not Christian - embrace life, can embrace humanity in its fullness through union with Christ
B. Christian: Opportunity to embrace more life, become more like Jesus
involve us in worship, living in community and in working to manifest the Kingdom where we live
C. Specific prayers - prayer team
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Robin Plummer, 26/01/2010 |
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