What is the meaning of God made man in His image in the image of God He made him?

Answer 1

"God made man in His image..." means God made us to look like Him with the same physical characteristics. A head, torso, arms and legs. "..in the image of God made He him", is a reiteration of the first part. In the 'image of Himself' He made man.

(Genesis 1:26-28) Surely this is a spiritual not a physical question...

God made man different from the animals, some of which also have arms, legs, head, torso etc. such as other primates, some of whom share as much as 99% of our DNA. Man being made in his image refers to man being more than just animal, but having a spirit or soul as well.

Some subscribe to the theory that your conscience is evidence of this. Animals do not have the ability to differentiate between good & bad. Pets at home can certainly learn household rules, but this in no way constitutes any form of judgment above and beyond the fear of the consequences or punishment that may ensue if they contravene them.

Man has insight and judgment, which enables him to consider what consequences his actions may have far beyond his own and his family's self interest, and armed with this knowledge may still choose to do the right thing for the greater good, even if it costs him.

No animal would ever do this, as all animals act in their own individual or genetic self interest.

ANSWER

Here I take it is coming from Genesis chapter 1 verse 27 and it says, created man in his own image; in the image of God created he him; yet I suppose it depends which Bible version you are using. However, One needs to know which Gods or God is saying this, as with Genesis1 is repeated meaning that there are two parts of the creation and the first man being made was made by the power of Light and under the direction of the Spirit God of Light being Jehovah. Yet we are dealing with the spirit creation being the first creation of Genesis chapter 1, as all things need to have power and the Spirit was what moved upon the deep and made all things BE. In chapter two you will note it reads he was "formed from the dust". We often create blue prints and draw up plans before making somethings, so is the case with the creation and the making of REALITY. Dressing and installing the various things that are made, and after Adam was formed from the dust and by spiritual power the breath of life was breathed into that which had been formed. If you had access to the Book of Abraham you would read this to be the case. The Spirit of the man also being added before the breath of life and man became a living soul. That which designed and planned all even the intelligence and that was the Ghost being the Invisible God in whose image Paul said Jesus was created. As man grows his ghost is developed in him being given by the power of the Spirit from our original place of creation which place is that God who Jesus said, "I am in the father and the father is in me" he was in the father who holds all the seeds of creation and that is EXISTENCE where all things have come from. And it is also written that Jesus grew in grace meaning that his intelligence was added to him. And at the resurrection at the tomb where Mary wanted to touch him he said, "...that he had yet to go unto his father and your father and to his god and your god", meaning the one and the same from where we all originated.

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Different denominations will answer this differently but I assert that if we could look upon God we would see an infinitely glorious version of a human. We look like him except that he is glorified, omniscient, omnipotent, immortal, eternal, and perfect - and made us in his "image" but mundane, of limited knowledge, limited power, mortal, temporary, and (physically because we are mortal and morally because we sin) imperfect.

Answer 2

Most religious individuals interpret that construction to mean that people were made with a greater capacity to understand their world, compassion towards others, the ability to fashion and design their world, and, most importantly, to violate their natural instincts by way of free will.

Answer 3

According to Genesis 1:26,27 God did, indeed, make humanity in His image and likeness. This is a central tenet of Jewish/Christian/Muslim belief.

Another answer:

Yes, God made man in His image, but then man (Adam and Eve) disobeyed God and sinned. Then they became what we are today. But those of us who are ready will be like Him one day.

• Philippians 3:21 NIVBy the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
• 1 John 3:2 NIVWe are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him

Answer 4

The Bible doesn't say why ... it just says "Then God said, Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

Answer

From my research I am of the opinion that God was a creation of man to be in the image and likeness of the rulers of those times. God was created in the image and likeness of the political/religious leaders to satisfy the administrative expediency of the respective societies and cultures.

Absolutely no individual involved in organized religion has a conclusive answer to the question of proving the existence of God! Many religious zealots will venture to market their particular brand of theology in an attempt to create a convincing argument that their dogma contains the only credible proof that the God-Fantasy is true.

It is apparent from many of the religious doctrines that this imaginary entity they call GOD is actually a slave master and a selfish, jealous authoritarian.

Some religions proclaim that their God demands absolute obedience and servitude in exchange for a lottery ticket to a place called Heaven.

This God discriminates against those who don't follow his prescribed doctrines and the attendant authorities of his exclusive appointees. Anyone who dares to challenge his absolute and dictatorial authority is punished with eternal damnation in a dungeon called Hell. He also creates numerous disasters and plagues to annihilate those who do not find his favor. But he makes no effort to eradicate the scourge of vicious criminals who continue to terrorize good people in society. He blames the evil on his most powerful rival he calls Satan. It is pure theological sentimentalism to suggest that a person's life is governed by a supernatural Judge. This higher power unfairly places one baby in the home of an affluent family while dumping the other in the home of pauper. This higher power places one soul in a beautiful and wholesome body while punishing the other with the hellish imprisonment in a diseased and deformed body.

Religious leaders use God and Satan as a system of punishment and reward for what they determine to be Goodness or Sin, in order to subjugate their gullible followers.

When religious leaders of the world are engaged in preaching hate and intolerance against other religious belief systems, then it is obvious that people would question the purpose of God. Some religious leaders behave as though they are businessmen competing in the market, advertising that theirs is the only genuine and certified product on the market.

Answer 5

the image of the human being is a sacred creation that god hath made. god says you should'nt mame yourself nor hurt yourself for it is evil and immoral. god gave you the body you have always wanted. that is right you wan't the body that you hath shaped.

Answer 6

bible

I can only guess as I don't know how god might think. Perhaps it was to have persons like him that were not him that he could interact with (the 3 persons of the trinity are all him, perhaps he was bored with that). The angels are not like him (or us, though they can appear in forms like ours).

Answer 7

There are two creation stories in Genesis (Genesis 1:1-2:4a and 2:4b-25) and the answer is surprisingly different for each.

Leon R. Kass (The Beginning of Wisdom: Reading Genesis) says that in the first story, man is made directly in the image of God (1:27), but in the second he only becomes god-like at the end - "now the man is become like one of us" (3:22) and only in transgression. Exactly what is meant by the image of God in the first account is somewhat unclear, but in the second account it is man's god-like knowledge of good and evil, after having eaten of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

For more information, please visit: http://christianity.answers.com/theology/the-story-of-creation

Answer 8

Mankind was created with a soul, with free-will, with the capacity for vast understanding and for holiness. See also:

Is there evidence for Creation?

Refuting the JEPD Documentary Hypothesis

How many creation-narratives in Genesis? (a Christian author)

Answer 9

To make man, God fashioned the appropriate shape from dirt and breathed a soul into it (Genesis ch.2). He then made the first woman by fashioning her from a piece of the man's flesh (ibid).

Day by day, God created the universe and its contents (Genesis ch.1).God created the universe out of nothing (Exodus 20:11, Isaiah 40:28; Rashi commentary to Genesis 1:14; Maimonides' "Guide," 2:30).Note that the Torah, in describing the Creation, deliberately employs brevity and ellipsis, just as it does in many other topics. See the Talmud, Hagigah 11b.

• On day 1: God created the universe in general, light, and this Earth. The light was not the same as that of the sun. Rather, it was light that God created before the sun, and which emanated from a point in space without any physical source; like what we might term a "white hole."
  
• On day 2: God created the separation between the Earth and the upper atmosphere.
  
• On day 3: God separated the continents from the oceans, and created plants.
  
• On day 4: God created the sun, moon, and stars.
  
• On day 5: God created birds and fish.
  
• On day 6: God created animals and people.
  
• On day 7: God ceased creating, thereby creating the concept of rest.
  

See also:

Is there evidence for Creation?

Can you show that God exists?

Seeing God's wisdom

Answer 10

Leon R. Kass (The Beginning of Wisdom: Reading Genesis) explains that, in the first creation story (Genesis 1:1-2:"4a), man is made directly in the image of God (1:27), but in the second story (Genesis 2:4b-25) he only becomes god-like at the end - “now the man is become like one of us” (3:22) - when he had sinned.