Three major theological models of the image of God

1 The image of God

I. List (and explain) the three major theological models/views of the image of God.

1. Substantive: the image of God exists in some capacity within the makeup of the human. The image of God can be viewed as literal but in most cases is viewed in psychological or spiritual terms, as in the image of God is discernible in the spiritual quality of human nature.

2. Relational: Instead of the image of God being “resident within human nature,” theologians who take the relational view of the image of God see the image as “the experiencing of a relationship”—i.e., humans are created in the image of God in the sense that they bear a special relationship to God (Erickson, 2015).

3. Functional: The image of God is neither something that is resident in humans nor something that is experienced in the relationship of man to God, but rather is something that one does—i.e., it is functional. The image of God is something that is made explicit in the actions of the sons of God, as in their missionary work, their testimony, their witness, etc.

II. (1) identify your view of the image of God; (2) give and explain a key Bible verse or passage (format: Book chapter: verse(s) e.g., John 3:16) directly and explicitly dealing with the image of God and; (3) explain why you believe your chosen model captures the essence of biblical teaching

1. My view is more literal so I embrace the substantive view of the image of God—the idea that we were created in the image and likeness of God. I think that this likeness is mainly in our soul but when you think about Christ you also see that He was both God and man, so there again is another likeness that is physical and literal. So I believe that the image of God is both in a spiritual sense (in the 1st Person of God the Father and in the 3rd Person of God the Holy Ghost) and in a literal sense in the 2nd Person of Jesus Christ.

2. Gen. 1:26 states that “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…’” and Gen. 2:27 states: “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis is not explicit in what these terms image and likeness are, but on a basic level one can understand that it must be substantial for God to have used these terms “image” and “likeness.” If it were not substantial, God would not have used these terms. James also uses this expression “likeness of God” in James 3:9: “With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God,” which is to say that we should definitely be mindful that all of us are created in the image and likeness of God, so we should treat one another with that same dignity and respect that is owed to God.