6

The Whole Man as

the Image of God:
A Biblical Perspective
Rev. Jess Stanfield
Introduction
Any culture at war with God
is at war with nlan, beoause
man images God. To hate
God is to love death. As our
culture's affinity for abortion
demonstrates, we live in a
culture of death. Man is the
likeness of God (although sin
has heavily distorted that
likeness), and anyone who
suppresses that truth distorts,
murders, and deceives. This
confusion coupled with
anemic preaching on this
doctrine has created anemic
Christians, ill-equipped to
combat this culture of death.
The purpose of this paper is
not to outline fully the effects
of a skewed understanding-of
man's origin, nor is it to "break
new ground" on the biblical
understanding of man as
God's image-bearer. Instead,
we will review the biblical
treatment of man bearing the
image of God in every facet,
the Creator God who defines
and determines all in all.
To gain an understanding of
the doctrine of man we must
first look to man's origin. To
appreciate the fullness of
man's origin, however, we
must also look to the second
Adam. The two Adams must be
juxtaposed, for they together
teach us the depth and wonder
of God's majestic character and
good providence in creating
mankind. We will first briefly
discuss several distorted views
of man, comparing these along
with various comments by
Reformed theologiaris. Next, we
will examine God's perspective
of man as His image bearer as a
spiritual being. Finally, we will
review mankind as God's image
bearer in his physical makeup.
The Reformed View
Compared to Distortions
Man is not autonomous even
when he thinks he is, and he
does not define himself. He
must be defined according
to his image, character, and
calling. We know that all things
have their being in God in
terms of His sovereign decree
and purpose, and departure
from that course will mean
only disaster.1 The Bible says
that God made man in His
own image (Genesis 1:27).
What is that image of God?
Reformed theologians speak
of the image of God making
man human. Though there is
variation among the Reformed
community on the details of the
image, most all agree that God
is the fountain of "humanness."
In other words, man is what he
is because God is who He is.
The image of God is essential to
man; without God's image man
is simply an animated animal.
The following comments
demonstrate the Reformed
perspeotive of the image
of God in man:
1. "Man is from the outset
the recipient of unique
endowment and dignity."2
Here John Murray emphasizes
the uniqueness of man as
compared with the other
creatures. He is given dignity
and blessed with value far
above the other creatures
because of the image of God.
2. "But the likeness in man
consists chiefly in man's
Original moral perfection, the
intelligence and rectitude of
his conscience."3 Dabney
highlights the fact that
mankind's original innocence
The Counsel of Chalcedon
and perfection is a stamp of
the iIuage of God upon hilu.
3. "To be human is to be an
of God, oreated
in His likeness and originally
righteous and holy. The
\vhole person is the iIuage
of the whole deity .... Yet it is
important to insist that the
whole person is the iluage of
the whole, that is, the triune
God. The hunlan soul, all the
hUluan faculties, the virtues
of knowledge, righteousness,
and holiness, and even the
human body images God. The
incarnation of our Lord is
definitive proof that hU111ans,
not angels, are created in the
image of God, and that the
human body is an essential
cOluponent of that image.
Frotu the beginning creation
was arranged, and human
nature was inllnediately so
created that it was alllenable
to, and fit for, the highest
degree of oonfonllity to God
and for the nlost intilllate
indwelling of God."4 Bavinck
here underscores the
Refon11ed perspective that
is a direct result
of the iIllage of God borne
by Inankind. Vve will touch
more on this subject later.
4. "He created 1uan, 1uale and
female, with reasonable and
inlluottal souls, endued with
knowledge, righteousness,
and ttue holiness, after
His own iInage; having the
law of God written in their
hearts, and power to fulfill it;
and yet under a possibility
of transgressing, being left
to the liberty of their own
will, which was subject unto
change." The \Vestininster
Confession, Chapter IV. Par. II
again develops this doctrine,
relating the image of God with
the creation of 1nankind.
Making the Nations ChTist's Disciples
The lVhole Man as the hnage of God: A Biblical PeTspective
is pride, and its children
\Vith this backdrop, it nlight be are arrogant hU1nanists.
easy for us to nlove on to an
explication and application of Rotuan Catholicisnl espouses
these truths. Before we do so, another insidious and
however, we should be aware of unbiblical view of nlan. It
the weaponry that our enemy teaches that God created 111an
Satan utilizes to undermine with positive righteousness, but
this Even the Church that 111an 1uerely
doctrine. t 1 g ff needs grace added
The a ar e to his positive
Church at fron1 and righteousness.
large dangerous VIews of The "iluage"
suffers Man which underluine of God in 111an
fr0111 God's luajesty and simply 111eans
several luan's dignity... that positive
unbiblical righteousness
and dangerous views of Man 1nust be activated through
which undenuine both God's grace infused by God and
111ajesty and 1uan's dignity, and kept by the work of 111an.
are fertile soil for the wicked This understanding of the
roots of heresy. Three of these "il11age" of God has created
unbiblioal views are: gross inconsistencies -
Pelagianis111, R0111an including l110nasticisnl and
Catholicis111, and An11inianisnl. Gnosticisnl, as well as horrible
Pelagianisnl posits that
God created 1uan l110rally
indifferent. Pelagius taught
that the image of God in nlan
consists only in a natural
God-given possibility of
perfection. Mankind could
never lose this possibility of
perfection. Despite any change
associated with the Fall, the
il11age of God in Pelagius'
view re1uained a part of every
hU1nan being. Every human,
therefote, could exercise an
ability to becOl11e a "co-worker"
with God in salvation. To
Pelagius, God provides the
ability, but 111an provides the
will. This false understanding
of 111an allows hinl to define
hilnself. Essentially, it rejects
the Creator God and rejects
the sovereign de111ands placed
upon the creature by his
God. Although this view
e1uphasizes the "dignity" of
111an, it rejects the source of
that dignity - God! Its father
heresies - including 111ysticisnl
and sacerdotalisrll. Such
teachering points its students
to look for their "inward
righteousness," and thus reject
Christ and His perfection.
A third unbiblical view of
the "iluage of God" is widely
held by 111any Protestant
An11inians. This distortion
teaohes that God created 111an
with His il11age in rationality
and freed0111 of the \vill. Man
should choose the spiritual
gift provided by God. In this
view, the il11age of God siI11ply
1ueans that 111an should and
can exercise abilities given
hinl by God. According to this
teaching, fallen 111an does not
possess positive righteousness,
but he is innocent before
God due to his bearing God's
itnage. Such a view has
led 111any in the Church to
gravitate toward spiritualis1u,
and created false dichot0111ies
between the "sacred" and
Continued on Page 19
7
The Whole Man as the I1nage of God: A Biblical PeTspective (continuedfr01n page 7)
"seoular," enlasoulating
the Churoh luilitant.
As oontrasted with these
faulty and heretioal views,
the ReforIued view of man
proolai1us that God is the
arohetype of Man. Man is
man beoause he refleots the
oharaoter of God in every
faoet of his being. His entire
existenoe - soul and body -
demonstrates that he is au
image-bearer of the Living
God. It is the task of Christian
Theology to enlphasize that
the image of God is in man's
being in its entirety. 5
The Image of God
in Man Spiritually
Certain oharaoteristios of
mankind inherently display
the glorious iIuage of our
Creator God. Some of
these oharaoteristios are
more tangible or "physioal";
others are spiritual in
nature. The inl1uateriality,
inl1uortality, reasonability,
knowledge, holiness, and
emotions of luankind
reveal the iIuage of God.
Immateriality.
Man was separated from the
ani1uals by the triune God
taking oounsel together and
fashioning luan, then breathing
into hi1u the breath of life, Gen
1:26, 27; 2:7. Vve not only see
man as spiritual but Spirit-
filled. George Slueaton uses
Gen 2:7 to point out that God
breathed the breath of lives
(plural) into luan, thus filling
hhunot only with a soul but
also with the Holy Spirit. The
fullness of the Spirit indwelt
Adanl like no other man
save Christ HiIuself. So the
image of God in l11an relates
direotly to the inl1uateriality
IY1aking the Nations Ohdst's Disciples
of luan - his spiritual essenoe.
Vvithout it, we would be
s o u l ~ l e s s and not hUluan.
Inlluortality.
Adanl was oreated to live
forever. God is eternal and
is everlasting; luan also is an
eternal being (though with a
beginning). Man's soul lives
and will last forever, either in
eternity with a glorified body
or in Hell with a body that will
endure everlasting punishment.
Man's inlluortality refleots the
oharaoter of God, and shows
that he bears the iluage of God.
Reasonability.
God requires man to think His
thoughts after HiIu. Man is a
reasonable oreature oapable
of hearing the Word of God
and oonsidering His ways. In
the book of Matthew, Chapter
22:37, our Lord repeats the
oonl1uandluent - to love the
Lord with all your luind, soul,
and strength, Deut. 6:5. It is
the greatest oonlluandluent.
Man thus bears the iIuage of
God in his ability to reason
and oonsider oreation in
light of God's Word. Man
further deluonstrates this
iIuage through his ability
to deoide and detenuine.
Making deoisions displays
authority and sovereignty. The
Godhead deoided to nlake
nlan in theil' iluage, and God
ohoose a oertain nlan, Adam,
to represent the entire world.
Although luan's deoisions do
not shake the foundations of
heaven and earth, his thinking
and deoiding bears the iluage
of his God. Man "iIuages"
the Trinity when luaking
godly deoisions. Deu 29:29;
Deu 4:6; Ps 92:5; Ps 139:17.
Language.
Closely related to luan's ability
to reason is his ability to
speak. God does not luerely
oall us to think like HiIu,
we nlust speak like Hilu as
well. Adanl was luade to
oonl111unioate with God. The
Godhead oonl1uunioates
anlong One another, and Adanl
inl111ediately oonlluunioated
with Eve as a vioe-regent of
God (Genesis 2; 3). Language
is a tool for rule and d01uinion,
and God oreated luan with the
ability to oover and subdue the
earth with His \Vord. Man's
oonll11unioation bespeaks his
being an iluage-bearer of God.
huportantly, the seoond
Adanl is oalled the "Word" of
God. Jesus spoke the words
given to HiIu by the Father
(John 17:8), and His words
were truth and life. Jesus, the
seoond AdaIu, bore the iIuage
of God and spoke restoration
and truth to His hearers.
Eluotion.
The iluage of God displays
itself further in the en lotion of
luankind. God loved AdaIU and
deluonstrated it by plaoing hinl
in His Garden - the Garden of
Eden (or "pleasure"). God also
gave AdaIU a helplueet, one
like hilu, S01ueone for Adanl to
love. God loves Hiluself - the
Father loves the Son ("This is
lUY beloved Son, in \Vh01U I
anl well pleased"). Adanlloved
Eve the nlonlent he saw her.
He even prophesied that l11an
will leave father and nl0ther to
ole ave to his wife. We know
that Adanl understood love.
He also understood fear.
\Vhen he and Eve sinned
they were afraid of God and
hid from HiIu. While God
displays perfeot eI11otion,
luankind's enlOtions are
oonfused and nlarred by sin.
They s01uetilues love what
they ought to hate and hate
19
20
The Whole Man as the Image of Goel: A Biblical Perspective
what they ought to love. They
fear man rather than fearing
God. Still, man shows his
image-bearing through his
emotions. Jesus was saddened
when the rich young ruler did
not sell all he had to follow
Him. He was grieved over
Lazarus' death. He wept over
unrepentant Jerusalem. He
showed anger at those who
abused His Father house of
prayer. These emotions in the
God-Man and the emotion in
mankind further demonstrate
that man is the image-bearer
of his Creator. I John 4:16, 8,
12; Ps 33:18; Ps 5:4; Ps 11:5.
Knowledge.
God created Adam with perfect
(sufficient but incomplete)
knowledge concerning Him
and His will for man. Adam's
knowledge was not infinite
knowledge - it was limited
in scope and depth. He had
first knowledge and second
knowledge. First knowledge
was the inherent knowledge
with which God bestowed
Adam. For example, God
created Adam with a mature
understanding of himself
and his surroundings. God
did not introduce Himself
to Adam; Adam already
knew who God was. His
knowledge was complete; it
was exactly what he needed
to know and no more.
Second knowledge consisted
of God's revealed will to Adam.
God commanded him to keep
and tend the Garden. God
commanded him further to
multiply and fill the earth,
to rule and subdue it. God
told him not to eat of the tree
in the midst of the garden
lest he die. Did God explain
death? Did God explain what
"multiply" meant? Did He
sit down and lecture Adam
how to subdue and rule? No,
but He unveiled His plans
to man more and more fully
throughout history. Man needs
special revelation. Adam
required it before the Fall;
how much more does fallen
man need this revelation?
The fact that man grows in
the knowledge of himself and
of God demonstrates that
he is an image-bearer of his
Creator. Col 3:2; Eph 4:23;
Righteousness and Holiness.
God made Adam with original
righteousness, upright and
just in character. Adam
perfectly conformed to God's
standard and moral law, for
it was written on his heart.
He perfectly matched Gods
standard without cavil. God
is righteous and the originator
of all righteousness and the
righteousness of Adam shows
that he bore God's image.
Also, Adam was arrayed
with a holy character. God
set him apart for His glory.
He shined with holiness.
Holiness was his distinguishing
feature. The Lord God is
infinitely holy. He will never
be anything but holy, and all
His attributes have holiness
lavished on theni. Adam loved
and obeyed God the moment
he was created, and that
holiness reflects the image
of God. Eph 4:24; Col 3:10.
The Image of God
in Man Physically
Not only do certain spiritual
characteristics of man convey
the image of God, but man
also reflects this image
through tangible and physical
characteristics. What God is
without a body, man is with a
body. A philosophy that does
not know or rejects this reality
always lapses into empiricism
or rationalisnl, materialism
or spiritualism.6 Body and
Spirit must be reconciled,
and biblical Christianity
perfectly harmonizes these.
The Body of Adam.
God created Adam's body out
of the dust of the earth. He
pronounced all that He had
made, including Adam, as
very good, or exceedingly
good. God, the only fountain
of righteousness and the
infinitely holy One, declared
His creation to be pleasing
and satisfying. Man's creation
completed His creative work.
God's image being borne by
man callsed God to proclaim
that all was "very good."
The physical body of Adam
thus perfectly and completely
fulfilled God's design for the
creation. He. endued Adam
with all the physical abilities
he would need to perform
the tasks God called him to
do. His body enabled Adam
to work, to subdlle the earth,.
to multiply, to cultivate, and
to have dominion over the
earth as a vice-regent of
God. The goodness of the
body of man demonstrates
that he bears God's image.
Marriage.
God not only created Adam,
He created Eve. This creation
wonderfully exemplifies the
Godhead. Genesis 1:27 states,
"God made man in His own
image, in the image of God He
created him; male and female
He created them." Man is here
male and female. God joined
the two together and made
them "one flesh" (Genesis
2:24). Man and woman in
m r r i ~ g e are one flesh. God
the Father, Son, and Spirit
are one God (Deuteronomy
The Counsel of Chalceelon
6:4). God oreated 111an; 111an
and wife Man
is a father to his ohildren;
God is our heavenly Father
(Matthew 6:9). The union
and oommunion between a
husband and wife is a glorious
representation of the union and
oonll11union of the Godhead.
The faot that Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit 0011lnlUne together
and oreated 111 an to OOnlll1Une
with his wife deIllOnstrates
the image of God in nlan.
Inoarnation.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, the
second Adam, OaIlle into this
world as a man in the flesh.
He is fully God and fully l11an.
Jesus did not 111erely "look like"
a 111an. He did not si111ply act
like a man. He was 111 an - born
of a woman. At His baptism
God was well pleased with
Hi111 (Matthew 3: 17) . Jesus
the man - body and soul -
pleased the Living God, and
He announced His pleasure to
the world. The Incarnation
of our Lord - the second
Person of the Trinity - shows
that the body of 111anltind
bears the image of God.
Redemption.
Just as Christ the second Adanl
came as fully 111an, His work
of redemption saves 111an fully.
Salvation conIes to the whole
man, not just his soul. Christ
OaIlle in the likeness of 111en
so He oould redeenl His elect,
body and soul (Hebrews 2: 14-
16). Certain Gnostics of Paul's
day hated this fact, and could
not understand how God (\Vho
is Spirit) oould C0111e in flesh.
But we know that God created
111 an "very good" (body and
soul), and though 111 an's sin
has polluted and distorted the
body and mind (Jere111iah 17:9,
Titus 1:15, Gen 6:5), "Christ
CaIlle in the likeness of sinful
Making the Nations Christ's Disciples
The HTlwle ]l,l[an as the bnage qf God: A Biblical PeTspective
flesh and as an offering for sin,
He condeIllned sin in the flesh"
(R0111ans 8:3). Jesus put away
sin by His saorifioe (Hebrews
9:26). "By this we have been
sanotified through the offering
of the body of Jesus Christ
onoe for all" (Hebrews 10:10).
Rede111ption of the body and
A clear understanding
of the iluage of God
in luan is ituperative
for the Church to
cOlubat the dangerous
distortions around us.
soul is certain. The Messiah
ca111e to rescue His people fr0111
their sins. These sins do not
exist in S0111e ethereal spirit
realm. Instead they occur in
real life, and oause real-life
proble111s. Just as the "life
of the flesh is in the blood"
(Levitious 17:11), blood 111USt be
shed for the remission of sins.
Real blood 111USt be spilt for
our sins to be forgiven. Praise
God that He sent His Son as
a real 111an to spill real blood!
The reality and physicality
of rede111ption shows that
we bear the i111age of God.
Resurrection. '
\Ve know further that the
body will be resurreoted and
glorified (John 11:24; Acts
24:15; R0111ans 6:5). Our
actual physioal makeup will
one day be reunited to our
souls, and we will have a
perfect body. His people - soul
and body - will be glorified to
sing His praises for eternity.
\Vhat better truth shows
the i111age of God in 111 an ?
Conclusion
In sunll11ary, a clear
understanding of the i111age
of God in 111an is i111perative
for the Church to c0111bat the
dangerous distortions around
us. \Ve nlust teach this truth
oonfidently to intercept and
oounter the and
"No Fear" that
thrive on the adrenaline of
testing God. Vole nlust counter
the 'Materialist who rejeots
his own soul, believing 111an
has only the "here and now."
The biblioal understanding of
the doctrine of 111 an counters
the E111piricist who believes
reality is what he 111akes of
it. It oauses such a 111an to
bow before the great Definer.
This doctrine brings healing
to the Pietist who thinks
liberation will C0111e when
death arrives; who falsely
believes that sin conIes fr0111
his "body." The doctrine
is also a sword against the
Evolutionist, who clai111s 111an
00111es fr0111 nothing to nothing.
The truth of Man - the first
Adam understood through
the gospel of the last Adanl
- will give hope and deliver
fr0111 such vain and foolish
speculations. Only the
Reformed doctrine of 111an as
the image of God counters
these false understandings, and
gives hope to those who seek
hope. The faot that nlan bears
God's hllage in body and soul
stirs us to greater obedience
and fruitfulness. It also points
us to our dear Savior. To quote
Henllan Bavinok, "Man fonlls
a unity of the 111aterial and
spiritual world, a 111irror of the
universe. A connecting link,
00111pendiu111, the epit0111e of all
of nature, a 111iorocos111, and,
precisely on that account, also
21
22
The Whole Man as the Image of God: A Biblical Perspective
the image and likeness of God,
his son and heir, a micro-divine
- being (mikrotheos). He is the
prophet who explains God and
proclaims His excellencies; he
is the priest who consecrates
himself with all that is created
to God as a holy offering;
he is king who guides and
governs all things in justice
and rectitude. And in all this
he points to One who in a still
higher and richer sense is the
revelation and image of God, to
Him who is the only begotten
of the Father, the firstborn of
all creatures. Adam, the son
of God, ... a type of Christ/'
Bibliography
A New Systematic Theology
of the Christian Faith, by
Robert L. Raymond
Dictionary of Theological Terms,
Third Edition by Alan Cairns
Calvin's Institutes of the
Christian Religion, Book 1; Ford
Lewis Battles Translation
Collected 'Writings of John Murray
Collected Writings of James
Henley Thornwell, Volume I
Louis Berkhof Systematic Theology
Systematic Theology, Volume
I and II by R.J. Rushdoony
Shedd's Dogmatic Theology,
by William G. T. Shedd
Reformed Dogmatics, Volume
II by. Herman Bavink
Westminster Confession of Faith,
Free Presbyterian Publications
Endnotes
1 Systematic Theology Volume
II by R.J. Rushdoony, page
903. EMPHASIS MINE
2 John Murray's Collected
tVritings Volume II page 5
3 Systematic Theology by
R.L. Dabney page 294
4 Reformed Dogmatics God and
Creation Volume II by Herman
Bavinck page 530. He excels
in the doctrine of man, and
this entire chapter on human
nature is well worth the read.
5 Dogmatic Theology Volume II
by Herman Bavinck page 555
6 Reformed Dogmatics volume
II by Herman Bavinck page 559
Standing On Guard For Thee
The Past, Present and Future of Canada's Christian Right
Michael Wagner
Freedom Press
Canada Inc.
This book is the antidote to those who would portray the Christian Right as a
bunch of inarticulate Bible-thumpers, trying to
impose their morality on everyone else. Michael
Wagner proves, among other things, that
Christianity was here first. And that, rather than
being an "American import", Canada's Christian
Right was a reaction to the secularist drive for
influence in society, and an attempt to preserve
what is best in Western culture.
" ... a gore-filled account of Canada's spiritual decline,but also a heroic tale of
(the) giants ... who have fought against the growing darkness." Jon Dykstra,
Reformed Perspective.
" ... a monument to those who strenuously resisted (anti-family and anti-life)
policies." Gwen Landolt, REAL Women of Canada.
Available at www.ecpcentre.org
The Counsel of Chalcedon