What is the Image of God?

“God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Gen. 1:27)

What is the Image of God?

Is it a broad, general concept, or a more specific thing?
Does it refer uniquely to humanity as male-female?
Is it to do with being created to be like God in his deeds?
Is it something esoteric, hidden, and hard to define?
Does is mean being relational, as the triune God is relational?
Is it the capacity for thinking, and reasoning and moral choice?
Is it to do with dignity, goodness, integrity, uprightness?
Is it referring to having dominion, rulership and authority?
Is it about servanthood towards the rest of creation?
Does it refer to a quality or role given only to human beings?

Carl F.H. Henry has said: ‘The Bible does not define for us the precise content of the original imago’.

However, Colossians says that the eternal Christ is the Image of the Invisible God. Adam was thus, the image of The Image. Christ reigns over creation; Adam and Eve were created and blessed with a relational capacity to reign - together with, and under the triune God - to fulfil their vocation of heading up the creation, with the goal of sanctification and glorification.

O Jesus, You Reign! We struggle. With you, and through you, and under you, men & women shall reign in life (Rom. 5:17).
Help us to embrace this ‘dominion’ in life, as we receive your Grace, and your righteousness, O Lord.
QUOTES:
(1) The image of God in Man is irreducible, but reversible.
(J. A. Motyer).

(2) Everything that God is, Man is like that; but anything that God is, Man is none of that (eg. Creator-Father, Redeemer).
(G. C. Bingham)