One of the key words of Calvin’s Little Book is “image” as of man, specifically the mature Christian, being the image of God. Calvin references the following Scripture: Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children (Ephesians 5:1 ESV).
In English, the word “imitation”is freighted with the idea of “fake.” And, so, an “imitator” is someone inauthentic. This is not the correct nuance of Eph. 5:1. Of course, no human, even the ideal of a fully mature Christian, can be the real being of God in space-time. But, the verse conveys the idea of something real in reflection here and now of what is eternal and not physically visible of God Himself.
The Created Order
The Book of Genesis gives us two accounts of Creation. The first, in Gen. 1, is that of all creation, beginning from the void, formless state of being at Gen. 1:2. What follows is the sequence of Creation in six days, with the final element on that final day being: Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness (Gen. 1:26a), further summarized as, so God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Gen. 1:27)
- “Image,” occurring twice here, is the translation of the Greek word eikṓn (from the Septuagint, LXX, translation of the OT; Strong’s G1504), from which we get the English word icon, and its derivatives such as iconic.
- “Likeness” translates homoíōsis (G3669). This word in particular has been the subject of vast theological inquiry under the head idea of imago Dei (“Image of God”).
The full richness of these two words, and verses, are beyond our scope here (and likely beyond the full understanding of anyone). For the moment, let us hold on to this simple concept: image / likeness distinguishes God’s creation of human beings (ánthrōpos G444, the word translated “man” in LXX of Gen. 1:26) from every other ‘being’ (that brought into being, created) of His Creation.
In the second account of Creation, we gain a further insight in such particular Creation: then [i.e., after the creation of the watered, but unworked, land] the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. (Gen. 2:7) This single sentence is laden with five words of great significance (again all from the LXX):
- plássō (G4111) meaning to formed / shaped / instantiated what had been without fixed form
- pnoḗ (G4157) meaning wind or breath, even in a violent, highly energetic form
- zōḗ (G2222) meaning life (in many richly expressive contexts, including the unique form of life that God has, distinguished from mere biological life), and záō (G2198) the verb form, meaning to live [living in Gen. 2:7]
- psuchḗ (G5590) meaning soul-life or in the ESV above creature , from which we have many English derivatives (psyche, psychology, even soul, etc.)
- gínomai (G1096) meaning to come into being, became (from which we get generate, generations, genetics, genes, etc.)
The Fallen Order
Immediately after these two Creation accounts, we come to The Fall in Gen. 3: But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen. 3:4-5).
Here the Serpent’s promise is (1) you will not die [so, claiming God to have been The Great Deceiver], (2) your eyes will be opened [so, seeing that which from which you have been concealed, the hidden great mystery, and so, to know all that God knows and perhaps even more], and, as the great promise for a new order of being, (3) you will be like God.
This final, and ultimate, Serpent claim, from his first entry into God’s created spacetime, beginning with Eve and from her to Adam down to and through every created being, including you and me, is not to be passed by without grasping its audacity, and magnetic lure. In the LXX it reads as four simple Greek words (lemmas)–kaí εἰμί hṓs Theós [unto Being as Gods, in mss form: καὶ ἔσεσθε ὡς θεοὶ]–as given below:
- kaí (G2532) commonly translated and, but here conveying the deeper idea of unto
- εἰμί (G1510) a word of deep meaning, to be / being, the idea of one’s very existence
- hṓs (G5613) word for as, i.e., an expression of likeness, like, comparison
- Theós (G2316) the word for God but in the plural here, i.e, gods (from which word we get Theology)
The Vandalized Human Race
The Serpent, the Devil himself, the real “great deceiver,” was, in addition, the great vandalizer of God’s creation. That which was most-like God Himself in Creation was the object of Devil’s greatest hatred, and object of destruction. And like the unstoppable judgment of death itself, such vandalization was unremovable. It cursed Adam and Eve. The immediate evidence of the curse was their first born son, Cain, murdering their second born son, Abel, bringing the immediacy of death (Abel) and permanent banishment (Cain) into existence. And, so, it continues.
The Re-Born Creation of God’s Redemption
The great promise of the OT, from Noah to Abraham, down through Isaac, Jacob, the Twelve Tribes, the redemption from the slavery of Egypt, through the very text of the OT, was that Messiah, God’s Redeemer would Himself one day come and restore that which could not otherwise be restored.
This great story of Redemption is laid out for us in the Four Gospels, and ultimately in the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Epistle to the Romans tells us that Jesus Christ was in certain essential features the unique Second Adam.
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans Chapter 5 (ESV)
Jesus Being the Very Image of God
We have at least two clear references to the important truth that seeing Jesus is seeing God, one prior to His Crucifixion and on after.
8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. John 14:8-11 (ESV, highlights mine)
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Cor 4:6 (ESV, highlights mine)
As discussed further below, such claim by Jesus ultimately extends to our regenerated, new being / nature embedded in Jesus Christ. In the very next phrases after the above cited passage in John 14 we read:
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it [namely, do it in the one asking, and so image Christ]. John 14:12-14 (ESV)
Regeneration Unto Being the Image of God
It is through such Sovereign work of Regeneration, and only that, by which our fallen nature is made alive unto God. And, so, two motive directions are at now at work. One (still) leading to death, that of our creation derived from Adam (and Eve).
The other now alive, zōḗ (G2222), eternally so, being expressed in spacetime, called to be a renewed image of God, destined to eternity with God. It is such new life (zōḗ), that is called to be that image cited in the opening verse of this entire discussion, Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
- mimētḗs (G3402) means an imitator but in the sense of genuineness.
Now, What Does Such Image of God Really Mean?
Beginning below, is a provisional enumeration [as cryptic place-keepers of thoughts to be developed] of what such genuine imitation / likeness might mean as used in Calvin’s Little Book as that to which we have been called as new Creations in Christ:
- Recipients of the gift of the “word,” the Logos.
- Called to be the tenders, custodians, of God’s Garden of a New Creation
- Self-denial. As discussed above, the Scriptures claim that we have new life, are born again. However, the old nature is not eradicated and, so, can obscure such new nature. Self-denial can be understood as the acts and attitude that removes such obscuration as the old nature may want to do either by intention or simply as a byproduct of corruption.
- Reflecting the character of God in various dimensions, including the long-suffering patience of God with respect the vandalized fallen order.
- Humility. As Christ Himself put off His Deity as something not to be grasped, making then visible both His humanity and Deity, so we are called to put off the old self.
- Creator, creative. God’s character includes that of being a Creator, actually The Creator. And in such creation there is a manifold, seemingly-infinite variety and extent of His work. Being in the image of The Creator God calls us, too, within our scope of abilities to be a creator.
- Life by discovery more than design, as God’s Workmanship. Jesus was (seemingly) always on the move, by land and by sea, from town to town and house to house, including to places that the religious leaders held to be contemptuous, forbidden, off limits, such as Samaria and the Decapolis.
- Way of life as a walk around. This may be a stretch, but as to Christ’s humanity, it would appear that Jesus lived a daily life of discovery in the sense that He did not foreknow, nor seek to foreknow, that each day would bring forth. In this sense, the can be a close relationship between “way of life” as it commonly translates “peri-patayoo,” literally to walk around even as could be understood as a closed perimeter of a day’s journey from home to home, as well as the entire journey of one’s life.
- Becoming unrecognizable in customary terms. Returning again to the life of Christ, consider the well-known, commonly skipped over the dramatic denial by Peter at Jesus’s trial: Matt 27:72 “I do not know (literally oida, know by seeing) the man (ton anthropon, which could be understood as the specific humanity of Jesus in view). We commonly understand such statement by Peter as an outright lie, spoken out of horrific fear of his own arrest. I see it instead, or perhaps additionally, as an utterly true statement, namely: Peter had no category, no framework for understanding, that could contain what he was observing as to Jesus’s total submission to a sham show-trial. Were it you or I standing there, we would not be able to grasp how this Jesus we had followed for three years and observed in so many situations in which He was in control, and purposeful, could now be, seemingly trapped, in the Devil’s own nest of vipers. But, yet, the greatest moment that had been foretold by the Forbidden Fruit in Eden was directly in front of Peter, namely: the knowledge of the truest Good and vilest Evil.