Page 94 - Bible Writers Theology Original

78 ♦ Bible Writers' Theology Chapter Four
Furthermore, it is written, "And God said. Let us make man in our image, after our likeness... So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him..." (Genesis 1:26-27). It is scriptural to say that man, created in the image of God, after his likeness, has a body, soul, and spirit (I Thessalonians 5:23). As a "living soul" man continuously breathes and utters words as he exists in the physical realm, but remains one body, one individual, and one indivisible person.
Repeatedly in the scripture. Word and Spirit go hand in hand in the par allelism of Hebrew poetry. There is a frequent link in the Bible between the Spirit of the Lord and the Word of the Lord. The breath of God and the mes sage ofGod cannot be divorced. God, who is Word and Spirit by essence, remains the eternal, infinite, unchanging, and indivisible source of both Word and Spirit.
The Hebrew word for "likeness" in Genesis 1:26 is "demuwth", meaning model, shape, resemblance, similitude, fashion, likeness". Of course, it would be highly presumptuous to push to the limit this similitude between the creator and the fallen man who still awaits his glorified body. Has not
God declared, "To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him? ... To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One" (Isaiah 40:18,25). Moses warned the children of Israel,
Ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice" (Deuteronomy 4:12).
On the other hand, concerning redeemed mankind, it is written: "...Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him" (I Corinthians 2:9).
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren" (Romans 8:29). "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (I John 3:2). Until then, we shall approach the comparison with deep reverence. Nevertheless, we know that Christ IS the highest, most supreme expression of this "likeness". No one
would argue that this great mystery was finally revealed in the fullness of time in the visible one (Jesus) who is the express image of the eternal invis ible one (Hebrews 1:3).
There is no way to see separately God the Father and the Son. The answer
to Philip asking Jesus, "Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us" is for ever valid. "Jesus saith unto him. Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then. Shew us the Father? Believest thou not