- Consider how union with Christ is displayed right in Genesis with God saying, in chapter 1 and verse 26, “Let us make man in our image (Heb, “tselem”), and likeness (Heb, “demuth”). We see ontology born here. It is also interesting to note that 1 Cor 11:7 is the Spirit inspiring Paul to teach about man’s leadership at home mirrored through this early Genesis word, “man is the image and glory of God”. The word “image”, here in the Gk, “eikon”, is where we get the contemporary “icon”, which theological etmyologists render as “representation”, or “mirror-like” which finally then lends to the interpretation that man is the mirror image of God!
- FF Bruce in his Hebrews commentary, 226, puts is a “more than a “shadow” than a “replication”.
- Ponder and muse on the words, “images”, and “icons”, which by their very nature, or ontological representations are “reductions” of what they represent. It seems that the Greek translation of these words inherently insinuates that we humans are “reduced” versions of the God who created us to represent Him.
- Genesis goes on to say in chapter 2 and verse 7 that God “breathed life into his (Adam) lungs, and man became a living being.” The first Adam is already a union of Two Beings, one Heavenly and the other, earthly. It is difficult to conclude otherwise that God had already intended union with Him from day one of man’s creation.
- Man is made a shadow of God. The Heb used for the word, “likeness” is “tselem”, which means a shadow, or a “phantom”. Meaning this being is not exactly in substance alike with the Original Being. It is not of the same substance 100% with God. In fact this “shadow”, or “phantom” is “made a little lower than the angels (Heb word is “elohim”!) and has crowned (Heb word is “atar”, which means encircled with protection and authority of a king) him with glory (Heb word is “kabod”, which means splendor, weight of honor) and honor (Heb word is “hadar”, which means ornament, splendor, majesty).
- Man is made in God’s “likeness”, the Heb word, “demuth”, meaning “to bring together”. If that’s not union, I do not know what is! Yet, a union not resulting with an outcome of mergedness, or of equality of substance, but only a shadow, a reduction of God, which is capable of “communion”, “community” and “relationship” with the Divine Godhead.
- Quoting The Pulpit Commentary (electronic version derived from the BibleHub portal): “tselem” (image) denotes the shadow outline of a figure, and “demuth” (likeness) the correspondence or resemblance of that shadow to the figure”.
- The Pulpit Commentary goes on to quote, albeit in paraphrase, that Luther rendered this interpretation as “an image that is like”, and Calvin, “who denies that any difference exists between the two”; that is, of “tselem” (image), and “demuth” (likeness). It can be seen therefore, or reasonably deduced that for both Luther and Calvin, their thoughts and convictions of union with Christ have its genesis in Gen 1:26ff.
- The number one purpose contained in this first words of man’s creation in chapters one and two of Genesis, following his ontological being derived from God, is that his purpose, or teleological aspects are “to rule”, with the Heb translating that word, “radah”, into “rule, dominate/dominon, and reign”. It stands to reason, biblically, that the Author of creation gave designated and delegated Authority to His “image-icons, and “likeness” representatives, the authority to rule, reign and dominate ALL of creation, representing God in His love and grace for all His creation, both animate and non-animated.
- With this strong emphasis on union with God through the person of Jesus Christ, in His salvific work, I pivoted back to Revelation chapter two, and especially the message of Christ to His church in Thyatira, and the very strong rebuke and admonition on being aware of Spiritual Adultery.
- Christ’s admonition to the Thyathira church shows that the church had tolerated (to its detriment!) teaching that was “seductive”, and in fact and reality, had caused the church to engage in “extra-marital relationships” with entities that are totally not worthy of the Only One and True Living God that had saved them by His mercy and grace.
- I cross-referenced the first works mentioned in Rev 2:26, “keeps My works”, as referring to what Jesus says in John 6:29, “This is the work of God, that you BELIEVE on Him whom He (God the Father) has sent.” In other words, holding fast as 2:25 verbalizes Christ, “But THAT which you HAVE, hold fast till I come”. There is nothing we as believers of Christ have except the gift of His grace of faith to believe and be united with Him through the word of the truth of His gospel.
- The takeaway application for every believer from this meditation is “flee idolatry”. Anything that holds us tightly together, especially in a belief through physical participation demonstrating that belief, and if that belief is anything other than God and His kingdom in Christ Jesus, is to be renounced, put away.
Justification by faith is the Key teaching of the gospel of Christ which clearly brings out union with Christ into the Divine Godhead
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About the author
Franklin Morais
A follower of Christ for 48 years, Franklin is an itinerant gospel preacher and teacher, and a part-time lecturer in Counseling, Psychology and Education at HELP University, Kuala Lumpur. He worships at Holy Trinity Bukit Bintang.
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