作者: 史鮑爾 (R.C. Sproul) 譯者: 姚錦榮
在藝術上，創造形象是美的展現。油畫、雕塑或其他，通常都是描述性的，我們藉著這些工藝品描述一些真實的東西。
最終極的藝術家就是神。神在創造宇宙時留下了祂的記號，使諸天述說祂的榮耀，穹蒼傳揚祂的手段。
當神使受造之物充滿海洋和陸地時，祂也按照自己的形象創造了一樣獨特的生物。創世記一章26至27節說：「『我們要照著我們的形象，按著我們的樣式造人，使他們管理海裡的魚、空中的鳥、地上的牲畜和全地，並地上所爬的一切昆蟲。』 神就照著自己的形象造人，乃是照著他的形象，造男造女。」
由於聖經說，我們是按照神的形象和樣式受造，因此有些人（尤其是羅馬天主教）便說，神的形象和樣式是不同的。但按照聖經的語文結構，形象和樣式其實所指相同。我們都是神的塑像，是獨一無二能反映神性格的受造者。
所謂人類按神的形象受造，通常是指我們與神之間有相似的地方。雖然神是創造者，我們是受造物；雖然神在其本質、能力和榮耀上是遠遠地超越我們，但在某方面我們的確是像神。神與我們之間有某種相似之處，神是有智慧且有德性的實存，我們也是有德性的，且有思想、感情和意志：這些天賦讓我們能反映出神的聖潔，那原是我們最初的責任。
創世記一章27節說：「神就照著自己的形象造人」，此處所提之人這個名詞。在聖經的用法上是指著人類說的。無論男女，都是照著神的形象造的。這形象包括了人類管理大地的呼召。我們蒙召作神的代表，去裝飾、充滿和保存大地，我們的呼召是要本著神的公義去治理宇宙。神不會蹂躪或剝削祂所管治的一切，而是按公義和慈愛來治理。
當人類墮落時，一些可怕的事發生了，神的形像嚴重地遭到破壞，我們反映神聖潔的能力也大大打了折扣，因此，現在這面鏡子變得模糊不清了。
然而，墮落並末把人性摧毀。雖然因著墮落，我們失去反映神聖潔的能力，但是我們仍然是人，還是一樣地有思想、感情和意志，我們身上也仍一樣地帶著創造者的記號。在人身上恢復形象的一切豐盛，是藉著基督得以完成，正如希伯來書作者所說：「他是神榮耀所發的光輝，是神本體的真像。」（來1：2）
總結
1. 神按自己的形象和樣式造男、造女。
2. 人類與神有相似的地方，使得彼此能夠溝通。
3. 人類具有神的形象，是道德的代理人，擁有思想和意志。
4. 人類蒙神呼召管理大地。
5. 在墮落中，人類身上神的形象遭到破壞。
6. 基督是神完美的形象，祂在我們身上恢復神形象的一切豐盛。
思考經文：
創9：6；羅8：29；林前15：42-57；西1：15
Human
Beings Created in the Image of God
In
art, the making of images is an exercise of beauty. Painting, sculpture, and
the like are often imitative. Through our craft we depict objects drawn from
real life.
The
ultimate artist is God. When He fashioned the universe, He left His own mark
upon it in such a way that the heavens declare His glory and the firmament
shows forth His handiwork.
When
God made the creatures that filled the earth and the sea, He created one
creature to be uniquely made in His own image. Genesis 1:26-27 declares:
Then
God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let
them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and
over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps
on the earth." So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He
created him; male and female He created them.
That
the Bible says we are created in the image and likeness of God has led some
(notably Roman Catholics) to conclude that there is a difference between being
in the image and being in the likeness of God. But the structure of the
biblical language indicates that image and likeness refer to the same thing. We
are the icons of God, creatures made with a unique capacity to mirror and
reflect the character of God.
Being
made in the image of God is usually understood to point to the sense in which
we are like God. Though He is the Creator and we are creatures, and though God
transcends us in being, power, and glory, nevertheless there is some sense in
which we are like Him. There is some analogy between God and us. God is an
intelligent and moral being. We are also moral agents equipped with a mind, a
heart, and a will. These faculties make it possible for us to mirror God's
holiness, which was our original vocation.
The
term man, when used in such Scripture passages as "God created man in His
own image" (Genesis 1:27), means "humankind." Both male and
female of the human species are made in the image of God. Part of the image
includes mankind's call to rule the earth, to have dominion over it. We are
called to dress, fill, and keep the earth as God's vice-regents. Here we are
called to reflect the character of God's righteous rule over the universe. He
never ravages or exploits what He rules, but rather reigns in justice and
kindness.
In
the fall of mankind, something ghastly happened. The image of God was severely
tarnished. Our ability to mirror His holiness has been greatly affected so that
now the mirror is fogged.
The
Fall, however, did not destroy our humanity. Though our ability to reflect
God's holiness was lost in the Fall, we are still human. We still have a mind,
a heart, and a will. We still bear the mark of our Creator upon ourselves. The
restoration of the fullness of the image of God in human beings is accomplished
by Christ. He is, as the author of Hebrews declares, "the brightness of
His glory and the express image of His person" (Hebrews 1:3).
1. God created human beings—both male and
female—in His image and likeness.
2. There is some analogy between God and
human beings that makes communication between them possible.
3. Human beings, like God, are moral
agents with the faculties of mind and will.
4. Human beings are called to have
dominion over the earth.
5. In the Fall, the image of God in human
beings was marred.
6. Christ is the perfect image of God. He
is restoring us to the fullness of the image of God.
