Imago Dei: In the Image of God

In Genesis 1, we read the beginnings of a story that starts with God planning the universe and calling it into being, crafting it into exactly the kind of place He wants it to be with subatomic particles, massive galaxies, and everything in between.

And then, as the culmination of the creation project, He made us - mankind, humanity, the human race. As recorded in Genesis 1:26-28:

God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." God created man in his own image. In God's image he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them. God said to them, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." (WEB)

We are made in the image of God (imago dei in Latin, צֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים [tzelem elohim] in Hebrew), in the likeness of Deity.

Some believe that we have been made to physically resemble God, but God is spirit (see John 4:24). And as we read Genesis 1:26-28, we see that the image of God in us includes having dominion over (also translated rule, rule over, reign over, be masters over) all the earth and every creature on it.

In short, God told us to oversee and manage the earth He had made on His behalf.

But there's more: God created us male and female in His image. Just as God exists in intimate communion as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we are made to live in close community with each other - none closer than the union of a man and a woman in marriage.

We were designed and formed in the image of God, and every human being who has ever existed bears the image of God. That said, our likeness to God is another story - that depends on how we live before the face of God. But that's a different part of the story.

Imprimatur: The Fingerprints of God

Hank Hanegraaff often speaks of God's imprimatur in creation, a word no longer in everyday use.

Webster's dictionary defines imprimatur:

im·pri·ma·tur: noun \ˌim-prə-ˈmä-ˌtu̇r, im-ˈpri-mə-ˌtu̇r, -ˌtyu̇r\

1. a : a license to print or publish especially by Roman Catholic episcopal authority
1. b : approval of a publication under circumstances of official censorship
2. a : sanction, approval
2. b : imprint
2. c : a mark of approval or distinction 

According to Wikipedia, imprimatur "is, in the proper sense, a declaration authorizing publication of a book. The term is also applied loosely to any mark of approval or endorsement."

In short, God's imprimatur of creation means it has his approval or blessing. This is seen time and again in Genesis 1 when it states, "And God saw that it was good."

But there's a lot more going on here than God saying creation has His approval. After all, He planned it and made it, so it only stands to reason that He would approve of His handiwork. Of course creation has God's imprimatur.

I think Hank is using the term in a deeper, richer sense to say that all of creation reflects the One who created it. Just as an expert in Shakespeare can tell authentic plays and sonnets from Shakespeare-like ones and an art expert can tell an authentic Rembrandt from a forgery, those who see creation can know it has a creator - and discern some truths about the Creator.

As Romans 1:20 tells us:

"For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made." (ESV) And Psalm 19:1 reflects a similar truth: "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handiwork." (AKJV)

Just as we can identify Shakespeare by his words and Rembrandt by his brush strokes, so we can know the fingerprints of God in creation.

And that leads into the next topic, the imago dei, the image of God in each of us, which even more clearly reveals God's creative work.

Why the Hanegraaff Code?

Since I started listening to his Bible Answer Man podcasts in October 2011, I've become a real fan of Hank Hanegraaff. He's obviously spent a lot of time studying Scripture, and he strives to share his views respectfully with those who may disagree with him. He holds some less common views, and through his books and podcasts he explains why he believes them. Even those times that I disagree with Hank, I admire the way he handles Scripture and himself. Would that all who bear the name of Christ treated those they disagree with so compassionately!

The biggest issue I have is that Hank uses quite a few words that the average person may not be familiar with, talking about God's imprimatur in creation, for instance. These terms are generally quite accurate and Hank uses them precisely, but they are not always meaningful to the average listener. The goal of this blog is to unpack those words and help you better understand them so you can mine more from his broadcasts.