Systematic Theology, by Louis Berkhof - New Leaven

C. MAN AS THE IMAGE OF GOD.
According to Scripture the essence of man consists in this, that he is the image of
God. As such he is distinguished from all other creatures and stands supreme as the
head and crown of the entire creation. Scripture asserts that man was created in the
image and after the likeness of God, Gen. 1:26,27; 9:6; Jas. 3:9, and speaks of man as
being and as bearing the image of God, I Cor. 11:7; 15:49. The terms “image” and
“likeness” have been distinguished in various ways. Some were of the opinion that
“image” had reference to the body, and “likeness,” to the soul. Augustine held that the
former referred to the intellectual, and the latter, to the moral faculties of the soul.
Bellarmin regarded “image” as a designation of the natural gifts of man, and “likeness”
as a description of that which was supernaturally added to man. Still others asserted
that “image” denoted the inborn, and “likeness,” the acquired conformity to God. It is
far more likely, however, as was pointed out in the preceding, that both words express
the same idea, and that “likeness” is merely an epexegetical addition to designate the
image as most like or very similar. The idea expressed by the two words is that of the
very image of God. The doctrine of the image of God in man is of the greatest importance
in theology, for that image is the expression of that which is most distinctive in man and
in his relation to God. The fact that man is the image of God distinguishes him from the
animal and from every other creature. As far as we can learn from Scripture even the
angels do not share that honor with him, though it is sometimes represented as if they
do. Calvin goes so far as to say that “it cannot be denied that the angels also were
created in the likeness of God, since, as Christ declares (Matt. 22:30), our highest
perfection will consist in being like them.” 17 But in this statement the great Reformer
does not have due regard for the point of comparison in the statement of Jesus. In many
cases the assumption that the angels were also created in the image of God results from
a conception of the image which limits it to our moral and intellectual qualities. But the
image also includes the body of man and his dominion over the lower creation. The
angels are never represented as lords of creation, but as ministering spirits sent out for
the service of those that inherit salvation. The following are the most important
conceptions of the image of God in man.
1. THE REFORMED CONCEPTION. The Reformed Churches, following in the footsteps
of Calvin, have a far more comprehensive conception of the image of God than either
the Lutherans or the Roman Catholics. But even they do not all agree as to its exact
contents. Dabney, for instance, holds that it does not consist in anything absolutely
17 Inst. I. 15.3.
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