> I guess I should probably bail out here, Russ. I was hoping to strike up
a
> thread on the image of God, but I see you are restricting its presence to
> Adam and Eve and their decendents. I don't believe Adam and Eve were
real,
> except as spiritual metaphors, and therefore I would expect we'd define
the
> image of God quite differently.
I'm sorry that for you Adam and Eve are no more than spiritual metaphors.
That difference between us no doubt accounts for the difference in our
conclusions. Concerning the definition of the image of God: it is that
which Christ redeems. "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be
conformed to the likeness of his Son...." (Rom. 8:29) "Likeness" here can
be translated as "image." In Romans 5: 12-19, especially verses 12 and 19,
Paul teaches that it was Adam who sinned and Christ who takes away that
sin. I wish you could see that the Bible teaches that the image and the sin
started with Adam and that Christ redeems that fallen image. That's why I
think that behaviors, such as tool-making, need not be restricted to image
bearers.
I hope I haven't come on too strong! I enjoy discussing this with you.
Russ
Russell Maatman
e-mail: rmaat@mtcnet.net
Home: 401 5th Avenue
Sioux Center, IA 51250