In the last issue of this article I introduced the fact that the translators of the Old Testament into Greek actually slightly changed the phrase found in Genesis about man being made in our image, after our likeness<\/i> to the phrase as we now know it: made in our image and<\/b><\/i> <\/b>likeness. <\/i>They used the two Greek words coupled together: eikon<\/i> and homoiosis<\/i>. At that time, under the influence of Plato the Greek Philosopher and his disciples, eikon<\/i> could mean participation in a sensible mode whereas homoiosis<\/i> referred to the spiritual resemblance toward which man must strive.<\/p>\n
Several authors – not only those who used a Semitic language but also certain Greeks – did not take\u00a0 this nuance into account and did not distinguish between image<\/i> and likeness: <\/i>Athanasius of\u00a0 Alexandria, Didymus, the Cappadocians, pseudo-Macarius, and others (I always find it funny how God manages to work. I do believe that although they did not\u00a0\u00a0 understand totally the nuance of what they were suggesting by using these words, they advanced our understanding of what God did when He created us<\/i>).<\/p>\n
Irenaeus made systemic use of this distinction. For him the couplet image-likeness<\/i> corresponded to the Pauline couplet fleshy man-spiritual man<\/i>; it was therefore the Holy Spirit who for him established the likeness<\/i> to God. Origen, followed by one strand of the Eastern tradition, utilized the dynamic character of the image. The image is but incipient deification: its goal is to become as like God as possible. This ascension from image to likeness<\/i> will be completed in the glory of the risen body and in conformity with Christ\u2019s prayer in unity.<\/p>\n
According to Origen\u2019s interpretation, man received the dignity of God\u2019s image at his first creation – <\/i>it seems that <\/i>on this connection others speak of baptism – but man must acquire the perfection of this likeness for himself by his own diligence in the imitation of God (Christ<\/i>). <\/i>The image<\/i> is like a seed: the soul conceives by this seed of the Word and the conceived Word is formed in it<\/i> in conformity with the virtues of Christ.<\/p>\n
Again we see the struggle that the Fathers had in coming to the fullness of this idea of the meaning and purpose of life and the ideas of: Theosis <\/i>and man\u2019s creation in the image<\/i> and likeness of God. <\/i><\/p>\n
Progress in the spiritual life develops from practice<\/i> to theory – <\/i>that is human understanding of the basic idea of life\u2019s purpose flows from the experiences that they have in trying to comprehend what the meaning and purpose of life really is.<\/p>\n
What do you think is the meaning and purpose of life? <\/i><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In the last issue of this article I introduced the fact that the translators of the Old Testament into Greek actually slightly changed the phrase found in Genesis about man being made in our image, after our likeness to the … Continue reading