Smoodock's Blog

In the context of mankind being the image of God, what should that look like? Is there a divinely intended hierarchy in male/female relationships? Is there a hierarchy in God? Is the Father the existential Leader and the Son in eternal submission? What does the New Covenant text tell us about God and Jesus? After all, if mankind was created to be an image of God on earth, we need to understand what that would look like, if it were actually lived out. Doesn’t this sound logical? Who would tell a man to do something and not explain what something actually is or what it should look like, when the man was finished doing something?

In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, he told them that Jesus was the Image of God (2Corinthians 4:4)! John 1:18 tells us: “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (KJV); “…has made him known” (Williams); “…has made him plain as day” (MSG); “…has declared him [he has revealed him and brought him out where he can be seen; he has interpreted him and he has made him known]” (AMP). In other words, what Jesus said and did are what declared who God is. It wasn’t what he looked like, if our eyes were able to behold him. The image of God is about God’s character, what he would “look like” if we knew him.

Jesus told the Jewish authorities they had neither heard God’s voice nor seen his shape (John 5:37), and later he told the multitudes that only he had ever actually “seen the Father” (John 6:46). However, when he was asked by one of the Twelve to show them the Father, Jesus said: “Have I been with you for so long, and you have not known me? The person who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). So, once again, the image of God is about ‘character’ not about shape or form (cp. Hebrews 1:3). But, is there a hierarchy? After all, the text does say that God is the head of Christ (1Corinthians 11:3).

Actually, the text says no such thing about the Godhead. The word of God says that the throne of God is higher in authority than the highest throne of man, which is the Messianic throne or David’s throne. So, yes, in the context of the Son of God being the Messiah, God is in authority over the Messiah. However, as God, the one who became Jesus is equal to the Father. Notice what the text says:

(Christ) “who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. (Philippians 2:6-7 NET; parenthesis in the text are mine)

So, before the Son of God became man (Jesus), he existed in the form of God. In that context, he was omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. However, he set this ‘form’ aside to embrace the ‘form’ (or body) of a man or a servant. The conclusion is that man does not look like God, but as the image of God, mankind is supposed to act like God.

At this point in time, Jesus is actually sitting on the throne of his Father (Revelation 3:21), which is also his own throne (Revelation 22:3). A ‘throne’ indicates authority and power, so both the Father and the Son (Jesus) have the same authority and are equally all powerful. There is no difference between the two. If this is so, should there be a difference in authority between the man and the woman, husband and wife (the image of God; Genesis 1:27)? What does the text say?

Paul told the Philippians to “…let this mind be in you which was also in Christ, Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). What mind or attitude was Paul referring to? Well, before he became man, Jesus existed as God, in the form of God and equal to the Father (Philippians 2:6). Yet, he didn’t try to hold on to that honor, but set it aside to embrace the ‘form’ of a servant (Philippians 2:6-7). Moreover, once he was man, he made himself subject to the authority of God, as that authority was expressed in the hands of men, even when they abused their God-given authority (Philippians 2:8; cp. Genesis 9:5-6) and crucified him. Thus, as the image of God (2Corinthians 4:4), Jesus expressed a mutual submission in the Godhead (cp. Ephesians 5:21). For his part, Jesus submitted to the authority that the Father allowed to remain in place, an authority that crucified his Son. For the Father’s part he exalted the Son to the highest place, giving him a name above all other names, so that in the name of Christ every knee should bow in submission, even those who abused their God-given authority, and eventually every last tongue will confess him (Jesus) as Lord (Philippians 2:9-11).

If there is no hierarchy in the Godhead, how is it possible for mankind to ‘image’ that by creating a hierarchy between men and women? The whole idea of patriarchy and complementarianism is preposterous!