3. The Reason Why the Image of God is called ‘us’

【Eph 5:22-30, Col 1:16-18】 Jesus Christ is the head of the church. And the man is the head of the woman. In other words, the church is the body of Christ, and the woman is the body of man.

So far, we have seen that man and woman are in a relationship between head and body. We looked at a man created in God’s image and a woman created as a helper for him. We also looked at the apostle Paul’s words that the relationship between Christ and the church is like the relationship between head and body.

Then, let’s look at how God can be called ‘us’, including the celestial angels, just as Adam could be called “us”, including Eve, a part of his body.

【Col 2:10】 you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.

【1Chr 29:11】 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.

Biblically angels are called power, authority, glory, and splendor. The angels are followers of God. God acts as a head, and angels act as obedient bodies. In the angelic world, the relationship between God and the angels can be expressed as the relationship between the head and the body.

As the head reigns over the whole body, God is the lord over all things as the head. And just as the whole body moves to obey the head, all obeys the God who is the head. God created man and woman according to this angelic order.

On this reason the apostle Paul said: Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church.

The relationship between God and the angels can be likened to the structure of our body as the relation between the head and the body. In the same way, the creation of man (Adam) and woman (Adam’s ribs) is also related to the structure of our body, which is the relationship between the head and the body.

If so, the use of the plural pronoun “in our image” in Genesis 1:26 should be understood as referring to the entire order of the angelic world, including God Himself. In the passages below, we will learn more from the apostle Paul’s words that “our image” speaks of the angelic world.

【1Cor 11:9-10】 neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head.

Explaining why a woman should cover her head, the apostle Paul said that the head towel marks the role of angels serving God in the angelic world. It means that the woman’s role serving man is same with the angel’s role serving God as members.

“Our image” (Genesis 1:26) does not refer to the sexual meaning of male and female, but to the heavenly feature of God the Father(head) surrounded with the angels(members). And the plural pronoun ‘our’ refers to all the angelic heavenly world.

【1Kings 22:19】 I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left.