Exposition
The study of man is known as anthropology, which is derived from two Greek words: anthropos and logos meaning ‘man’ and “study of” respectively. Therefore, the term anthropology can be referred to as the study of man and his cultural environment. From the above passage, God created mankind in His likeness and image. The creation accounts in the book of Genesis depict that only human beings were created in the image and likeness of God. Some scholars are of the view that the image of God consists of intellectual ability, power to make moral decisions and willing choices whereas others assert that the image of God refers to man’s original moral purity and dominion over the earth.
Despite the sound argument expounded by scholars, the likeness and image of God can be explained in five ways. The aspects of man’s existence actually reflect us to be more like God than the rest of the creations. The five ways to reflect God as human beings are moral aspect, spiritual aspect, mental aspect, relational aspect, and physical aspect (Grudem, 1998). Morally, human beings are created to be accountable to the Almighty for their actions. The spiritual aspect reflects the immaterial nature of human beings to spiritually relate with God through prayer, praises, and receptivity to the word of God.
The third aspect is mental in which mankind has the ability to reason and think logically and learn, which distinguishes human beings from animals. The relational aspect brings out the unique ability to build a cordial relationship with God, human beings and whole creation. The final aspect is the physical bodies, which must reflect God’s character and thereby constitute the image of God. We must understand, from the above discussions, that the rationale for creating human beings in the image and likeness of God is meant for you to live a holistic life and be seen as a true reflection of God on earth. The rationale for the creation of humankind is meant to demonstrate the five ways of living fruitfully with God and other creations.