Bible Lesson 5
Who Are We?
Humans are made in the image of God
When we think of the word image, we typically think visually. But since God is not a physical being who has a body and appearance like we do, we are misunderstanding this idea if we picture God looking like us. (Especially if we imagine him looking like an extra-shining version of Santa Clause wearing white instead of red!)
What does it mean, then, that we are made in the image of God? It means that we share in many of his defining attributes: conscious thought, moral awareness, creative abilities, and the ability to have meaningful relationships. Of course, we also have an eternal soul, which is another aspect of God´s nature.
Creation of Adam, from the Cistine Chapel ceiling. 1510.
An *asterisk indicates that the word has a special note. Click on it to see the note.
Creados al imagen de Dios
Génesis 1
(26) Luego Dios dijo: «Ahora hagamos al ser humano a nuestra imagen y semejanza. Tendrá poder sobre los peces del mar, sobre las aves del cielo y en toda la tierra. Reinará sobre los animales terrestres, y sobre todos los que se arrastran por el suelo».
(27) Así que Dios creó al ser humano a su imagen y semejanza, creó al varón y a la mujer.
(28) Y los bendijo diciendo: «Tengan muchos hijos para así poblar el mundo y ejercer control sobre él: sean jefes de los peces del mar, de las aves del cielo y de toda criatura que se arrastra por el suelo».
(31) Dios vio todo lo que había hecho, y todo había quedado muy, pero muy bien. Luego llegó la tarde y después la mañana. Ese fue el sexto día.
Translation: NVI
Created in the image of God
Genesis 1
Then God said, “Now let us make human beings in our image and likeness. He will have authority over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air and in all the earth. He will reign over the animals of the earth, and over all that crawl on the ground.”
Therefore God created a human being in his image and likeness, he created the man and the woman.
And God blessed them, saying, “Have many children and thus populate the earth and exercise control over it: be rulers of the fish of the sea, of the birds of the sky and over all creatures that crawl on the ground.”
God saw all that he had made, and all was very, very good. Then came the evening and afterwards, the morning. That was the sixth day.
1. Listen to the audio as you read along with the Spanish on the left.
2. Open the English translation, and read the two side-by-side, making sure you understand the Spanish.
3. Close the English, and listen to the audio again, reading along in Spanish.
4. Close the Spanish, and listen once more. Maybe shut your eyes, and just try to understand as much as you can.