Is the “Image of God” Proof Jesus is God?
Brother Bob Pellien: Can Philippians 2:5-6 be used to prove that Jesus is God when it mentions there that Jesus is in the “form of God”? What is the “image of God” that Jesus reflects?
[Show open]
Brother Bob: The Bible, the basis of our faith in the Church Of Christ, which answers questions about proper worship, the right relationship with God, and most importantly, salvation. That’s in the Bible!
[On-screen text graphic]
Brother Bob Pellien
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Bob Pellien: I’m Bob Pellien, and welcome to this program, That’s In The Bible.
In one of our other programs produced here in the Church Of Christ called Face the Truth, received a comment and presented their argument that, in fact, Jesus is God. It went like this:
[On-screen text graphics]
Who is the God in their MIDST? JESUS IS GOD (Philippians 2:5-6)
- Daniel Bulus
Brother Bob Pellien: Thank you Daniel Bulus for your comment and the opportunity today to clarify if the verses you have mentioned, Philippians 2:5-6, or any other biblical verse for that matter, does teach that Jesus Christ is God at all or can be used as biblical evidence of the second person of the so-called trinity.
Well, let’s frame our topic of discussion around 3 important questions presented:
- How is Jesus Christ described in Philippians 2:5-6?
- Is being in the form or image of God, does that mean the same as being God?
- Can this verse be used as proof that Jesus Christ is God?
Brother Bob Pellien: Well, let’s start off by simply reading what is actually contained in the verses in question, that again being Philippians 2:5-6:
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
[Philippians 2:5-6 New King James Version]
Brother Bob Pellien: How, dear friends, is Jesus Christ described here in Philippians 2:5-6? Here, the Bible describes Christ Jesus as “being in the form of God”. We need to point out just how important it is to learn and find out what is actually written in the Bible because if not, one could easily be misled.
So the comment posted in YouTube was “JESUS IS GOD” yet the verse does not say “Jesus is God,” did it? Rather, it said that Christ Jesus is “in the form of God.”
So, what does the Bible teach us? What is the Bible actually saying to us when it teaches that Christ Jesus is in the form of God? Well, we don’t want nor can we give our own meaning, our own explanation to that, so let’s just continue to get our answers from here, the Holy Bible. So we turn to 2 Corinthians this time, also the writings of Apostle Paul, 4:4, wherein his response is this:
whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
[2 Corinthians 4:4 New King James Version]
Brother Bob Pellien: So here, dear friends, Apostle Paul described Christ as being in the form of God, as mentioned in Philippians chapter 2 here, as someone who is the “image of God”. We need to ask: Is being in the form or image of God, does that mean the same as being God? Does this point to God and Jesus as being the same being? Not at all! That’s two very different things. In fact being in the image of God actually proves that Christ Jesus is a man and not God Himself. But wait. How is that? Why is that the case?
Why is being in the image of God, how does that prove that one is not God but rather, a man? Because the Bible says the following, in Genesis 1:27, it reads this way:
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
[Genesis 1:27 New King James Version]
Brother Bob Pellien: Here, dear friends, the Bible clearly teaches that God created man in His own image. Therefore, if someone is described as being in the form or image of God, we are so sure that’s not proof of being God but rather in fact, instead, evidence of being man. Why? If all of us as created human beings were created in the image of God, knowing that we were all created in the image of God as humans, dear friends, nobody is trying to say we, all of us, as images of God, are in fact God too. So why would they say that about Jesus, when the Apostle Paul wrote there that Jesus is in the form or the image of God?
Now you might be wondering, since we all have our unique identities and no two human beings are exactly alike, how is it then that we are created in the form or the image of God? Is this a visual or a physical image, physical form? Again, we get our answer turning to the Holy Bible, and we do so this time turning to the Book of Deuteronomy 4:15, where the following is recorded:
“Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire,
[Deuteronomy 4:15 New King James Version]
Brother Bob Pellien: So dear friends, this verse clearly shows that the Lord God has no visual or physical form or image. When Moses spoke to God, God reminded him
[On screen text graphics]
“for you saw no form when the Lord spoke to you”.
Dear friends, since this is the case, that God has no physical form or image, in fact He’s invisible or He’s a spirit, what does it mean then that we were created in the image of God? For that, we again turn to the Holy Bible, again the writings this time of Apostle Paul once more, Ephesians 4:24 wherein it records:
and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
[Ephesians 4:24 New International Version]
Brother Bob Pellien: And even in other translations of this verse it’s stated there that we were
[On screen text graphics]
“created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness” [Ephesians 4:24 Amplified Bible]
Brother Bob Pellien: So dear friends, the form or image that we were created to be in is “true righteousness and holiness.” This is God’s purpose in creating people and this is how we should strive of course, then, to live our lives.
Why is it that if we live our life righteous or holy, then we fulfill God’s purpose of creating us to be like Him or to be in His image? Why is that? The explanation comes from Apostle Peter. He clearly responds to that important point here in 1 Peter 1:15-16,
but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
[1 Peter 1:15-16 New King James Version]
Brother Bob Pellien: Dear friends, our Creator is holy and He created us to be in the image of holiness which is why God instructs very clearly here. He said, “Be holy, for I am holy.” So, the lives that we are expected to live should therefore reflect God’s holiness.
True holiness however is not just anyone’s own perception of what holiness should be. How then can one become holy and therefore be in the image of God? Becoming holy is accomplished by following God’s words, God’s laws. Why? Because His words have the power to sanctify to make one holy.
[On-screen text graphics]
Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
[John 17:17]
Brother Bob Pellien: His words have the power to cleanse—John 17:17.
[On-screen text graphics]
Whoever sins is guilty of breaking God’s law, because sin is a breaking of the law.
[1 John 3:4 Good News Translation]
Brother Bob Pellien: Living unholy or sinning is breaking God’s law, and that’s recorded in 1 John 3:4. So, God created us with the intention of living holy lives—that’s the purpose. But here’s the question, dear friends. How many people have actually been able to meet that expectation? Let’s read from the Bible once again, this time in the writings of Apostle Paul to the Romans in 3:23, he wrote:
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
[Romans 3:23 New King James Version]
Brother Bob Pellien: The reason mankind has not yet fully become the image of God, is because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. But there is one exception. Who’s the only one to achieve living in the image of God? This time, Apostle Peter tells us that in 1 Peter 2:21-22,
For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;
[1 Peter 2:21-22 New King James Version]
Brother Bob Pellien: Dear friends, the only one able to reach the expectation of God to live in His image, to reflect His image, is Christ Jesus. How did He do this? The answer of the Bible that we just read. The Bible clarified that He did that by committing no sin. Perfect. Therefore, Christ Jesus was able to be in the form or image of God, but is not God Himself.
So, can Philippians 2:5-6 then be used as a proof that Jesus Christ is God? No. Why? Jesus being in the image of God is not proof, or biblical evidence that Jesus is God. No.
We started this discussion with these 3 main questions in mind. Let’s review what we have learned from the Scriptures we have read together. We asked:
- How is Jesus Christ described in Philippians 2:5-6?
The answer we received from the Bible: Christ is described as being in the form or image of God. It does not say, however, that Jesus is God.
- Is being in the form or image of God, does that mean the same as being God?
No, not at all. God made, in fact, all mankind to be in His image. The Bible teaches that we were created, all human beings were created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
- Can Philippians 2:5-6 be used as proof that Jesus Christ is God?
No. Anyone trying to use these verses as proof that Christ is God does not understand what is actually contained in the verses. This is also the reason why we produce this content to help correct any misunderstanding or misuse of what is actually written in the Bible.
Well, dear friends, we’d like you to continue learning about the Iglesia Ni Cristo, the Church Of Christ, and to do so, please visit us online and browse the different topics and view our programming. Set up an appointment to meet with a minister of the gospel here in the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ). Because if you have any questions about the Bible or salvation, you need to receive the answers.
[On-screen text graphic]
answers@incmedia.org
Brother Bob Pellien: You can also email questions to us here. I’m Bob Pellien. Thanks for watching. See you next time, right here, on That’s in the Bible!
