Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth. 27 God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and God said to them: Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that crawl on the earth (Gen. 1:26-28 ).
45 So, too, it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living being,” the last Adam a life-giving spirit. 46 But the spiritual was not first; rather the natural and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, earthly; the second man, from heaven. 48 As was the earthly one, so also are the earthly, and as is the heavenly one, so also are the heavenly. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one (1 Cor. 15:45-49).
God created humanity saying, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Gen, 1:26), emphasizing that humanity is unique among all creation because it bears the divine image and likeness. This reflects humanity’s capacity for reason, free will, and the ability to form relationships, especially with God. Humanity is also given dominion over creation, tasked to "fill the earth and subdue it," signifying stewardship rather than exploitation. The use of “us” in this passage hints at the Trinitarian nature of God, who creates humanity to share in divine love and communion.
Humanity's vocation is to mirror God’s creative and life-giving love, but the harmony and purpose of his creation were marred by the Fall (Gen. 3), which introduced sin and death and led to separation from God. Man’s original vocation to live in perfect communion with God and creation, needed to be restored. This restoration would come through the redemptive work of Christ, who not only repairs what was broken but fulfills humanity’s original purpose in a new and greater way.
St. Paul contrasts Adam, the first man, with Jesus Christ, the "last Adam." “The first man, Adam, became a living being,” but the last Adam, Christ, became "a life-giving spirit." Paul contrasted the difference between the two - Adam brought sin and death into the world through disobedience, while Christ brought life and resurrection through His obedience to the Father. Christ’s obedience not only reverses the effects of Adam’s disobedience but surpasses it, opening the way for humanity to share in divine life.
Paul speaks of two types of humanity - those born in the image of the earthly Adam and those reborn in the image of the heavenly Christ. Just as Adam was formed from the dust of the earth, so all humanity bears his nature—mortal and subject to sin. In contrast, Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, through His resurrection, inaugurates a new humanity. Those who are in Christ are conformed to His image, no longer bound to the corruption of the earthly but destined for the glory of the heavenly.
The creation narrative in Genesis lays the foundation for understanding God’s plan for humanity, which finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Humanity’s creation in God’s image prefigures the ultimate restoration and perfection of that image through Christ. The loss of the divine image through Adam’s sin is redeemed and elevated in Christ, who, as the "new Adam," not only restores what was lost but transforms it into something greater. In Christ, the vocation to bear God’s image is fulfilled as believers are made partakers in His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).
Jesus’ resurrection marks the beginning of a new creation. Just as God breathed life into Adam in Genesis, Christ, the life-giving Spirit, breathes eternal life into those united with Him. In this, the plan of salvation is revealed as God’s eternal desire to elevate humanity to share in His divine life, showing how the Old Testament anticipates its fulfillment in the New Testament.
Heavenly Father, thank You for creating us in Your image and for sending Christ, the new Adam, to restore and perfect us. Help us to live in His likeness and reflect Your glory in all we do. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
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