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This episode of The Reformed Standard unpacks Westminster Shorter Catechism Answer 10, exploring the profound implications of how God created humanity. Building on the previous episode’s question, “How did God create man?”, this installment examines the answer: “God created man male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.” The episode systematically explores the theological significance of mankind’s creation as male and female, the meaning of the Imago Dei (image of God), the original righteous state of humanity before the fall, and the royal commission of dominion over creation that was given to mankind. Through careful exposition of Genesis 1:26-28, Colossians 3:10, and Ephesians 4:24, this episode illuminates our understanding of human dignity, purpose, and relationship to both Creator and creation.
Key Takeaways:
- God intentionally created humanity as male and female, establishing the first and most fundamental human distinction as part of His divine design.
- The Imago Dei (image of God) is what fundamentally separates humanity from all other created beings, giving mankind unique relational, moral, and functional capacities.
- The original image consisted of three primary qualities: knowledge (perfect relational understanding of God), righteousness (perfect conformity to God’s will), and holiness (purity and consecration to God).
- Adam was not created morally neutral but in a state of positive, perfect alignment with God.
- The dominion mandate was humanity’s royal commission to rule over creation as God’s vice-regents, exercising stewardship rather than exploitation.
- Our understanding of how God created us reveals both our original dignity and our ultimate purpose in the created order.
Key Concepts:
The Image of God (Imago Dei)
The image of God is not physical resemblance but rather humanity’s unique capacity to represent God on earth. This image is both relational and functional—we were made to mirror God’s character, know Him intimately, and represent His rule. The New Testament provides crucial insight into what this image originally entailed by describing how it is being restored in Christ. The Imago Dei establishes human dignity on theological grounds rather than utilitarian or social considerations. Every human being—regardless of capacity, development, or condition—bears this image and deserves the dignity that comes with it. This understanding of humanity stands in stark contrast to materialistic or evolutionary views that see humans merely as highly developed animals.
The Original Righteousness of Adam
The catechism’s description of Adam’s original state as one of “knowledge, righteousness, and holiness” refutes the notion that humanity was created morally neutral. Based on Colossians 3:10 and Ephesians 4:24, which describe the restoration of the image in believers, we can understand that Adam possessed a perfect, relational knowledge of God, a will perfectly aligned with divine purposes, and a being wholly consecrated to God. This original righteousness was not something Adam needed to achieve but was an intrinsic quality of his created nature. Understanding this original state illuminates the catastrophic nature of the Fall and the glorious work of Christ in restoring what was lost. It also reveals that the goal of redemption is not merely forgiveness but the complete restoration of God’s image in us.
Memorable Quotes:
“The image of God means that man was created to be God’s representative on earth. We were made to mirror and reflect the character of our Creator. This is a relational, moral, and functional capacity.”
“Adam was not created morally neutral. He was created in a state of positive, perfect alignment with God. He had true ‘knowledge’—not just of facts, but a perfect, relational knowledge of his Creator.”
“As the image of God, man was appointed as God’s vice-regent on earth. God is the ultimate King of creation, and He created humanity to rule over the earth on His behalf and in His place.”
Full Transcript:
[00:00:20] The Unique Creation of Man
On Tuesday, we asked the question, “How did God create man?” We considered the catechism’s intentional shift, separating mankind from the rest of the created order to signal that something unique, something climatic, was happening in this creative act. We were left to meditate on the “how” of our creation, knowing that it defines the “what” of our nature.
Having explored the contours of the question, we now turn to the catechism’s beautiful and profound answer.
God created man male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.
This answer is packed with truth, and we need to unpack it piece by piece, because it defines our original dignity, our purpose, and the very essence of what it means to be human.
First, the catechism tells us that God created man “male and female.” This is not an incidental detail; it is the first and most fundamental distinction made. As Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” From the very beginning, humanity was not created as a solitary individual, but as a complementary pair. The image of God is not found in male or female exclusively, but is fully present in both, and the relationship between them is the first social structure God ordained for human flourishing and the filling of the earth.
[00:01:48] Understanding the Imago Dei
Second, the central truth: God created man “after his own image.” This is the Imago Dei. This is what separates humanity from every other living thing. This cannot be a physical image, for we have already learned that God is a Spirit, without body or parts. So what is it? The image of God means that man was created to be God’s representative on earth. We were made to mirror and reflect the character of our Creator. This is a relational, moral, and functional capacity. We are creatures, but we are creatures made in the likeness of God, capable of knowing Him, loving Him, and fellowshipping with Him in a way that no other part of the created order can.
[00:02:29] The Original State of Man
But what did this image look like in its original state? The catechism doesn’t leave us guessing. It tells us the image consisted “in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness.” Now, how do the divines know this? They know it because the New Testament tells us what the image restored in Christ looks like. In Colossians 3:10, Paul tells us to put on the “new self,” which is being renewed “in knowledge after the image of its creator.” In Ephesians 4:24, he says this new self is “created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”
By showing us how the image is restored in salvation, Paul reveals what the image was in its original perfection. Adam was not created morally neutral. He was created in a state of positive, perfect alignment with God. He had true “knowledge”—not just of facts, but a perfect, relational knowledge of his Creator. He had true “righteousness”—his will was not fallen or bent toward sin, but was perfectly conformed to the will of God. And he had true “holiness”—his entire being was pure, uncorrupted, and set apart for God’s glory. This is what we were created to be.
[00:03:41] Man’s Dominion Over Creation
Finally, the catechism tells us that man was created “with dominion over the creatures.” This is the function, or the royal office, of the image-bearer. Genesis 1:26 is explicit: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion…” As the image of God, man was appointed as God’s vice-regent on earth. God is the ultimate King of creation, and He created humanity to rule over the earth on His behalf and in His place. This was not a license to exploit and destroy, but a royal commission to steward, to cultivate, and to bring all of creation under the wise and good rule of God, all for His glory.
This, then, is the answer to how God created us. He made us fundamentally relational, male and female. He gave us our transcendent dignity by making us in His own image. He endowed that image with a perfect, relational knowledge, a true righteousness, and a pure holiness. And He gave us our purpose and our task: to exercise His good dominion over the creatures.