Paul said that man was "the image and glory of God" (1 Cor. 11:7). The Greek word for image here is eikon, meaning likeness, profile, statue, and bodily resemblance, as proved in places where it is used (Matt. 22:20; Acts 19:35; Rom. 1:23; 8:29; 11:4; 1 Cor. 15:49; 2 Cor. 4:4; Col. 1:15; Heb. 10:1; Rev. 13:14, 15; 14:9-11; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4).
There is no question about man being in the moral and spiritual likeness of God, but none of the above passages refer to this idea. They refer to bodily form and shape. If man was made in the image and likeness of God bodily, then God must have a body, and an outward form and shape.
One might as well argue that image and likeness, when used of idols, mean moral and spiritual image and likeness and not outward bodily shape, as to argue this about God; for the same Hebrew and Greek words are used in both cases as seen in the references above. That it refers to what can be seen with the natural eyes is clear from the above passages as well as from Gen. 5:3; Isa. 40:19, 20; 44:9-17; Ezek. 1:5-28; Acts 19:35.
There is no question about man being in the moral and spiritual likeness of God, but none of the above passages refer to this idea. They refer to bodily form and shape. If man was made in the image and likeness of God bodily, then God must have a body, and an outward form and shape.
One might as well argue that image and likeness, when used of idols, mean moral and spiritual image and likeness and not outward bodily shape, as to argue this about God; for the same Hebrew and Greek words are used in both cases as seen in the references above. That it refers to what can be seen with the natural eyes is clear from the above passages as well as from Gen. 5:3; Isa. 40:19, 20; 44:9-17; Ezek. 1:5-28; Acts 19:35.
Would he have seen just God? Wouldn't he have also seen the Word? Even if the Word was not yet human? It was already there with God. It was part of the Creation process.