The Image of God

Τὸ κατ' εἰκόνα μὴ έν σώματι εἶναι, ἐν δὲ τῇ λογικῇ ψυχῇ, παραστήσει οὐκ εὐκαταφρόνητον δόγμα, καταλαβὼν τίνες δυνάμεις εἰσὶν αὐτῆς. Ἡ γὰρ γνωστικὴ δύναμις ἡ ἐν τῳ ἀνθρώπῳ, κριτική τε καὶ εὐποιητικὴ, δικαιοπρακτική τε καὶ ἐῥῥωμένη, καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς παντὸς καλοῦ ἐπιτελεστικὴ, κατ' εἰκόνα ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ γεγόνασιν αὐτῷ. Ὅτι δὲ τὸ κατ' εἰκόνα αἱ πράξεις χαρακτηρίζουσι, καὶ οὐχὶ ἡ τοῦ σώματος μορφὴ, σαφῶς ὁ Ἀπόστολος ἐν τῇ πρὸς Κορινθίνος φησί· Καθὼς ἐφορέσαμεν τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ χοίνοῦ, οὕτως φορέσωμεν καὶ τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ἐπουρανίου. Εἰκόνα μὲν γὰρ φορεὶ χοίκὴν ὁ κατὰ σάρκα ζῶν, καὶ ποιῶν τὰ ἔργα τῆς σαρκός· εἰκόνα δὲ τοῦ ἐπουρανίου ὁ τῷ πνεύματι τὰς πράξεις τῆς σαρκὸς θανατῶν. Καὶ ἐν ἑτέρᾳ δὲ ἐπιστολῇ διδάσκων ὡς δεῖ βιοῦν, ἐπιφέρει ταῖς ἐντολαῖς τὸ, ' Ἵνα γένησθε κατ' εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος. Κύριος μακρόθυμος, καὶ ὁ μακρόθυμος ἄνθρωπος ἔχει τὸ κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ. Δίκαιος καὶ ὅσιος ὁ Κύριος, καὶ οἰκτίρμων καὶ ἐλεήμων ὁ Κύριος. Οὐκοῦν ὁ αγαπῶν δικαιοσύνην καὶ ὁσιότητα, καὶ πράττων καὶ τηρῶν τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος τὴν. Γίνεσθε οἰκτίρμονες ὡς καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν οἰκτίρμων, καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος τέλειός ἐστιν. εἰκὼν γίνεται κατὰ πάντα τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὠριγένης, Εἰς Την Γενεσιν

'According to the image' 1 concerns not  the body but the rational soul, a teaching not to be condemned if one grasps the faculties that are in it. For in man are the faculties of knowing and judging and doing good and performing what is just and fortitude and, as once said, it is a doer of every good, and this is being according to the image of God. For it is the actions, not the form of the body, that represent to us the image of God, as the Apostle reveals in the Letter to the Corinthians when he says 'In that way we have carried an earthly image, so let us carry a heavenly image.' And he carries the earthly image who lives according to the flesh and performs works of the flesh, and the heavenly image is of the one who with the spirit mortifies carnal acts. And in another letter he teaches the precepts of life, among other things saying, 'That you might be an image of Him who created you. The Lord is long suffering, therefore let a man be long suffering that he be an image of God. And the Lord is just and holy, merciful and compassionate. Therefore he who loves righteousness and sanctity, acting so as to observe the commandments of the Saviour: 'Be merciful just as your Father is merciful,' and 'Be perfect, like your Father in heaven is perfect.', becomes an image of God in all things. Origen, On Genesis 1 Gen 1.26