Greek · Identity · Representation
εἰκών
eikon
Often translated as: Image
Image, likeness, representation, visible expression of something unseen.
Translation range
image · likeness · icon
Beneath the translation
In the ancient world, an eikon was not a portrait. It was a representative — the visible presence of an unseen authority in a place.
Why this matters
To be made in the image of God is to be a living representative of God's character in the world. It is calling, not decoration.
In context
Genesis 1:27 (LXX)
κατ' εἰκόνα θεοῦ ἐποίησεν αὐτόν
"In the image of God he made him."
Image here is not appearance, but representation — a living presence of the unseen.
Colossians 1:15
εἰκὼν τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου
"The image of the invisible God."
Often translated 'image,' though 'icon' carries the older weight: visible presence of what is unseen.
Reflection
What if being made in the image of God is not just appearance, but vocation?
For contemplation
An eikon was never a portrait. It was a presence — the way an absent king made himself known in a far province. To be made in the image of God is to carry that kind of weight: a living representative, not a decoration.
Questions to sit with
- 01
What would it mean to live as a representative of God's character today?
- 02
Where have you reduced your own image-bearing to appearance?
- 03
Who has shown you, by their life, what an eikon looks like?
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