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.
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?
Related words