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Karai Kasang a Hkrang Bung Sumla

(The Image of God)

Ga Hpaw

Hkrang (image) hte bung ai (likeness) ngu ai ga si a lachyum hpe, Hebre ga hta Tselem hte
Demuth ngu lang da nga ai hpe chye lu ga ai (NN 1:26-27). Tselem ngu ai gaw hkrang hpe mawn
sumli ai (a fashioned image), hkrang shingyan hpe shaleng dan ai (a shaped and representative
finger) ngu ai lachyum re.

Demuth ngu ai gaw, bung ai hpe tsun ai re. Rai tim hkrang n rawng ai (sh) myit masa, myit
manaw, atsam ningja hpe grau tsun mayu ai re (Demuth refers also to the idea of similarity but
more in abstract or ideal). Dai majaw Tselem hte Demuth ngu ai ga hkum ni hpe lang ai shaloi
lachyum gaw tup hkrak dan leng ai Karai Kasang a hkrang (sh) pat shing na (the concrete reflection
of God) ngu ai re. Rai tim wenyi hkum hkrang (spiritual) hpe she madung tsun ai re. Dai hku tsun
ai shaloi hkumhkrang gaw, Karai Kasang hte n seng ai (sh) hpan da ai lam hte n seng ai ngu mayu
ai n rai. Shinggyim masha gaw hkumhkrang n lawm ai n mai hkrung ai. Rai tim hkum hkrang hte
hkrung nga dam tim, Karai Kasang a hkrang (sh) pat shing na (the concrete reflection of God) ngu
ai wenyi hte seng ai n sam, ningja n rawng yang, n dan leng yang Karai a hkrang bung sumla ngu
n tsun lu ai lam hpe shaleng dan ai lam she rai nga ai.

Karai Kasang a Hkrang Bung Sumla Ngu ai Hpe Lachyum Hpyan ai lam

Ningpawt Ninghpang 1:26-27 hta Karai Kasang tsun ai, "Anhte a hkrang sumla hte anhte a
nsam hte bung ai shinggyim masha hpan ga" (let us make human kind in our image) ngu ai ga hpe
la kap nna Hkristan Karai masa labau hta Karai Kasang a hkrang bung sumla (image of God) hpe
lachyum amyu myu htai la lai wa masai.

1. .Hkum hkrang nan bung ai lam (Physical resemblance to God)

(1) Chyum laika na ga nkau mi hta shinggyim masha zawn Karai Kasang hkawm sa tsun shaga ai
hpe mahta nna, Karai Kasang nan shi a hkum hkrang hte bung hkra masha hpe shachyaw ai ngu
kam ma ai (eg, NN 3:8ff, Edin sun kaw Karai Kasang hkawm shara ai hpe na nna Adam yan Ewa
makoi ai).

(2) Rai tim (Pru 20:4) hta kaning re ai hkrang bung mung n shachyaw lu na lam Karai Kasang
hkang da ai majaw, shi nan mung hkrang hku nawku n hkam ai. Bai nna 2 Kor 4:6, Yh 1:14 hta
mung hpung shingkang bung ai, dai hpung shingkang gaw anhte shinggyim masha a kraw lawang
e jahtoi ya ai hku tsun ai.

(3) Ningpawt Ninghpang 1:27, 5:12 hta shinggyim la hte num hpe hpan da ai ngu tsun ai majaw
shinggyim hkum hkrang (physical) hku Karai Kasang a hkrang bung sumla hpe htai la jang, Karai
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Kasang gaw shinggyim num hte bung ai hkum hkrang lu ai wa i? (sh) shinggyim la hte bung ai
hkum hkrang hte bung ai wa i? ngu ai ga san ni nga wa ai.

2 .Htinglu Htinglai matut mahkai masa (Relationship with God)

Karai Kasang a hkrang bung (image of God) ngu ai gaw gumhpraw dengga kaw dazik gayet
da ai zawn prat tup grin kap nga ai baw n re. Karai Kasang hpe tsawra myit hte htinglu htinglai
matut mahkai ai hte sha lu la mai ai mahkrum madup lam re. Emil Brunner wa tsun ai gaw Karai
Kasang a mungga gaw masha a kraw kaw shang nna shamu wa ai, Karai Kasang a lam na nna, hti
nna hpa hkam sha ai lam n nga yang gaw lama ma a lam ka da ai, laika langai ngai hpe hti kau ai
hte sha bung na re. Ga Shaka Dingsa hte Ningnan lahkawng yan hta Yesu Hkristu hpe kam sham
yang chyu sha hkrang bung (image of God) ngu ai hpe hpring tsup hkra madu da lu na re ngu tsun
da nga ai. Karai Kasang a mungga anhte kaw shang wa ai shaloi hkam sha ai myit (feeling) rawng
ra ai. Dai majaw Hkristan ngu ai gaw sharin la nna sha Karai Kasang hpe myit masin ma hkra hte
n chye la lu ai. Mungga (sh) Karai Kasang (sh) Yesu nan myit masin hpe magra jum kau ya ai
hkrum ra ai.

Kam sham ai (faith) gaw, sawn dinglik yu ai (reason) hte myit hta hkam sha ai lam (feeling)
lahkawng rap ra ai hku hkam la lu ra ai. Dai majaw makam masham (faith) gaw Karai Kasang hte
shi a mungga masha a myit kata kade jung ai ngu ai lam she re. Chyum laika a akri namchyim hpe
mahta la nna, myit masin kata hta hkam la sak hkrung ai shaloi she teng man ai Karai Kasang a
hkrang bung (image of God) hpe madu la lu na re.

Karl Barth hte Emil Brunner yan a ningmu hta;

(1) Yesu a marai hkum hpe yu sharin la ai hku nna sha Karai Kasang a hkrang bung (the image
of God) hte shinggyim masha a byin nga ai byin da masa hpe chye na la mai ai. (The image
of God and the human nature best understood through a study of the person of Jesus, not
on human nature)
(2) Karai Kasang shadan dan ai lam hku nna sha Karai Kasang a hkrang bung (image of God)
hpe chye na la mai ai. (We obtain our understanding of image from the divine revelation.)
(3) Karai Kasang a hkrang bung (image of God) gaw jum lu, hkra lu ai hkrang lama ma hku n
re. Masha a lu da ai lama ma hte mung n mai shabung ai. (The image of God is not to be
understood interms of structural qualities within man. It is not something man is possesses.)
Karai Kasang hte htinglu htinglai matut mahkai ai lam she re. Masha hte dusat arung arai
matut mahkai ai zawn n rai, wenyi rawng ai shada matut mahkai ganawn mazum ai lam
she re. Dai majaw hkring nga ai baw (sh) hkring mat ai baw n re. Matut galu kaba jat wa
ai baw she re. (Rather, the image is a matter of one's ralationship to God. Thus it is dynamic
rather they static/ unchanging.)
(4) Shada htinglu htinglai matut mahkai ganawn mazum ai lam hku nna she chye na hkawn
hkrang mai ai baw re. Matut mahkai ai ngu ai hta, Karai Kasang hte masha a lapran, masha
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shada lapran prinem ai hku ganawn mazum ai shaloi she masha gaw Karai Kasang hte
hkrang bung ai ngu tsun lu nga ai.
(5) Karai Kasang a hkrang bung ngu ai gaw masha yawng hte seng ai re. (Image of God is
universal). Aten shagu shara shagu na masha yawng hte seng ai hte yawng kaw rawng nga
ai lam re. Karai Kasang kaw na tsan ai de prang hkawm mat wa tim Karai Kasang hte seng
nga ai ngu ai hpe n lu nyet kau nga ai masa re. (It is found in all human at all times and
places. So, it is present in sinful man. Even in truning away from God, man cannot negate
the fact that he is related to God.)

3 .Magam Lit Ningmu (Functional View)

Karai Kasang gaw nga yawng danghta hpe hpan da nna up hkang ai zawn, shinggyim
masha hpe mung Karai Kasang hpan da ai kaga arai yawng hpe up hkang shangun hkrum ai hpe
Karai Kasang a hkrang bung (image of God) ngu hkam la ai masa re. Masha hpe dusat arung arai
hte n mai shabung ai. Masha hta shi a sari sadang arawng aya (dignity) nga ai. Karai Kasang jaw
ai shinggyim ahkaw ahkang hpe kadai mung n lu dawm la kau ya ai.

Prat dep myit sawn ningchyoi hpaji munu ni hte Karai hpaji munu ni (modern philosohpers
and theologians) sawn shachyaw ai hta, Karai Kasang gaw shi a hpan shalat ai lam hpe wanglu
wanglang galaw ai zawn, shinggyim masha ni hpe mung tinang hkum tinang wanglu wanglang
dawdan hparan la lu ai hte mungkan a htung hking lailen ni hpe wanglu wanglang gin shalat na
ahkang bang da ya ai hpe Karai Kasang a hkrang bung (image of God) re ngu nna mung htai la ma
ai.

Ga hpungdim;

Karai Kasang gaw shi a hkrang bung ngu ai hpe Yesu Hkristu a marai hkum asak hkrung
lam hku nna Karai Kasang ngu ai gaw ganing re ai wa re ngu ai hte, shinggyim masha ni hpe byin
shangun mayu ai shi a yaw shada lam ni yawng hpe hkum tsup kup hkra madun lai wa sai re. Dai
majaw Yesu madun ai kasi zawn makam masham, myit masa ningja, kyang lailen shingni ni,sak
hkrung maka madu da lu ai asak hkrung ai lam mahtang she "Karai Kasang a hkrang bung (image
of God)" majing ngu chye na la mai nga ga ai law.

Ginlen Shalai Ai,

Rev.Dr. Lahpai Awng Li

MIT, Isein.