Simplicity and the Image of God?

Question #40: If the divine nature is one and indivisible, yet Father, Son, and Spirit each possesses it in a unique relational mode, how do we speak of humanity’s imaging of God?

To speak of humanity’s imaging of God by insisting that the Father, Son, and Spirit, each fully possess the one, indivisible nature, yet do so in a distinct relational mode is to speak of simplicity too. This is because God is radically self-giving love, this one essence cannot be portioned out to one divine Person alone; being “in the image of God” involves the whole Trinity. At the same time, each Person’s relational stance offers a different angle: we may emphasize the Son as “Word” to highlight the role of human reason, or point to the Spirit as “Love” to underscore our capacity for relationship. But in every instance, the tri-personal simplicity of God remains intact, so our imaging necessarily embraces the fullness of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit rather than isolating any one vantage. God is God for us because God is radically One love.

Jesus loves me, so he sent the Spirit. And because of this sharing of nature I get to participate, as God is all in all.

See:

Genesis 1:26–27
Deuteronomy 6:4
Matthew 28:19
John 1:1–3
John 10:30
John 14:9
John 17:21
2 Corinthians 13:14
1 John 4:8, 16
Romans 5:5
Colossians 1:15
Ephesians 1:3–14

Introduction to defending divine simplicity and understanding SSGO