The original wisdom, righteousness, and holiness of man in his first estate were not a "supernatural" gift of God, superadded to him to render his original estate complete and perfect (papists: donum supernatural e, donum superadditum), but a concreate gift (donum concreatum, iustitia originalis, iustitia concreata), since he received the image of God at the very moment of his creation, Gen. 1, 26. 31. For this reason man's nature after the Fall is no longer in an uncorrupt state (natura integra, in puris naturalibus) as the papists teach, but in a state of corruption (natura corrupta, natura sauciata). Though the image of God does not constitute the nature of man, since even after the Fall he is still a true man, yet the divine image belonged to the nature of the uncorrupt man or to the uncorrupt human nature. It is certainly a proof of total corruption that man, though he was created for the glory of God and still knows of His existence and rule (Rom. 1, 19), should neither love nor adore the Creator, but worship the creature. Therefore we declare on the basis of Scripture that man through the Fall has entirely lost the image of God in its proper sense, that is, his concreate wisdom, righteousness, and holiness, so that his intellect now is veiled in spiritual darkness, 1 Cor. 2, 14, and his will is opposed to God, Rom. 8, 7.
In view of this fact the question arises, How are we to understand such passages as Gen. 9, 6 and Jas. 3, 9? Luther and other dogmaticians (Philippi, Hofmann) explain them as describing man as he was originally and as he should again become through faith in Christ Jesus (restoration of the divine image through regeneration). Melanchthon, Baier, Quenstedt, and others regard them as teaching a divine image in a wider sense, namely, inasmuch as man, even after the Fall, is still an intelligent, selfdetermining rational being, who even now, though feebly, rules over the creatures of God. But also those theologians who speak of an image of God in the wider sense admit that the divine image in its proper sense was lost through the Fall, Col. 3, 10; Eph. 4, 24. For the sake of clearness and accuracy it is preferable to adopt Luther's explanation of the passages quoted. The unregenerate arc so far from possessing the divine image that they are said to have no hope and to be without God in the world, Eph. 2, 12, as also, that what they sacrifice they sacrifice to the devils and not to God, 1 Cor. 10, 20.
The seat of the divine image was not the body, but the soul of man; for the knowledge of God together with holiness and righteousness inheres properly in the soul. Nevertheless also the body shared in the divine image, since it is the organ of the soul. For this reason bodily immortality (immortalitas corporis) was an immediate result of man's possession of the divine image. Death entered into the world through the Fall, Gen. 2, 17; Rom. 5, 12; 6, 23. The claim that death is caused by the matter of which the body consists must be regarded as a pagan view. Since man originally was without sin, he was free also from painful and destructive sufferings, Gen. 3, 16ff. The original condition of man was therefore one of supreme happiness; for a) his soul was wise and holy ; b) his body was free from suffering and death ; c) his condition of life was most blessed; and d) his condition of habitation was most pleasant, since God placed him into a garden of pleasure, called Paradise, to dwell there and enjoy His goodness forever, Gen. 2, 8-15 (בֶּן־בְּעֵדֶן; מַּרְדֵּס; παράδεισος).
The intimate communion and blissful association of uncorrupt man with the holy God, Scripture itself cites as a proof of the status integritatis, Gen. 2, 19ff.; so also the fact that our first parents were naked, yet not ashamed, Gen. 2, 25. Cf. Luther, St. L., I, 170.