How did God create man?
After God had made all other creatures, he created man male and female;1 formed the body of the man of the dust of the ground,2 and the woman of the rib of the man,3 endued them with living, reasonable, and immortal souls;4 made them after his own image,5 in knowledge,6 righteousness,and holiness;7 having the law of God written in their hearts,8 and power to fulfil it,9 and dominion over the creatures;10 yet subject to fall.11
Scripture proofs
The Westminster Assembly's proof texts (KJV). The bracketed numbers in the answer above mark the clause each set of references supports; expand a row to read the verses.
1 Gen. 1:27
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
2 Gen. 2:7
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
3 Gen. 2:22
And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
4 Gen. 2:7; Job 35:11; Eccl. 12:7; Matt. 10:28; Luke 23:43
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
5 Gen. 1:27
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
6 Col. 3:10
And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
7 Eph. 4:24
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
8 Rom. 2:14–15
Rom. 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
Rom. 2:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
9 Eccl. 7:29
Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
10 Gen. 1:28
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
11 Gen. 3:6; Eccl. 7:29
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
This doctrine across the Standards
Where the Confession and the Westminster Shorter Catechism treat the same matter, so the question can be studied alongside its parallel statements.
In the Westminster Confession
IV.1 It pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for the manifestation of the glory of his eternal …
It pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for the manifestation of the glory of his eternal power, wisdom, and goodness, in the beginning, to create or make of nothing the world, and all things therein, whether visible or invisible, in the space of six days, and all very good.
→ IV.1 · Of CreationIV.2 After God had made all other creatures, he created man, male and female, with reasonable and immortal souls, …
After God had made all other creatures, he created man, male and female, with reasonable and immortal souls, endued with knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, after his own image, having the law of God written in their hearts, and power to fulfil it; and yet under a possibility of transgressing, being left to the liberty of their own will, which was subject unto change. Beside this law written in their hearts, they received a command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; which while they kept they were happy in their communion with God, and had dominion over the creatures.
→ IV.2 · Of CreationIX.1 God hath endued the will of man with that natural liberty, that is neither forced nor by any …
God hath endued the will of man with that natural liberty, that is neither forced nor by any absolute necessity of nature determined to good or evil.
→ IX.1 · Of Free WillIn the Westminster Shorter Catechism
Q.9 What is the work of creation?
The work of creation is, God's making all things of nothing, by the word of his power, in the space of six days, and all very good.
→ Open Q.9Q.10 How did God create man?
God created man male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.
→ Open Q.10