In Book VI, Augustine begins to understand that when the Scriptures say that God made man in his own image, this does not mean that God has a body. It is a metaphor referring to the Godlike attributes of man being also a creative and reasoning creature. This is an example of why it is so important to study the spirit and intent of the Scriptures, not the literal meaning of a phrase. This foreshadows Augustine's theological theory that the prophet Moses wrote the Scriptures so that the simple-minded could have something to believe in, but the more intellectual would be able to seek a deeper meaning in the word of God. It also foreshadows the positive influence of the spiritual and metaphorical works of the Platonists on Augustine.
Confessions