Theology: D - Humankind Flashcards
What does the Bible teach about the creation of human beings?
WSC 10 - “God created man male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.’
Genesis 1:26-28 - “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He cre-ated them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
WCF 4.2 - “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 fulfill 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 knowledge of good and evil; which while they kept, they were happy in their communion with God, and had dominion over the creatures.”
In what way is a man in the image of God?
WSC 10 - “God created man male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.”
Ephesians 4:24 - “…and put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Colossians 3:10 - “…and having put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge on the image of its Creator.”
Are all men in the image of God? If so, to what extent?
Yes.
- After the fall, the image of God was corrupted, but not destroyed. Genesis 9:6
- Partially restored in conversion and sanctification. Romans 8:29
- Fully restored in the consummation. 1 John 3:2
Genesis 9:6 - “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.”
James 3:1 - “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.”
How does the doctrine of the image of God influence debates about gender roles?
- Part of being in the image of God includes gender differences and complements. Both male and female are made in the image of God in a unique way, and thus are equal in dignity and worth as human beings.
- On the other hand, neither male nor female fully reflects the image of God without the other. Thus, there is a necessary complimentary relationship between the genders.
- Like the Trinity, ontological equality, but diversity of roles.
- They are equally the image of God.
Genesis 1:27 - So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
Where did man’s soul come from? When?
Man’s soul comes from God.
Pre-Existence - no Biblical evidence
Traducianism - our soul is inherited from our parents.
Creationism - our soul is created by God at conception without second causes.
Explain dichotomy and trichotomy.
Dichotomy – Man is: Material (body) and Immaterial (soul or spirit)
Trichotomy – Man is: Physical body, Soul which “is the seat of the affections, desires, emotions, and the will of man,” and a Spirit which “knows and is capable of God-consciousness and communication with God”
What is sin? (WSC 14). Include Scripture proofs.
“Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.”
1 John 3:3-4 - “Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself as he is pure. Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.”
James 4:17 - “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.”
James 2:10 - “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”
Galatians 3:10 - “All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: ‘cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.’”
Leviticus 18:5 - “Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord.”
Discuss guilt of sin and the corruption of sin.
Guilt of sin (Accountability) is a judicial concept describing one’s relationship to the law—in this case God’s law. Guilt is the state of deserving condemnation or being liable to punishment because the law has been violated.
- Romans 5:12 - “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”
Corruption of sin (Nature) has to do with our moral condition. By this corruption we are utterly indisposed, disabled and made opposite of all good, and wholly inclined to all evil. (WCF 6.4)
- Psalm 51:4-5 - “Against you, you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgments. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me.”
Define and discuss original sin (include Scripture proofs).
The effects of Adam’s sin on the lives of all his descendents.
WSC 18 - “The sinfulness of that estate where into man fell, consists in the guilt of Adam’s first sin, the want of original righteousness, and the corruption of his whole nature, which is commonly called original sin; together with all actual transgressions that proceed from it.”
Romans 5:12 - “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”
1 Corinthians 15:21-22 - “For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”
How can original sin be reconciled to the canons of Justice, either human or divine?
The covenant was made with Adam and all his descendants, therefore in Adam’s sin was the transgression of all men. This transgression requires of it the payment of the penalty of death.
Thus, original sin is not only reconcilable with the perfect justice of God, his justice actually requires it.
WLC 22 - “The covenant being made with Adam as a public person, not for himself only, but for his posterity, all mankind de-scending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in that first transgression.”
Is there any good remaining in a fallen, sinful man? Explain.
No. The fall has so corrupted and permeated all of man’s being that nothing he does is not in some way effected by that fall.
WCF 6.4 - “From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all goo, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgression.”
In what ways does man sin?
In that man does not perfectly conform to the righteous requirements of the law, but rather transgresses that law, he sins.
WSC 14 - “Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.”
What are some of the consequences of sin?
WSC 19 - “All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the miseries of this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever.”
Is the will of man free? Explain (include Scripture proofs).
Yes.
* Created: possible to sin
* Fallen: not possible not to sin
* Redeemed: possible not to sin
* Glorified: not possible to sin
WCF 9.1 - “God hath endued the will of man with that natural liberty, that it is neither forced, nor, by any absolute necessity of nature, determined to good, or evil.”
Ephesians 2:1 - “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you onced walked.”
James 1:14 - “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
Was Adam’s will (before he sinned) free? Explain; include Scripture proofs.
Yes.
WCF 9.2 - “Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom, and power to will and to do that which was good and well pleasing to god; but yet, mutably, so that he might fall from it.”
WSC 13 - “Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sin-ning against God.”
Genesis 2:16-17 - “And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘you are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”
Ecclesiastes 7:29 - “This only have I found: God made men upright, but men have gone in search of many schemes.”
