Unit 1 Test Review Flashcards
Two bases of naturalistic evolution*
science and faith
teaches that God directed and controlled the processes of naturalistic evolution to “create” the world and all that is in it ~ usually referencing Days as Ages in Creation… Eve poses a special problem for this view. Eve did not come from some pre-existing form of Life; She was a special act of creation, and if she was, why not Adam also?
theistic evolution
1) The planets and stars resulted from a big-bang explosion of compressed, rotating protons and neutrons,
2) Life began completely by chance when a single cell appeared from non-living matter, and
3) Having thus begun by chance, all other living organisms have developed from that 1st and subsequent simpler forms of life, which gradually increased in complexity
3 Basic Principles of Evolution
formula for the process of evolution*
Mutations + Natural Selection x Time = Evolution
two problems with the evolutionary concept of mutations
1) Mutations are rare and almost always harmful, and
2) Where do new genes come from? ~ no mutation has produced new species or even a new organ or system in an existing species
three problems with the evolutionary concept of natural selection
1) It guarantees improvement when observation tells us it doesn’t always happen that way,
2) Single mutations may occur that are un-beneficial that needs another mutation to be beneficial, and
3) it follows a circular argument ~ Natural selection gives adaptations while adaptations show Natural Selection
required to believe that evolution could have caused by chance all life that ever did or does now exist*
An incredible amount of Faith
Through energy in the cosmos remains constant, the amount available to do useful work is always decreasing (and entropy, the measure of unavailable energy, is increasing).
second law of thermodynamics*
three problems with the evolutionary use of the fossil record
1) The Fossil argument is a circular one ~ fossils are dated by the strata and the strata are dated by the fossils,
2) There are no transitional forms that should be there if evolution occurred, and
3) Simple forms of life are found higher in strata than more complex ones
creation ex nihilo
Generally: This phrase means that God did not use any pre-existing materials in creating
the verb bara (Gen. 1)
DOES NOT inherently preclude the use of preexisting material
It proposes a way to harmonize the Genesis record with the long periods of time seemingly demanded by geology ~ gap between verses 1 & 2 Satan rebelled bringing sin to earth, God judged with a flood followed by darkness and an Ice Age where life was destroyed. The six days of Creation, then, describe a re-creation, restoration, or re-institution, not the original Creation…
Gap Theory
1) the disjunctive “waw” ~ grammar doesn’t allow for it also logically the becoming should be after creation not before,
2) “Formless and void” do not necessarily imply judgment and an evil condition,
3) It does not follow that darkness is inherently evil,
4) It interprets the meaning of “replenish” incorrectly,
5) No argument can be built on the use of “bara” in verse 1, and
6) 1 additional weakness is that no Biblical proof that Satan’s fall resulted in judgment on the earth, Adam’s fall did (Gen. 3:17-19)
Weaknesses of the Gap Theory
1) The word “day” when used with a numerical adjective in the Pentateuch always indicates a solar day,
2) The qualifying phrase “evening and morning” attached to each of the 6 days of Creation supports the meaning of the days as 24hr periods, and
3) Exodus 20:11 & 31:17 state that god made everything in the days that He rested on the 7th and this pattern serves as the basis for man’s weekly cycle
three arguments for the literal solar-day view of Creation
1) The word “day” sometimes refers to a longer, indefinite period of time,
2) Since the sun was not created till the 4th day, we may assume that the 1st 3 days were of indefinite length of time, and
3) The 7th day on which God rested was longer than 24 hrs; therefore the 1st 6 days were also. ~ However; normal interpretation of the passage (Gen 1), the use of the word day with numbers, the phrase “evening and morning”, and the two passages in Exodus constitute strong evidence that the days were solar days. How could God have said it more clearly?
Three arguments for the day-age view of Creation
1) it may indicate the existence of a vapor canopy that condensed at the time of the flood that produced the 40 days of heavy rainfall, and
2) this would have caused a drastic change in the climate of the world after the Flood and certain other results. The uniformitarianism on which dating methods are based would have been affected by this.
ramifications of the truth of a universal Flood*
The corporeal view, the non-corporeal view, a combination view, the Roman Catholic view, The neo-orthodox view
Five views of the image of God in man
it relates both the material and immaterial aspects of man to God’s image
The corporeal view
Connects the facets of Personality to the image of God
The non-corporeal view
1) Man’s body is included in the image of God,
2) to be created in the image of God means to be a living being,
3) Man is both intelligent and willful, 4) Man can have unhindered fellowship with God
A combination view
it distinguishes the Image and Likeness of God ~ likeness is superadded to man adding righteousness and holiness
Roman Catholic View
there was a formal image that could not be lost in the Fall but also a material image that was lost through the Fall
The Neo-orthodox view
The image of God in Man was not lost with the fall because to lose it would make man no longer a living rational being ~ It was defaced though not erased. Regeneration and Sanctification serve to renew the believer according to the image of Christ to whose image we shall someday be perfectly conformed.
the effect of sin on the image of God in man
Three views of the transmission of man’s immaterial aspect from generation to generation
Pre-existence, Creationism, and Traducianism
at the beginning God created all human souls which were confined in physical bodies as punishment ~ they go through various incarnations throughout history and in the process incur sinfulness
Pre-existence
God creates the soul at the moment of conception or birth and immediately unites it with the body. The soul is sinful not because its creation was somehow defective, but because of its contact with inherited guilt through the body.
Creationism
Soul is transmitted along with the body through the processes of natural generation. God rested, His work is complete. No new acts of creation take place. Creationism places God in the position of creating a perfect soul, then having it fall in the case of each newborn infant. Man is always seen as a union of soul and body - consider both psychical and physical as developing together
Traducianism
Man is composed of body, soul, and spirit ~ making the Spirit superior to the Soul and the Spirit and Soul superior to the Body… it cannot be sustained Logically, Analogically, or Scripturally…
Popular view of trichotomy*
can mean the whole person, alive or after death; it can designate the immaterial part of a person with its many feelings and emotions; and it is an important focus of spiritual redemption and growth
biblical concept of the soul*
does not indicate the whole person, but the immaterial part with its various functions and feelings. In Pauline thought it assumes prominence in relation to the Spiritual life.
biblical concept of the spirit
It is the center and seat of Intellectual, Emotional, Volitional, and Spiritual life
Heart
It is a witness within man that tells him he ought to do what he believes to be right and not to do what he believes to be wrong - it does not teach but prods - it appears only in the NT
Conscience
It includes both the faculties of perceiving and understanding as well as those of feeling, judging, and determining.
Mind
it refers to that disposition to sin and to oppose God… both the believer and unbeliever possess this capacity
flesh as it relates to man’s immaterial nature
Demands either that both Adam’s and Christ’s actions be true or both be legend or myth.
Romans 5
Adam possessed unconfirmed creature holiness. Adam was clearly without sin but had a free will and a mind capable of weighing choices.
Adam’s moral nature before the Fall
What did God want to show by setting a test for Adam?
That he wanted men to voluntarily choose to obey Him and to serve Him. He did not want automatons.
syllogism involved in Satan’s temptation of Eve
Restrictions were not good. God’s plan included a restriction. Conclusion then was that God’s plan was not good. On the other hand, Satan’s plan did not include any restrictions; therefore, it was good.
Two penalties that the Fall bring on the human race
1) A sense of guilt as evidenced by making a covering, and
2) a loss of fellowship as evidenced by hiding from God
two possible interpretations of the curse that the woman’s desire would be for her husband
1) deep sexual desire for her husband making it good to bear children despite the pain of childbirth, and
2) a desire to rule the husband which contradicts God’s plan
two ramifications from the Fall
1) All sin affects others, and
2) Sin, once committed, can never be undone. The other side to these ramifications is grace and goodness.
Chata
Basic OT word for sin*
hamartano
NT equivalent to OT word for sin*
What do both terms OT and NT for sin mean and include*
both mean to miss the mark which involves hitting another mark - not passive but active
A word that carries the basic meaning of breaking up or ruin. Is translated by the word “wicked” many times. May indicate something injurious as well as something morally wrong.
OT word ra
“kakos” or “poneros”
NT equivalent for ra
basic idea is to rebel. Usually translated by the word transgression
OT word pasha
basic NT term for evil. Always indicates moral evil
Poneros
definition of sin based on 1 John 3:4*
lawlessness
“lack of conformity to the law of God, either in act, disposition, or state”
Strong’s definition of sin
“sin may be defined ultimately as anything in the creature which does not express, or which is contrary to, the holy character of the creator”
Buswell’s definition of sin
chief characteristic of sin*
it is directed against God
Sacrilege, Hypocrisy, Covetousness, blasphemy, transgressing the law, pride, being a stumbling block, disloyalty, immorality, fruitlessness, anger, sins of speech, showing off, lack of faith, irresponsible stewardship, prayerlessness
Specific sins mentioned in the teachings of Christ
transliteration of a Hebrew word meaning “gift”. Used it relation to exempt sons for caring for their parents
Corban
“leaven” of the Pharisees
externalism
“leaven” of the Sadducees
false doctrine
“leaven” of the Herodians
secularism and worldliness
Jesus emphasized both the variety and specifics of sin underscoring man’s personal responsibility for sin and his teaching was laced with the practical ramifications of sin
Summary of Jesus’ teaching concerning sin
it is the sinful state into which all people are born. This emphasizes that all people inherit this sinful state from the parents
inherited sin*
2 synonyms for inherited sin*
sin nature and original sin
sin has corrupted our entire nature
Sin nature
Adam’s sin produced that moral corruption of nature that was transmitted by inheritance to each succeeding generation
Original sin
1) His intellect is blinded,
2) His emotions are degraded and defiled, and
3) His will is enslaved to sin and therefore stands in opposition to God
three facets of man’s being affected by his sin nature
means perverted or crooked. Means “not standing the test”. Means that man fails the test of pleasing God. It is total in that 1) it affects all aspects of man’s being and 2) it affects all people
Man’s depravity
penalty particularly related to INHERITED sin
Spiritual Death
twofold remedy for inherited sin
1) Redemption and
2) Resurrection
Everyone can live a life that is free from sin because God would not command something that is impossible (be Holy). Everyone is born in the same condition as Adam before the fall; only now man has before him Adam’s bad example. Man has a will that is free and sin comes from separate acts of man’s will. Exaggerates the merit of works and their efficacy in salvation.
Pelagian view of man and sin*
Man retains a measure of freedom by which he can co-operate with the grace of God. Man’s will has been weakened and his nature affected by the fall, but is NOT totally depraved. In regeneration Man chooses God.
Semi-Pelagian view of man and sin*
Teaches that Adam was created in innocency, NOT holiness, that sin consists in acts of the will, that we inherit pollution from Adam but not guilt or a sin nature, that man is NOT totally depraved, that man has the ability to will to do good and to conform to God’s will in this life as to be perfect, and that the human will is one of the causes of regeneration.
Arminian view of man and sin*
Sin = Self-centeredness rather than God-centeredness. Adam was not a real individual who actually lived on this earth, yet Adam represents man at every stage of his development. The story of Adam’s fall is the story of all of us ~ there is no connection between the sin of Adam and his posterity
Neo-orthodox view of man and sin*
to attribute or reckon or ascribe something to someone
“impute”*
Three basic imputations recognized by theologians*
This imputation of
1) Adam’s sin to the race,
2) man’s sin to Christ, and
3) Christ’s righteousness to believers
central passage (book/chapter/verse) on the imputation of Adam’s sin *
Romans 5:12
two historical views of how all men sinned in Adam*
1) The federal or representative view and
2) the seminal or realistic or Augustinian view
View Adam as the representative of the whole human race so that when Adam sinned his sin became the ground of condemnation of his race. No one but Adam actually committed that first sin. The word “federal” means covenant and indicates that Adam was appointed to represent the race in the so-called Covenant of Works
The representative view*
The view (also called - realistic or Augustinian) ~ Adam contains the seed of all his posterity so that when he sinned all actually sinned
The seminal view*
difference between the transmission of inherited sin and the transmission of imputed sin*
imputed sin is transmitted directly from Adam to each individual in every generation
penalty particularly related to IMPUTED sin
Physical death
remedy for imputed sin
the imputed righteousness of Christ
Passage (book/chapter) where Paul demonstrates the condemnation of all people on the basis of their committing sins personally
Romans 3: 9-18
How did the OT distinguish sins, and what is the NT counterpart to this distinction?
OT = Sins of Ignorance vs. Sins of Defiance, NT = Sins committed in great light vs. less light
problem with distinctions between sins in connection with the idea of losing one’s salvation
the sins that belong to each of those categories (sins that cause you to lose salvation and sins that don’t) is usually determined very subjectively
result of personal sins
Loss of fellowship
brings the unbeliever into the family of God
Judicial Forgiveness
restores the temporarily broken relationship within the family
Family Forgiveness
two common errors concerning the Christian and sin
unbiblical perfectionism and antinomianism
teaches that the believer does not sin at all because he has rooted out the principle of sin
Unbiblical Perfectionism
teaches that the Christian is not bound by the law which leads to license. Often equated with Christian liberty, which is a wrong equation.
Antinomianism
God’s standard is Holiness ~ the requirement is to walk in the light - our experience should always be a growing one, growing to maturity
Biblical perfection
standard for the Christian*
to walk in the light
passage (book/chapter) that identifies the standard for the Christian*
I John 1:7
the believer’s greatest defense against the world
Faith. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world
the only way the flesh can be controlled*
by actualizing our co-crucifixion with Christ. We can experience victory not by eradication of the flesh but by walking in dependence on the Spirit to control it
4 “penalties” for sins committed by the believer
1) Loss of Fellowship,
2) Loss of Joy,
3) Darkened walk, and
4) Weak prayer
3 preventives for sin
1) The Word of God,
2) Intercession of Christ, and
3) Indwelling of the Spirit
remedy for the believer’s sins
Confession (see sin as God sees it)
the thought that should cause the believer to take sin seriously
All sin grieves God
evidence of sanctification
anything of war in our inward man. ~ “We may take comfort about our souls if we know anything of an inward fight and conflict. It is the invariable companion of genuine Christian holiness….
