THE DOCTRINE OF MAN Chapter 7 Dr. Danny Forshee. See Systematic Theology, p and Christian Beliefs, p

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1 1 THE DOCTRINE OF MAN Chapter 7 Dr. Danny Forshee LESSON 7 THE DOCTRINE OF MAN See Systematic Theology, p and Christian Beliefs, p Today we will look at anthropology in the sense of the Greek word anthropos, meaning man. This is a fascinating study to me for we peer into God s highest work of creation humanity. It is the pinnacle of His creative work for only man is said to be created in the image of God. That puts us in a separate class from all other created things. I. WHY WAS MAN CREATED? - We use the word man to refer to both male and female, this is biblical. Genesis 1:27 states So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. The Hebrew word here for man is adam. Grudem sees here the theological doctrine of the leadership of man in the man/woman marriage relationship, for God did not create them male and female and call them female. More about this later as we have time today. - A. God did not need to create us, but He did for His glory. - God does not need us or anything else to complete Him or who He is. He was not lonely or lacking. There has been eternal fellowship and perfect love in the Trinity for all eternity. But He made us for His glory so we could worship Him. Isaiah 43:7 says, whom I created for My glory. - B. Our purpose in life is to glorify Him. He is worthy and we fulfill our reason for being as we worship Him. Think about the inherent and intrinsic value we have since God created us and we live forever. We are made complete and find our greatest joy as we live in fellowship with God our Creator and give Him glory. The Westminster Shorter Catechism of 1647 said, The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. John Piper changes one word in his book about Christian hedonism entitled Desiring God; he says, The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. - When the created worships the Creator we find our fullest expression of joy for then we fulfill our purpose. Psalm 16:11 says PUT ON SCREEN. - Some object to this teaching that God created us for His glory as if there is something wrong with this. But who deserves glory more than Him? No one. Read Revelation 4:11. II. THE IMAGE OF GOD

2 - Genesis 1:26 states, Then God said, Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. To say we are created in His image and likeness means we resemble God more than any other created thing. To be created in God s image and likeness means to be similar but not identical; it represents. God will always be above and separate from man. We will never become God as He is. A son is in his father s image and likeness and represents him but is not his father. - The Bible develops what this means, yet we can see hints at what this means in the following ways intellectual ability, morality, eternality, and dominion over the earth. - In the fall of man in Genesis 3 the image of God is distorted but not completely lost. Even after the fall the Bible states in Genesis 9:6, for God made man in His own image. James 3:9 also affirms this teaching that man is made in the likeness of God. - With the fall however the image of God in man is not what it used to be before the fall. We have lost some of our moral purity and our sinful nature does not reflect God s holiness. We are still like Him and represent Him, however, we are less like Him than before the fall. But in Jesus we see the fullness of our humanity for He was not born in sin and never sinned. - In Christ as we are redeemed and we progress more in the image of God. Paul wrote we are renewed in knowledge after the image of our Creator (Colossians 3:10). Read 2 Corinthians 3:18. - The good news is at the coming of Christ, the image of God in us will be completely restored. Jesus is the perfect image, Greek word eikon (Colossians 1:16) of God and when He returns we will be made whole. Read 1 Corinthians 15:49. - SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF MAN BEING IN THE IMAGE OF GOD - 1. Moral. We are morally accountable to God and have an innate sense of right and wrong; animals do not have this sense of morality, justice, holiness, and sin. 2. Spiritual. We have physical bodies and an immaterial spirit as well. We can relate to God, pray to Him, praise Him, and listen to Him as He speaks to us through His Word. We will also live forever; we are immortal. 3. Mental. We can reason and think logically. We can think abstractly, engage in philosophy, ethics, etc. As Grudem points out, p. 446, chimpanzees will not sit around debating the Trinity or Calvinism! Germans shepherds will not figure out math and science and send other dogs to the moon. Also, mentally or intrinsically we sense that we have a higher purpose and that we will live forever. I love Ecclesiastes 3:11, He has put eternity in their hearts. We are much more complex and higher emotionally than the animal world as well. An animal can feel the basic feelings of joy, sadness, jealously, for example. But an animal could never feel the complex emotions, say, of a father who watches his daughter play a volleyball game and feel pride in the way she played but simultaneously feel sadness that they lost the match. 4. Relational. We 2

3 3 can relate to God and to others. Humans can enjoy the complex and interpersonal relationships in a marriage relationship, in a family, in church. We also relate to the rest of creation as being superior and therefore commanded by God to rule or have dominion over the created order (Genesis 1:26). 5. Physical. God is spirit and does not have a physical body as we do. But part of being created in His image is us having a physical body unlike any other. We have eyes that see things and observe, and using anthropomorphic language God is said to have eyes. For example, in 2 Chronicles 16:9 it says, For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. When Christ returns we will have a new resurrected body and we will have this body for all eternity. - It is true that creation reflects the likeness of God for He created it. Who has not looked upon a sunrise or rainbow and not reflected in the beauty and majesty of God. Think abut the starry universe, the colorful coral reefs, the majestic power of a lion in the jungle. But it is only man that it is said in Scripture that is created in the image of God. This grand theological truth should put within us a great sense of worth for we are incredibly unique and highly valued for we are more like Him than all other entities. - Since this is true it has profound implications and instructions for us in how we treat one another. There are no superior races, only one race the human race, and we are equal. Being created in the image and likeness of God removes racism, mistreatment of the elderly, the physically and mentally handicapped, and the unborn. If we fail to remember this great doctrine or remove it completely it will weaken and debilitate us greatly. For we are much more than the plant and animal world; we are God s special creation created in His image and likeness and what an incredible privilege and responsibility this is! III. MAN AS MALE AND FEMALE - Chapter 22 in ST is dedicated to the subject of God creating male and female in His image and how this fact has many theological implications. It is an excellent chapter and I will give you the highlights. - A. PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS - In the marriage relationship between a man and a woman, we see the highest form of human interpersonal relationships. Genesis 2:4 teaches that man shall leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife, and the two become one flesh. This union is more than sexual; it is very emotional and spiritual as God created marriage and designed it to not be broken but to last until death parts the two. God chose the marriage relationship to depict the relationship between Christ and His church (Ephesians 5).

4 4 - This union of man and woman in marriage reflects the plurality of Persons within the Godhead. In Genesis 1:26 only one verse before the creation of male and female, God says, Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness. Both in the Trinity and in the marriage relationship there is love, communication, and the sharing of honor. - This unity in diversity reflected in the Trinity and marriage is also reflected in the church. - B. EQUALITY IN PERSONHOOD AND IMPORTANCE - In the Trinity there is equality of persons and importance and distinction of persons as there is in marriage. I learned this theological insight from Dr. Rick Mellick, former president of Criswell College a number of years ago. Grudem and many others believe it as well. Men and women created by God in His image and likeness living complementary in their differences is a picture of the Triune God. In ontology, or our very essence, we are created by God and both equal in importance to Him. Man is not more important than woman, and vice-versa. This is not true in all religions and especially in cultures around the world where women are stilled viewed as second-class citizens and not equal in value to men. In China there are couples who will leaves their newborn girl to die so they can try and have a son in keeping with the strict one-child policy. So sad. - Grudem, p. 457, writes, Our equality as persons before God, reflecting the equality of persons in the Trinity, should lead naturally to men and women giving honor to one another. Read 1 Corinthians 11: Another great text teaching equality within the Body of Christ between both genders is Galatians 3: This equality of persons in the church where no distinction is made as far as gender, race, wealth, status, etc. is a clear distinguishing mark not held in many other contexts, religions, or cultures. - C. DIFFERENCES IN ROLES - Male and female are equal in essence and yet there are differences in roles just like in the Trinity. Though equal in deity and importance, the Father takes the leadership role and He sends the Son to earth and the Son of God, Jesus, comes in obedience. The Holy Spirit is sent from the Father and the Son. Differences in roles, true, yet equal in personhood, importance, and deity. - This equality in person and yet subordination in roles is also reflected in our world and in the most foundational element of a society--the home. And this is what we find taught in Scripture read 1 Corinthians 11:3. The Father has authority over the Son though equal in their deity, so in the home the husband has authority over the wife and children yet the husband and wife and children are equal in importance. - There were distinct roles created by God even before the fall of man in Genesis 3. Adam was created first and not Eve, and thus God gave him

5 5 leadership, and Paul mentions this in 1 Timothy 2:13 as a reason some roles like leadership and teaching are reserved for men. - God made Eve to be a helper for Adam; this does not mean she was lesser in importance but she would have a different role. Grudem lists other significant events in the relationship between Adam and Eve like him naming her and God calling the human race adam, or man, and not Eve. But one that stood out to me was after Eve ate the forbidden fruit first then she gave to Adam. But when God confronted them, He confronted Adam. He is the one responsible for leadership. After the fall and the curse there was an expansion of roles but not new roles created. For Adam he would still be the leader but his punishment now involved not work, as he was already assigned to work in the Garden of Eden, but now there would be a laboriousness to work. And Eve would have pain in bearing children. - In the New Testament the roles of husband and wife are clearly delineated in Ephesians 5: Some have argued that regarding verse 21 where it says be submissive to one another. But Grudem argues that the context is this word is spoken to the church, that we are to be submissive to each other to the leadership structure God has established. And then he gives the example of the husband and wife relationship where she is to submit to him. Read Ephesians 5: An excellent book that helps explain Ephesians 5 is Love and Respect by Emmerson Eggerichs; it is one of the best books written on marriage and the book is built on verse 33 where husbands are to love their wives and wives are to respect their husbands; it is a great read and highly recommend it. - In the marriage relationship when we obey God and His Word it is a beautiful thing. The husband leads with godly, sacrificial love for his wife and the wife willingly and lovingly submits to his leadership. If the husband sins through harsh leadership or passive, no leadership, then that distorts God s plan. If the wife seeks to usurp the role created for the husband, or if she becomes passive and does not contribute to the decision-making process then this is unhealthy as well. - God has blessed Ashley and me with 27 years of marriage and 15 of those have been great. Just kidding. All 27 have been wonderful. I married the best persons I have ever known. We have sought to align our lives and marriage with God s principles, and we are so blessed. God s ways work. They are not meant to be appreciated by the world, but by followers of Christ, who obey Scripture. IV. THE ESSENTIAL NATURE OF MAN - Grudem includes an interesting chapter, 23, that deals with the nature of man as having not only a body but also having a soul or spirit. - Perhaps you are familiar with the terms trichotomy, dichotomy, and monism. The proponents of the first believe that man consists of three parts--body, soul, and spirit; the second believe man is only body and spirit with the soul as synonymous with spirit, and the third group, the

6 monists believe man is simply one entity. When the body dies there is no separate existence for the spirit or soul. - Before reading this chapter I was familiar with the arguments and knew that there were biblical verses to support each, both the tri and dichotomy positions. However, I leaned toward the tri position. But Grudem does a very good job presenting both cases, especially the case for dichotomy. - In Scripture the soul and spirit are used interchangeably. For example, Jesus says in John 12:27, Now is My soul troubled. And in John 13:21 John says Jesus was troubled in spirit. In death the Bible states the soul departs (Genesis 35:18; Isaiah 53:12). But the Bible also says the spirit departs at death (Luke 23:46; Ecclesiastes 12:11.) Nowhere in the Bible does it say a person s soul and spirit departed to the afterlife. Perhaps the best argument for this position is Jesus words n Matthew 10:28. - Arguments for trichotomy are biblically persuasive as well. The most convincing is 1 Thessalonians 5:23 where spirit, soul, and body are mentioned. Paul in 1 Corinthians 2-3 speaks of those who are of the flesh, those who are soul-ish, and those who a spiritual. Grudem holds to his belief that when the Bible speaks of spirit and soul of man they are interchangeable terms and should be viewed not as separate parts of the human being but simply as the immaterial part of man separate from the physical or the body. - Grudem writes about those who believe that man is purely physical with nothing immaterial or soul or spirit. Philosophers who hold to this position are naturalists and most likely atheists who believe only in the rational and what can be detected by the empirical sight, sound, touch, taste, and feel. If it is undetectable in one of these ways then it does not exists. Therefore there is no God, angels, demons, heaven, hell, etc. because man cannot see it. But of course Scripture completely affirms the existence of that which his beyond our rational, empirical senses. We have a body and soul or spirit and it will live on when this body is deceased. Between the time of our glorified permanent bodies received at the return of Christ, we have a resurrected body that will be with the Lord like Jesus had after His resurrection. - Speaking of the soul or spirit, from where do they come, or where do our souls come from? There are three beliefs 1. Creationism is the view that God creates the soul of each person and gives them their soul sometime between conception and birth. 2. Traducianism is the view where God creates the soul and the body and they are inherited from the father and mother at birth; the child has physical and personality traits of both parents. 3. Pre-existentianism is the view where the soul exists before the body and after conception before birth God sends the soul to the body. While there is no biblical support for this last view, there are good arguments for the first two views. - I hold to the creationism view with this change, God creates the body and soul at one time at conception. God knit us in our mother s womb says 6

7 Psalm 139:13 and God gives us the breath or spirit of life in Isaiah 42:5. Having said this, it is true that the mother and father do play a role in God s creative act of humans. I am more comfortable in saying not that the parents created the soul, but that God did and to use the words of Grudem, p. 485, God gives an individually created soul to the child and that that soul is consistent with the hereditary traits and personality characteristics that God allowed the child to have through its descent from its parents. 7