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48 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Five images of Humanity
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Man as Machine
Man as Animal Man as fundamentally sexual beings Man as economic beings Man as free beings |
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Man as Machine
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-understands person in terms of what he able to do. skills and capabilities he can bring to bear for an employer
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Man as Animal
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- humans as merely a higher animal. no qualitative difference between us and other animals, only one of degree.
-atheistic evolutionary theory: man is a product of time, space, and chance -behavioral psychology: humans are born tabula rasa. nothing is truly innate. we are products our environment -there is no real significance, no transcendent qualities |
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Man as a fundamentally sexual being
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- Freud regarded sexuality of basic framework of humans. personality is built around sexuality
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Man as an economic being
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- economic force is what drives. extension of idea that humans are merely a higher animal. they need adequate food, clothing, housing, etc. once those are satisfied humans are satisfied.
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Humans as free beings
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- human will, the ability to choose as the core of humanity. if you have enough choices you will make the right choices. this view is naive.
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What is the christian view of humanity
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-Humans are creatures made by God in his image
-humanity is not the product of time, space, and chance -the image of God is intrinsic to humanity. humans can love, worship, obey -humanity as an eternal dimension our view of the future plays a role in future actions, tells us what’s valuable. this future reality is meant to draw us back into life and the life of the church -human fulfillment can only come in the process of loving and serving God (Mark 8:35 “he who loses his life will find it...” Ps. 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord..”). because we are created for relationship we are only ever fulfilled in relationship |
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Why is the Christian view of Humanity correct
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1) It is the revelation of God. He has told us infallibly and authoritatively what we are like.
2) Christian view best accounts for the full range of human phenomena and experience. Most fully satisfies us. (See Ps. 8:4-6). -We have meaning: inherently aware that we are valuable. The best explanation for that is that there is a transcendent God. |
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Argument for the Historicity of Adam
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Scripture says:
Romans 5:12-19 (describes sin and death coming through Adam, and compares Adam to Jesus. Jesus was a real person, so Adam is too). 1 Cor 15:20-21 (death came through a man, Adam, so life comes through a man, Jesus). -Speaks of a series of divine acts. The pattern of OT narrative is that these acts happen in real history. -The phrase “This is the account of . . .” in 2:4 introducing the story of creation is the same phrase used to introduce the real life stories of Abraham, Jacob, Esau, Isaac, etc. -If the passage were non-historical, what would be the purpose of such lengthy descriptions as that of the four rivers watering the Garden in 2:10-14? Two of the rivers maintain the same names today. -The genealogies appear to be historical accounts of real persons, not figurative persons giving birth to figurative children. -Jesus and the writers of the NT took early chapters of Genesis to be historical. (Jesus says that the real future situation of the world before his second coming will be like that of the days of Noah.) Paul taught that Adam was the first man. |
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Concepts of Liberalism
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Liberals have traditionally stressed process—God working within the natural process, without intervening directly, guiding it to its intended goal.
Liberal view focuses more on God’s immanence rather than transcendence (which conservative focuses on). We know that God is both. Continuity Autonomy Dynamism |
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Continuity
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Brings everything down to the level of humanity
Radicle distinction between the Divine and the Human I can experience it. Bringing down knowledge to the level of humanity. Don’t need external being/power from above to let us know. Over emphasis on eminence. What we know about God we know through observation. . Salvation is about making this place better, kingdom of God has been brought down here, gospel is about making the world a better place |
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Autonomy
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Emphasis on human reason and experience.
understanding things as natural as opposed to what was previously thought of as supernatural. Define God on the basis of how I experience Him. |
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Dynamism
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Invent things/understand things/world is getting better. Idea of developing and growing
Since religion/truth wasn’t dropped from above (discontinuity), then it came from here, which is always changing, so it to should be changing |
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What are some views of human beings
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Naturalistic evolution
Pantheistic Necessarianism Fiat creationism Deistic evolution Theistic evolution Progressive creationism |
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Naturalistic evolution.
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Nature on its own, people evolved from lower animals on their own.
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Pantheistic Necessarianism.
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God is the universe and the universe is God. Therefore the universe is a necessary emanation of the existence of God
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Fiat creationism.
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God spoke and it all happened (recently).
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Deistic evolution.
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God created matter, energy, and laws of physics, and set it up so it would create humanity through evolution, then he left. (I’m not capitalizing the pronoun for that god).
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Theistic evolution.
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God began universe like previous, but also directed evolution and intervened to make a primate into a human.
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Progressive creationism.
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God started it, and intervened, but with long periods of time between interventions for things to develop naturally for a while. Species don’t directly evolve to other types of animals.
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Know the relevant scripture passages that tell us about the image of God in humanity and what each one tells us.
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• Genesis 1:26-27 Here is the primary statement of God’s intention—to create us in his image—to be like him.
• Genesis 5:1-2 This is a review of what God did. The author adds here that God created humans as “male and female.” • Genesis 9:6 Murder is prohibited on the basis that humans are created in the image of God. • 1 Cor 11:7 What this shows us is that post-Fall man still somehow bears God’s image. • James 3:9 James condemns use of the tongue to curse others. Why? They are “made (present again) in the image of God.” |
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What is the substantive View
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Sees the image a some definite characteristic or quality within the makeup of the human. Perhaps it even belongs to our physical or bodily formation.
The image is “located within man; it is a quality or capacity resident in his nature. Reason as the nature of the image of God |
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Positives of Substantive View
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Embraces the idea of nature and character which the Scriptures speak of a ton. God describes Himself in terms of substantive reality (I am __, I am__). God is a moral being, part of being in the image of God is being moral creatures.
Mental abilities, think abstractly, philosophically, historically. Can think in ways that no animal can. Spiritual aspects to our nature. We spend time in prayer, etc. |
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Negatives of Substantive View
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Medieval theologians thought in terms of reason. We are like God because we have the capability to reason. When we think about the whole of humanity, some people don’t reason as well as others. Are they less in the image of God?
Persons who are less able to reason have less dignity/value before God in this view. |
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What is the Relational View
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the image of God in terms of being able to experience a relationship with God. The relationship is the image.
-The material sense of the image is a human’s act of response to God, his relationship with him. |
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Positives of Relational View
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Trinitarian. God is a relational being. Anything that’s going to reflect Him has to have a relation component. Created with purpose to be in relationship with Him. Creates us out of love/grace. We reflect Him and bring Him glory when in good relationship.
Two greatest commands are relational commands (love God/love neighbor). |
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Problems with Relational View
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What about those who are not in relationship with God?
Doesn’t really define what it is in us substantively that causes us to be in relationship |
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What is Functional View
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Rather, the image consists in something humans do. It is found in man’s function of having dominion over creation.
Since God is the Lord over all creation, the image of God is reflected in humans as we exercise dominion over the rest of creation. |
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Positives of Functional View
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Closely connected to having dominion over earth/creation. Differentiates us from the rest of creation. We have responsibility.
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Problems of Functional View
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Not clear whether the idea of dominion is actually part of the definition of being in the image of God, or that is a consequence of being in the image of God. Is it consequence, or a part of it?
If you define the image of God simply as a functional reality, defined in terms of what we do, that can be problematic. Puts worth in what we do rather than what we are. Both salvation and definition of what it means to be a Christian ends up being behavioral. This is death for true Christianity. Need the relational view of God and out of that comes the functional view. Of course behavior is legitimate, but only with love. |
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Be familiar with Prof. Harper’s definition of the image of God in humanity.
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“The image of God consists of the SUBSTANTIVE (reason, morality, will, etc.) elements given to humans by God, which are also characteristic of God himself, and which allow humans to fulfill, God’s purpose of having a personal RELATIONSHIP with him and to reflect his character and values in the world in the FUNCTIONING of our daily lives.” - Harpers Definition of the Image of God.
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Be able to describe the implications of the biblical doctrine of the image of God in humanity.
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-We belong to God because we are made in his image
-We should pattern our lives after Jesus, the one who in essence and behavior perfectly reflected the image of God. -We only fully experience our intended humanity when we are in a proper relationship with God. -There is goodness in learning about and exercising control over nature. We still have the job of protecting, preserving, and utilizing creation for the glory of God. Human life is sacred. Every human is created in God’s image. Since the image of God remains in some way in all persons, even unbelievers are capable of doing acts which are truly goo |
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Three basic views of Human Condition
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Trichotomism
Dichotomism Monism |
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Trichotomism:
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Humans are composed of three elements—body, soul, spirit.
-Body is the physical nature which we have in common with animals and plants. -Soul is the psychological element, the basis of reason, emotion, and social relationship. -Spirit is what really separated humans from animals. The spirit allows humans to relate to spiritual matters. -Supporting Scripture: -1 Thess 5:23 May your whole spirit, soul and body... Paul talks about human beings -Heb 4:12 Soul and spirit are a divisible reality. -1 Cor 2:14-3:4 Paul says flesh, body, and soul. |
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Dichotomism
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Humans are composed of material part, the body, and immaterial, the soul or spirit
-Supporting Scripture: -Luke 1:46-47 -Mt 6:25 Don’t worry about your life (soul) and body. Body and soul. -But 1 Cor 5:3-5 Paul talks about a person in body and spirit. Body and spirit. -Gen 35:18 Death is described as giving up the soul. Body and soul. -Acts 15:26 Lives are soul, to risk life is to risk soul. Body and soul. -Luke 23:46 Death of Jesus is not giving up the soul but spirit. Body and spirit. -Ecc 12:7 Death is giving up of the spirit. Body and spirit. |
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Monism:
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According to this view, humans are not to be thought of an in any sense composed of parts or separate entities, but rather as a unity.
-Ultimately, everything about me as a person is physical; it is merely a function of brain activity. Problems: -Passages that indicate some form of conscious existence between the death of the body and the resurrection of it: -Jesus’ clear distinction between physical and immaterial: -Mt. 10:28 Don’t fear those who kill the body, but fear those who can go |
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Erickson’s view of “Conditional Unity”
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This view considers humans as a unity which is complex and can be, under certain conditions, divided into material and immaterial.
-Normal human condition is a “materialized unitary being.” Scripture does not address humans as either spiritual or material beings, but unitary beings which contain both elements. -But the unity of the person can be broken down at death as the material element decomposes. |
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Know the implications of our existence as a soul/body unity.
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It effects the mission of the church. The gospel is not just about spirits getting to heaven, bodies matter.
Our bodies will be resurrected, so God cares about bodies. Evangelism is not just about getting people to heaven. The good news of the gospel is that God is going to redeem the earth. We need to minister to peoples physical needs. |
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What are the terms for sin in the class notes?
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Missing the mark: Found in the Heb word chata and the Gk. hamartano.
It means to miss the mark with guild, not by mistake. We are not just victims but choosers. Unrighteousness: Gk adikia indicates unrighteousness, injustice. Law breaking Rebellion: Heb pasha and Gk. apaitheia. Meaning is to rebel. |
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Various views of Original Sin
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Pelagius
Augustine Federalism Predispositionism |
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Pelagius:
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Sin is an act, not a condition...
-Humans have free will and are free of any determining influence from the fall. -Held to view that each individual soul is created by God specifically for each person (in other words, it is not created though birth) and therefore is not tainted by any corruption or guilt. -The influence of Adam’s sin on his followers is merely that of a bad example. -There is no natural inclination to sin at the beginning of life. -Therefore, humans can by their own efforts, fulfill God’s commands without sinning. |
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Augustine:
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-Sin is a condition rather than merely an act.
-Adam had free will. He had the ability not to sin. But by his sin he brought about the condition of sinners begetting sinners. -The effect of the fall is that humanity is no longer posse non peccare (able not to sin) but non posses non peccare (not able not to sin). -Primary effect is universal guilt. -Original sin is transmitted (according to Augustine’s traducian view of the soul—that it is created through birth process—though Augustine’s view was not as physical as Tertullian’s, believing that it was a spiritual process) through birth process from one generation to the next. |
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Federalism: (John Coccius, Charles Hodge, James Boice)
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-God selected Adam as our representative. Based on God’s covenant with Adam, his relationship with God would lead to consequences/blessings which God would give to all humanity.
The government systems were moving to democracy, so people wanted a legal representative. |
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Predispositionism: (cp. David Smith, With Willful Intent: A Theology of Sin, Wheaton: Victor, 1994)
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-Adam’s sin corrupted human nature by instilling in it a tendency to sin.
-Guilt is not inherited because God does not hold a child responsible for his father’s sin. -Every soul is guilty before God for personal/actual sin. |
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How does sin effect us 1
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1. Human relationship with God
Divine Disfavor -John 3:36 The wrath of God rests on sinners. GUILT -Ps. 32:5 David recognizes that he is guilty before God and must confess. -James 2:10 If you are guilty of breaking the law at one point you are still guilty and law breaker. PUNISHMENT -Ex 32:34-35 The LORD responds to the colden cafe by bringing a plag. -Isa 13:11 God will judge the world and wont sweep it under the rug. -Rom 13:4 God uses human government to bring punishment. DEATH -Rom 6:23 The consequences of sin is death (spiritual). -Gen 3:19 Physically we will die, its not the way it is suppose to be. -Rev 20:6 Whatever death they are talking is beyond physical death, a separation from God (eternal death). |
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How does sin effect us 2
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2. Effects on the sinner: (What do you see?)
TOTAL DEPRAVITY:It is not that we are as bad as we could be, but every aspect of us is broken and damaged. -Jer 17:9 Even our heart is horribly broken. -Eph 4:18 Our hearts are hard to God, so we are ignorant. -Rom 8:8 We cannot please God in out natural state. ENSLAVEMENT: Sin becomes an enslaving power, an addiction Romans 6:17 We use to be slaves to sin. We have been freed from enslavement from sin by Christ’s righteousness DENIAL:Our tendency is to do whatever we can to avoid guilt. SELF-DECIET |
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How does sin effect us 3
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3. Effects on relationships with others:
-James 4:1-2 Is it not your selfish passions that we choose? -Phil 2:3-5 We are to consider others before ourselves, we need to consider how Jesus’ attitude was. |
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Total depravity
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It is not that we are as bad as we could be, but every aspect of us is broken and damaged.
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