SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY > ANTHROPOLOGY
Man: His Creation
A. Man as a Created Being
Discovering himself in the midst of a wonderful universe and being the highest order of its physical creatures, man would naturally seek to understand his own origin as well as the origin of all existing things. Because nature does not reveal the creation of man and tradition would not be a reliable source of information, it is reasonable to expect that God would reveal the essential facts about man’s creation in the Bible. In the early chapters of Genesis and elsewhere in the Bible, the creation of man is clearly taught in Scripture. Because the origin of man is a natural subject for human inquiry and speculation, those who have tried to answer the question apart from Scripture have made numerous attempts to explain the origin of man. These conflicting accounts demonstrate that man has no certain information about his origin apart from what the Bible can give, and only in Scripture can one expect to find a complete and accurate account. One of the most common views which have arisen in contradiction to the doctrine of the creation of man revealed in the Bible is the theory of evolution. This theory is that somehow there came into existence a living cell and from this living cell man evolved by a process of natural selection. Evolution attempts to explain all the complicated forms of life in the world by this natural process. According to the theory of evolution, all plants, animals, and man were formed by a process of small changes accomplished by mutations which are supposed to explain all species. However, mutations are almost invariably harmful rather than beneficial, and no series of mutations have ever been observed to be beneficial or to have produced a new species. Accordingly, while the biblical record recognizes that there can be variations within a species, it declares that God created animals “after their kind” (Gen. 1:21,24,25). In contrast with animals, man was made in the image and likeness of God (1:26-27). Although most adherents to evolution admit that it is only a theory and fossils reveal no systematic evolution from lower forms of life to higher forms of life, evolution is about the only explanation that natural man has been able to offer in contradiction to the Bible’s doctrine of creation; it is clearly based on a naturalistic concept rather than a supernatural origin for man. In like manner, the theory of so-called theistic evolution — that God used evolution as a method — depends for its support upon a denial of the literal meaning of the creation narratives in the Bible. The doctrine of man’s creation is clearly taught in Scripture (Gen. 1:1-2:25; John 1:3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 11:3). The first chapter of Genesis alone refers to God as the Creator about seventeen times, and about fifty other references may be found in the Bible. Some directly teach creation, and other passages imply that God is the Creator of Adam and Eve (Exod. 20:11; Ps. 8:3-6; Matt. 19:4-5; Mark 10:6-7; Luke 3:38; Rom. 5:12-21; 1 Cor. 11:9; 15:22,45; 1 Tim. 2:13-14). The very concept of creation is that God created the world out of nothing, as no previous existence is mentioned in Genesis 1:1. As presented in Genesis, man is the crowning work of God in creation, and the entire work of creation is declared to have taken place in six days. Among those who accept the Bible as the inspired work of God, different explanations have been given of these creative days. Some regard the narrative of Genesis 1 as a re-creation following an early creation which was judged and destroyed in connection with the fall of Satan and the fallen angels. This would account for the evidence that the inorganic world was in existence long before the creation described in the six days of Genesis 1-2. Some regard the six days as periods of time, longer or shorter than twenty-four hours, because the word “day” is sometimes used for long periods such as in the expression “the day of the Lord.” Others insist, however, that because numerals are used with the word “day” that it must apply to a day of twenty-four hours. In this case it is assumed that God created the world with apparent age as He did, for instance, in the creation of man himself and in the case of animals. Others point, however, to the suggestion that a time process was involved longer than twenty-four hours because of such expressions as in Genesis 1:11, where the fruit tree is pictured as growing out of the earth. While God could create a full-grown fruit tree, the fact that it is said to grow implies a longer period than twenty-four hours. While even evangelicals have differed on the precise interpretation of the process of creation, most interpreters who hold to the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible attribute the present existence of animals and man to the immediate creation of God, and there is no evidence in Scripture of evolutionary development of species by natural laws.
B. The Nature of Man
According to the testimony of Scripture, man in his present human form was created by God as the conclusion and consummation of all creation. Of man it is said that he was made in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26) and that God breathed into him the breath of life (Gen. 2 : 7 ) . These distinctions classify man above all other forms of life which are upon the earth and indicate that man is a moral creature with intellect, capacity for feeling, and a will. Speaking generally, man’s creation included that which was material (“the dust”) and immaterial (“the breath of life”). This twofold distinction is referred to as “outward man” and “inward man” (2 Cor. 4:16); “the earthen vessel” and “this treasure” (2 Cor. 4:7). While the soul and spirit of man are represented as continuing forever, the body returns to the dust from which it was formed, and the spirit goes to God who gave it (Eccl. 12:7). Accordingly, people can kill the body but not kill the soul (Matt. 10:28). 168 MAJOR BIBLE THEMES When considering the immaterial part of man, Scripture sometimes uses various terms interchangeably (cp. Gen. 41:8 with Ps. 42:6; Matt. 20:28 with 27:50; John 12:27 with 13:21; Heb. 12:23 with Rev. 6:9), even applying these terms to God (Isa. 42:1; Jer. 9:9; Heb. 10:38) and to animals (Eccl. 3:21; Rev. 16:3). Sometimes the spirit and soul of man are distinguished (1 Thess. 5:23; Heb. 4:12). Although the highest functions of the immaterial part of man are sometimes attributed to the spirit and sometimes to the soul (Mark 8:36-37; 12:30; Luke 1:46; Heb. 6:18-19; James 1:21), the spirit is usually mentioned in Scriptures as that part of man which is capable of contemplating God, and the soul is that part of man which is related to self and the various functions of the intellect, sensibilities, and will of man. Other terms, however, are also used of mans immaterial nature such as the heart (Exod. 7:23; Ps. 37:4; Rom. 9:2; 10:9-10; Eph. 3:17; Heb. 4 : 7 ) . Another term used is that of the mind of man, either in reference to the sinfulness of the mind of the unsaved man (Rom. 1:28; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 4:17-18; Titus 1:15), or to the renewed mind which a Christian possesses (Matt. 22:37; Rom. 12:2; 1 Cor. 14:15; Eph. 5:17). Other expressions such as “will” and “conscience” also refer to the immaterial part of man. Because of the variety of terms which sometimes are used in the similar sense and sometimes in contrast to each other, many have considered the division of man into material and immaterial as the basic division; but even here expressions like “soul” and “spirit” are sometimes used of the whole man including his body. Immaterial origin of mans nature is held by some pagan religions to be preexistent, that is, to have existed eternally and only becoming incarnated at the beginning of human existence; this is not supported by Scripture. Another view offered by some evangelical theologians is that the soul is created by God at the beginning of individual human existence; this theory has difficulty in accounting for the sinfulness of man. Probably the best view, known as the traducian theory, is that the soul and the spirit was propagated by natural generation, and for this reason man receives a sinful soul and spirit because his parents are sinful. The human body of man is the abode of man’s soul and spirit until he dies. Although it decays upon death, it is subject to resurrection. This is true both for the saved and for the unsaved although the resurrections are different. Sometimes the body MAN: HIS CREATION 169 is referred to as “flesh” (Col. 2:1,5) and is used of the body of Christ (1 Tim. 3:16; 1 Pet. 3:18). Other times it refers to the sin nature which includes the soul aud spirit, as in Paul’s statement that he had “crucified the flesh” (Gal. 5:24). Accordingly, flesh should not be considered synonymous with the body in all passages, as it may denote the whole, unregenerate man. The bodies of saved persons are declared to be “temples” (John 2:21; 1 Cor. 6:19; Phil. 1:20), although at the same time their bodies are considered “earthern vessels” (2 Cor. 4 : 7 ) , “vile” bodies (Phil. 3:21), bodies to be mortified (Rom. 8:13; Col. 3:5), and bodies which have to be kept under and brought into subjection (1 Cor. 9:27). The bodies of the saved will be transformed, sanctified, saved, and redeemed and finally glorified forever at the coming of Christ for His church (Rom. 8:11,17- 18,23; 1 Cor. 6:13-20; Phil. 3:20-21). Jesus Christ possessed a perfect human body before His death, and after His resurrection had a body of flesh and bone that is the pattern of the believer s resurrection body. The term “body” is also used as a figure of the church as the body of Christ and of which Christ is the head.
Man: His Fall
The problem of how sin entered the universe is a question which every system of thought encounters. Only the Bible, however, provides a reasonable explanation. As seen in the previous study on angels, sin first entered the universe in the rebellion of some of the holy angels led by Satan, which occurred long before man was created. The early chapters of Genesis record the fall into sin by Adam and Eve. The various interpretations of this record either take it as a literal event explaining the sinfulness of the human race or attempt to explain it away as unhistorical or a myth. The orthodox interpretation, however, is that the event took place exactly as recorded in Scripture, and this is the way it is treated in the rest of the Bible. The fall of man into sin may be considered from three aspects: (1) Adam before the fall, (2) Adam after the fall, and (3) the effect upon the human race of Adam’s fall.
A. Adam Before the Fall
In words of charming simplicity, the Bible introduces Adam as the first man and Eve as the woman whom God provided to be his helpmate. Together they constituted the human race and, before the fall, were free from sin. When both Adam and Eve sinned against God, sin entered the human race and this is referred to in the Bible as the fall of man. Scripture does not indicate the length of time the first man and the first woman remained in an unfallen state, but they were unfallen long enough to become accustomed to the situation in which they were placed, to name the animals, and to experience the blessing of fellowship with God. As to the object of creation, Adam and Eve like all the works of God were “very good” (Gen. 1:31), that is, they were pleasing to their Creator. Their spiritual state was one of innocence, that is, freedom from sin; but their character was short of holiness, such as is seen as an attribute of God which is a positive term, making it impossible for God to sin. Man, because he was made in the image of God, possessed a complete personality and the capacity to make moral decisions. In contrast with God who cannot sin, both men and angels could sin. As seen in the earlier study of angels, Satan sinned (Isa. 14:12-14; Ezek. 28:15), and the angels who joined Satan in sinning are described as those who “kept not their first estate” (Jude 6 ) . Because of the fact that Satan and the fallen angels sinned first, man did not originate sin, but became a sinner due to satanic influence (Gen. 3:4-7). The account of how Adam and Eve sinned is revealed in Genesis 3:1-6. According to this record, Satan appeared in the form of a serpent, a creature which at that time was a very beautiful and attractive animal. God had given to Adam and Eve only one prohibition as far as the scriptural record is concerned— they should not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. According to Genesis 2:17, God said, “But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” This relatively simple prohibition was a test case to see whether Adam or Eve would obey God. In his conversation with Eve, Satan introduced this prohibition saying to Eve, “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Gen. 3:1). The implication was that God was holding something back that was good and was being unnecessarily severe in His prohibition. Eve replied to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die” (Gen. 3:2-3). Eve in her reply fell into Satan’s trap by leaving out the word “freely” in God’s permission to eat of the trees of the garden, and she left out also the word “surely” in God’s warning. The natural tendency of man to minimize God’s goodness and to magnify His strictness are familiar characteristics of human experience ever since. Satan immediately seized upon the omission of the word “surely” in regard to the penalty and said to the woman,”Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day that ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:4-5). In his conversation with the woman, Satan is revealed as the arch deceiver. The certainty of the punishment is directly challenged, and the Word of God expressly denied. That through eating the fruit their eyes would be opened to know good and evil was true, but what Satan did not reveal was that they would have the power to know good and evil without the power to do the good. According to Genesis 3:6, the fall of Adam and Eve into sin is recorded, “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” Whether Satan pointed this out to the woman or whether she came to those conclusions herself, Scripture does not say. The familiar pattern, however, of temptation along three lines indicated in 1 John 2:16 is seen here: the fact that the fruit was good for food appealed to the “lust of the flesh”; the fact that it was “pleasant to the eyes” appealed to “the lust of the eyes”; and the power of the fruit of the tree to make them wise appealed to “the pride of life.” A similar pattern of temptation was followed by Satan in the temptation of Christ (Matt. 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13). Eve was deceived into partaking of the fruit, and Adam followed her example although he was not deceived (1 Tim. 2:14).
B. Adam After the Fall
When Adam and Eve sinned they lost their blessed estate in which both had been created, and they became subject to certain far-reaching changes.1. They became subject to both spiritual and physical death. God had said, “In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Gen. 2:17); and this divine declaration was fulfilled. Adam and Eve passed immediately into a state of spiritual death, meaning that spiritually they were separated from God. Their fall into sin also introduced into their bodies the process of age and decay, and in due time they also suffered the penalty of physical death, which separates the soul from the body. 2. God’s judgment also fell upon Satan, and the serpent was condemned to crawl on the ground (Gen. 3:14). The warfare between God and Satan is described in Genesis 3:15 as it relates to the human race, and God said, “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” This refers to the conflict between Christ and Satan, in which Christ died on the cross but could not be held by death, as anticipated in the expression, “Thou shalt bruise his heel.” Satan’s ultimate defeat, however, is indicated in the fact that the seed of the woman “shall bruise thy head,” that is, inflict a deadly and permanent wound. The seed of the woman refers to Jesus Christ, who in His death and resurrection conquered Satan. 3. A special judgment also fell on Eve, who would experience pain in giving birth to children and would be required to submit to her husband (Gen. 3:16). The fact of death would necessitate multiplied births. 4. A special curse fell on Adam, and he was assigned to the hard labor of bringing forth from the soil, now cursed with thorns and thistles, the necessary food for his continued existence. Creation itself would, accordingly, be changed by man’s sin (Rom. 8:22). Later Scripture indicates how the effects of sin would be partially alleviated by salvation in the case of man and by partial lifting of the curse in the future millennial kingdom. Adam and Eve after the fall, however, were driven out of the garden and began to experience the sorrow and struggle which have characterized the human race ever since.
C. The Effect Upon the Race of Adam’s Sin
The immediate effect of sin on Adam and Eve was that they died spiritually and became subject to spiritual death. Their nature now was depraved and, henceforth, the human race would experience the slavery of sin. In addition to the change of the fate of man and the change of his environment, Scripture also reveals a profound doctrine of imputation, setting forth the truth that God now charged Adam with sin and, subsequently, charged his descendants with the responsibility of Adam’s first sin. Three imputations are set forth in Scripture: (1) The sin of Adam is imputed to his posterity (Rom. 5:12-14); (2) the sin of man is imputed to Christ (2 Cor. 5:21); and (3) the righteousness of God is imputed to those who believe (Gen. 15:6; Ps. 32:2; Rom. 3:22; 4:3,8,21-25; 2 Cor. 5:21; Philem. 17,18). It is obvious that there was a judicial transfer of the sin of man to Christ the Sin-Bearer. Jehovah has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isa. 53:5; John 1:29; 1 Pet. 2:24; 3:18). So, in the same way, there is a judicial transfer of the righteousness of God to the believer (2 Cor. 5:21); for there could be no other grounds of justification or acceptance with God. This imputation belongs to the new relationship within the new creation. Being joined to the Lord by the baptism of the Spirit (1 Cor. 6:17; 12:13; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 3:27) and vitally related to Christ as a member in His body (Eph. 5:30), it follows that every virtue of Christ is extended to those who have become an organic part of Him. The believer is “in Christ” and thus partakes of all that Christ is. In like manner, the facts of the old creation are actually transferred to those who by natural generation are “in Adam.” They become possessed of the Adamic nature and themselves are said to have sinned in Adam. This is as real in constituting a sufficient ground for divine judgment as the imputation of the righteousness of God in Christ is a sufficient ground for justification; the result is the divine judgment upon the race whether or not they have sinned as Adam did. Although men contend, as they do, that they are not responsible for Adam’s sin, the divine revelation stands that because of the far-reaching effect of representation of Adam as the federal head of the race, Adam’s one, initial sin is immediately and directly imputed to each member of the race with the unvarying sentence of death resting upon all (Rom. 5:12-14). Likewise, by the fall of Adam the effect of the one, initial sin is transmitted in the form of a sinful nature immediately, or by inheritance, from father to son throughout all generations. The effect of the fall is universal; so, also, the offer of divine grace. Men do not now fall by their first sin; they are born fallen sons of Adam. They do not become sinful by sinning, but they sin because by nature they are sinful. No child needs to be taught to sin, but every child must be encouraged to be good. It should be observed that, though the fall of Adam rests upon the race, there is evident divine provision for infants and all who are irresponsible. The holy judgments of God must rest upon all men outside of Christ, (1) because of imputed sin, (2) because of an inherited sin nature, (3) because they are under sin, and (4) because of their own personal sins. Though these holy judgments of God cannot be diminished, the sinner may be saved from them through Christ. This is the good news of the Gospel. The penalties resting on the old creation are (1) physical (death, which is separation of the soul from the body; (2) spiritual death, which (like Adam’s) is the present estate of the lost and is the separation of the soul from God (Eph. 2:1; 4:18, 19); and (3) the second death, which is the eternal separation of the soul from God and banishment from His presence forever (Rev. 2:11; 20:6,14; 21:8).
Source: Lewis Chafer & John Walvoord, Major Bible Themes, (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Pub. House, 1974), 165-176.