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Simple
Theology: Theological Doctrines of Anthropology
The
study of mankind is called anthropology.
Origin
of Mankind
Created
in God's Image
Created
For God's Glory
The
Fall of Mankind
Total
Depravity of Mankind
Destiny
of Mankind
Origin
of Mankind
God
created mankind.
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Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image,
according to Our likeness..." And God created man in
His own image, in the image of God He created him; male
and female He created them. (Gen 1:26a,27)
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...He who created them from the beginning made them
male and female... (Mt 19:4b)
God
creates each new life today.
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For Thou didst form my inward parts; Thou didst weave me
in my mother's womb. (Ps 139:13)
Notes
:
This verse refers to a person formed after the original creation
of Adam and Eve. It therefore speaks to each person being formed
personally by God.
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Created
In God's Image
Mankind
was created in the image of God.
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And God created man in His own image...
(Gen 1:27a)
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...since he [man] is the image and glory of God... (1 Cor
11:7b)
Notes
:
Theological Term - Imago Dei (In His Image)
:
Spiros Zodhiates says this is not an exact duplicate – only
the shadow of a thing. Representing the original in an imprecise
manner. Lacking the essential characteristics (reality) of the
original.
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Created
For God's Glory
Mankind was created for God's glory.
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Everyone who
is called by My name and whom I have created for My glory,
whom I have formed, even who I have made. (Is 43:7)
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For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to
Him be the glory forever. Amen. (Rm 11:36)
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The
Fall of Mankind
Adam,
the first man, sinned.
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...but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the
garden, God has said, "You shall not eat from it or
touch it, lest you die." ... When the woman saw that the
tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes,
and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from
its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and
he ate. (Gen 3:3,6)
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...through the one man's [Adam's] disobedience the many
were made sinners...
(Rm 5:19a)
Notes
:
Theological Term - Imputation ( to credit someone else's account with
something). Adam's sin was imputed to all of mankind -
his sin was credited to us, making each of us sinners because of
his sin.
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Sin is called 'Universal Sin' because it is the condition of all
people on earth. (The one exception to this was Jesus Christ Who
is sinless.)
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Sin is also called 'Inherited Sin' because the corrupt sin
nature is passed down to us from our parents. We are born with
it, therefore it is innate.
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Sin is also called 'Personal Sin' because of our own sin - the
sins we personally commit.
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Total
Depravity of Mankind
All
of mankind is totally depraved.
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How then can a man be just with God? Or how can he be
clean who is born of woman? (Job 25:4)
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The heart is more deceitful than all else and is
desperately sick... (Jer 17:9)
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...there is none righteous, not even one. ... There is
none who does good, there is not even one. (Rm 3:10,12b)
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And those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
(Rm 8:8)
Notes
:
Total depravity means sin permeates every bit of each person's nature.
:
Total depravity includes the complete inability of mankind to do
anything that finds the
approval of a holy God apart from Christ.
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The implication of Job 25:4 is that no one can be just or clean
before God. There is no good in the sinner in relation to being
right with God.
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'In the flesh' in Rm 8:8 means not born again, not born from
above by God's miraculous working power.
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Total depravity soundly refutes the theory that man is basically
good.
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Total depravity does not mean every person is as bad as they can
be.
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Destiny
of Mankind
Mankind
will either live eternally with God, or be separated from Him
for eternity in an agonizing hell.
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And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will
awake, these to everlasting life,
but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. (Dan
12:2)
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...and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection
of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection
of judgment. (Jn 5:29)
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...that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have
eternal life. (Jn
3:16b)
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...dealing out retribution to those who do not know God
and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And
these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from
the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power... (2
Ths 1:8-9)
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And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment... (Lk
16:23a)
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