The document discusses the biblical view of original sin passed down from Adam to all humanity, noting that Romans 5 teaches that through Adam's sin, death and condemnation spread to all people, and through Christ's righteousness, grace, life and justification are available to all. It explores interpretations of original sin ranging from denial to Augustine's view of human nature being corrupted in Adam.

1. God the Creator
and Creation
Week 3

4. Creation
God as source

5. What Does the Bible Say?
Genesis 1-3

6. Days of creation

16. Genesis 1 compared to 2
Genesis 1 Genesis 2
God called Elohim God called Jehovah
Vegetation happened
on 3rd day
Man created before
vegetation
Male created with
Female
Male created alone
God Rests No Sabbath
All is very good Sin disrupts creation
right away

17. 2 Interpretive Lenses
Modern, Literal, Empirical
2nd
Temple Canonization
500
Temple
Restored
------------
Scripture
Canonized
Events of Old Testament
J
E
D
P
ehovah (Yahwist)
lohist
euteronomist
riestly
Judaism
becomes
a religion
of the
Text

18. What is Myth?
Does not mean “untrue”
Is not in direct contrast to “history”
Is a poetic and symbolic story that deals
with issues beyond the scope of history
in order to give formational ideas about
the universe to a community of people.

19. Contemporary Issues
 Darwinism vs. Creation Science
 The Problem: the subject of creation falls
outside the realm of empirical science.
 Both systems are
theological/philosophical/mythical and require
equal amounts of faith
 Could there be a contemporary theology of
creation that values the authority of scripture
while acknowledging the validity and
limitations of empirical science?

20. Implications of Creation
 God Creates in the Beginning
 There is only one God, who alone is Creator
and Ruler of Everything
 The Creator is powerfully above and
independent of the created world but also
lovingly present and at work in it.
 Bodily-physical life is good
 Temporal life is good
 Nothing in the world is to be feared
 Nothing in the world is to be worshiped

21. Discussion
If a child should ask you, “Where did I
come from?” how could you answer in a
way that is both honest about the
biological facts of life and faithful to what
Christians believe about God the Creator
of all life?

22. BREAK

23. Providence and Evil
Why do Bad Things
Happen to
Good People?

24. Willing but
not able?
Able but
not willing?
Both able
and
willing?impotent
malevolent
Whence
is evil?
-- David Hume
Why does God not prevent evil?

25. Not all evil is evil
Natural evil
Moral evil

26. The Problem of Pain
Pain is a
protective signal
Much pain stems
from not flowing
with nature
Love and a
physical world
brings with it the
potential for pain.

27. The Nature of Moral Evil
 rebellion against God
 indifference or enmity toward
our fellow humans
 self-destructive contradiction of what
we ourselves were created to be.

28. So Where Did Evil Come From?
 An Evil God in Struggle with the Good God?
 Dualism – not biblical
 God “Himself”?
 Evil is, by definition, anything that goes against God’s will and nature,
therefore God cannot be the author of it.
 Human Bodily Influences?
 All creation is good. Leads to dualism.
 Social Influences?
 Society is humanity. Simply pushes the question back one step.
 Free Will?
 “If true…it comes from the rebellious, hostile, self-destructive thoughts,
attitudes, and desires that are in our hearts before we choose, whose
influence over us is so powerful that it is they and not our “free” wills that
determine how and what we choose. The problem of evil is precisely where
these thoughts attitudes, and desires come from that enslave our wills.”
 Fallen Angels?
 Literal?
 Symbolic?

29. Guthrie’s Conclusion
…we are driven to the conclusion that
there is no explanation for the origin and
reality of evil in God’s world…
(pp. 181-182)

30. Discussion
How would you respond to someone
who lost a loved one due to cancer and
ask you, “Why does God let this happen
to me?”

31. BREAK

32. Human Beings
Who Am I and
Why Am I Here?

34. Why is it important to understand
the nature of humanity?
Always remember that every piece of
theology is interrelated. Your view of
humanity will impact your view of God,
Jesus, the atonement, and eternity.

35. What are some current views on the
nature of humanity in the world?
 Man as machine
 Man as animal
 Man as a Sexual Being
 Man as Economic Being
 Man as Pawn in the
Universe
 Man as a Free Being
 Man as a Social Being

36. What does the Bible Say about the
nature of Humanity?
Examine Genesis 1-3

37. Three Big Questions
What is the Image of God?
What is the Constitution of the
Human Being?
What is Original Sin, and how
did it affect humanity?

38. Image of God
 Genesis 1:26-27 (NIV)
Then God said, “Let us make man in our
image, in our likeness, and let them rule over
the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over
the livestock, over all the earth, and over all
the creatures that move along the ground.” So
God created man in his own image, in the
image of God he created him; male and
female he created them.

39. Image of God
1 Corinthians 11:7 (NIV)
A man ought not to cover his head, since
he is the image and glory of God

40. Image of God
James 3:9 (NIV)
With the tongue we praise our Lord and
Father, and with it we curse men, who
have been made in God’s likeness.

41. Image of God
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)
And we, who with unveiled faces all
reflect the Lord’s glory, are being
transformed into his likeness with ever-
increasing glory, which comes from the
Lord, who is the Spirit.

42. Image of God
Romans 8:29 (NIV)
For those God foreknew he also
predestined to be conformed to the
likeness of his Son, that he might be the
firstborn among many brothers.

43. Image of God
Ephesians 4:23-24 (NIV)
to be made new in the attitude of your
minds; and to put on the new self,
created to be like God in true
righteousness and holiness.

44. Image of God
Colossians 3:10 (NIV)
and have put on the new self, which is
being renewed in knowledge in the
image of its Creator.

45. 3 Models for the Image of God?
Substantive
Relational
Functional

46. What Does the Bible Say about the
body and soul?
Old Testament
Nephesh – soul or living
Ruach – breath, wind, spirit
Leb – heart, inner seat of person
Sacar – flesh
No separation between material and
immaterial
No talk of life after death

47. What Does the Bible Say about the
body and soul?
New Testament
Presence of Greek dualism
Psyche – soul or living
pneuma – breath, wind, spirit
kardia – heart, inner seat of person
sarx – flesh
2 Cor. 5:1-10 – ‘absent from the body’
Central theme of resurrection

48. What is the relationship between the material and
immaterial aspects of being human?
Trichotomist
Dichotomist
Monist

49. As a creature, created in the image
of God, I am…
Intended and invited to fellowship with
the “dance of God.”
A unique individual that brings a positive
contribution to the community.
An intrinsic part of a larger community,
dependent upon that community.
A steward given responsibility to care for
the rest of God’s creation and live in
harmony with it.

50. The Summary…
You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart, and with all
your soul, and with all your
mind…You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.”
(Matthew 22:37-39)

51. Group Discussion
Where does our soul come from?
Do you believe the immortality of human
soul?
Is our human soul also created by God?
When?

52. Sin
How did it all go wrong?

53. What is Sin?
 Love God with all your heart
 Sin is anything that rebels against or replaces God
as the center of my full devotion
 Love your neighbor
 Sin is anything that devalues or abuses my fellow
human or creature, setting myself up as superior.
 As yourself
 Sin is the denial that I am a valid, loved, and vital
part of God’s good creation.
 Sin is not defined by external behavior but by
the intent of the heart.

54. What is “Original Sin?”
Investigation of
Romans 5:12-21

55. Romans 5:12-21 (NIV)
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in
this way death came to all men, because all sinned— 13 for before the law was given, sin
was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless,
death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by
breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. 15 But the gift is
not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did
God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the
many! 16 Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment
followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and
brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one
man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift
of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. 18 Consequently, just as the
result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of
righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19 For just as through the
disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of
the one man the many will be made righteous. 20 The law was added so that the trespass
might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin
reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
φἐ ᾡ πάντες μαρτονἥφἐ ᾡ πάντες μαρτονἥ

56. Views of “Original Sin?”
 Sin? What Sin? -
Pantheism
Pelagianism
Augustine
Seminal
Headship
Federal
Headship

57. Discussion
Do you agree with Augustine’s teaching
of Original Sin? Provide biblical and
logical reasons for your stance on this
matter. How did I inherit Original Sin
from Adam?