Greatness

Unity/Simplicity of God

• God's is not divided into each of His attribute. Instead His attribute is part of His whole being
• God IS love, mercy, just, true...

God is Spirit

• Spirit (John 4:24)
  • Unique existence
  • God has no size, dimension or matter
  • Therefore, we worship God in Spirit
• Invisible
  • God is not seen but can still show Himself through visible things
  • When the bible speak of God having hands and feet, it is anthropomorphic language
  • John 1:18, 1 Tim 1:17, 6:15-16
  • Theophanies
    • Genesis 18:1-33
    • Exodus 13:21-22
    • Jesus Christ

God is Life/Self Sufficiency

• God is Self Sufficient
• God is the source of life (Acts 17:25), and He does not need us. We are made out of Love.
  • Human purpose was to give glory to God

Independence

• Acts 17:24-25
• Job 41:11
• psalm 50:10-12

Wisdom

God knows the best goal and best means to accomplish them. (Romans 8:28)

Therefore, we can have comfort and peace knowing that God is all wise.

Infinity

Omnipresence

• All Present
  • To Bless
    • Psalm 16:11
    • [[The Ark of the Covenant]]
  • Sustain
    • Col 1:17; Heb 1:3
  • Punish
    • Hell
    • Amos 9:1-4
  • Not divided, but every where fully
• ! God sees us, and is with us.

Eternal

• God is above time, and sees time all at once
• Psalm 90:1-2; Revelation 1:8, 21:6; Job 36:26

Omniscience

God Himself knows self fully, knows all things actual, and all things possible, in one simple act.

Therefore, God is not surprised as if something new came up. And He always knows what is best.

Omnipotent

God is all powerful to do what He pleases. Anything that corresponds to His character, logically possible. [[God's Sovereignty]]

God can not not be Himself, can not undo the past. Can't fail what He promised to do. Cannot sin or lie.

Therefore, God is free to do His will. He will be faithful to His word. And His promises are freely given and not by compulsion.

• Acts 17:24-26
• Psalm 115:3
• Gen 17:1; 1:14
• Revelation 19:6
• Jeremiah 32:15-17

God's Will

• Suffering
• Necessary
• Free
  • Redemption
  • Creation
• Secret/Revealed
  • Deut 29:29
  • Will of Decree

The Impassibility of God

God's emotion is not under the influence of external factors. But He choose to relate to us by reaction to our actions through emotion.

Acts 14:15, Isaiah 62:5, Psalm 78:40; Exodus 32:10; Isaiah 54:8

God's day is not ruined if we sinned.

God's Personhood

• God can communicate, feel, know, and has a will to choose.
• He made us to fellowship with Him

Constancy/Immutability

God is Unchanging in His being, purpose and promises.

Psalm 102:25-27; Malachi 3:6; James 1:17

God is faithful and dependable.

Cases When God Seems to Have Changed His Mind

• Exodus 32:1-14; Jonah; Genesis 6:5-7; 1 Samuel 15:11

• Anthropomorphism (form) and Anthropopatheism (feeling)

  • Attributing Human form to non-human being (God)
  • Attributing human feelings to a non-human being (God)
  • Expressing truth about God using human language and perspectives

• New Stage in God's Plan of Redemption

  • From focusing on the Jews, to the Gentiles

• ! Human changed, not God

  • Jonah, the Ninevehvites repented. And so God's wrath was no longer toward them.

• [[Process Theology]] (Charles Hartshorne)

  • God is alwas changing

• [[Open Theism]]

  • God changes in response to human action
  • When the bible says that God 'repented' God actually repented
  • God is open to change, and not determinate

Blessedness

God is always happy and joyful.

Therefore, delight in what delights God

God's Perfection

God has no lack and is all excellent

Beauty

God is the sum of all desirable qualities

Therefore, seek to be like God. And delight in fellowship with Him.

God's Glory

Referring to the manifestation of light, that projects his honour and excellence.

Therefore, we're to reflect God's glory

Summary Attributes

Distinction

• Function
  • Redemption
  • Creation
• In relation to each other and creation
• But same in deity and attributes

Essentials

• Incomprehensible
• Unity of God
• Functional Suboridination
• Eternal
• Apparant Contradiction

Importance

1. Non-necessity of creation
2. to accomplish work of redemption
3. Deity of Christ
   1. Atonement, and justification by faith in Christ
4. Diversity & Unity in the Church and the Family

Scripture Proof

Three in oneness of God

• 1 John 5:7 (?)

We have allusions and hints of the three in oneness of God in Scripture that are [[Progressive Revelation|progressively revealed]]

• Elohim, plural form for God
• Psalm 45:6-7; Gen. 1:26 'let us',; Isaiah 6:8 'for us'; Psalm 110:1; Isaiah 48:16
• John's Gospel, John 16:13-15; 20:21-22; 1:1-3,14; 17:21
• Matthew 28:19; Matthew 3:16-17, Cor 13:14

Deity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit

• 1 Corinthian 8:6; 1 Peter 1:2
• Acts 5:3, Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:14
• Philippians 2:5-11, Substance of Deity
• Jesus claimed to be God
  • John 10:30-33; John 20:28; John 1:1, 14
• Diety of Christ
  • Thomas worshipping Christ
  • Isaiah 9:6, John the Baptist
• Diety of the Holy Spirit
  • Matthew 28:19
  • 1 Corinthians 3:16

Unity of GOd

• Deut 6:4

• James 2:19

• ! God alone is to be worshipped

Church History

Subordination -> Adoption

• The son was eternal, but he was inferior. A man until the baptism.

Heresies

Economic Trinity

• In the 3rd century. By Hippolytus and Tertullian
• Uses the root, shoot, and fruit analogy

Tritheism

Three Gods, divided and confused the Trinity.

Dynamic Monarchaianism

Jesus is not God. God was working in Christ but not presence in Christ. God's working in Christ starts at Christ's baptism.

The Holy Spirit is considered an impersonal attribute of GOd

One God, One Person, One Nature.

Modalistic Monarchianism (Sabellianism)

• Popular in the 3rd century, Praxeas
• Denies the Oneness of God

Believes that the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit is one Person but manifested in 3 modes. Each mode is given different name and roles. The analogy would be "water-ice-vapor"

How can all three be present at Jesus' baptism? Luke 3:21-22.

• Why does Jesus pray to God the Father if they are the same person
• How does atonement work? Jesus died, God the Father died for us?

Pre-Nicean Church (A.D. 33-150)

Apologist and Polemicists (A.D. 150-325)

• Justin Martyr: Christ is distinct in function from the Father
• Athenagorus: Christ was without begining
• Theophilus: Holy Spirit Distinct from the Logos
• Origin: Holy Spirit Coeternal with the Father and the Son
• Tertullian: 3 person, but 1 in substance

The Council of Nicea (A.D. 325)

• On the Arian Heresy

  • Monarchianism, denies the diety fo Christ. Belives that Christ is a created being with the Holy Spirit

• The conclusion from the council

  • Jesus was begotten, and not made
  • God is 3 Person, 1 in substance

• Filioque Clause

  • Split of the Roman Catholic and Estern Orthodox
  • John 15:26
  • The Holy Spirit proceed from the Father ... and the Son

Council of COnstantinople (A.D. 381)

• On the Arian heresy and the Madedonianism heresy
  • Whether the Holy Spirit is divine or not

Scripture Analysis

OT

• Gen. 1:26-27; 5:1; 9:6
• Man were created with the image of God
• Even after the fall, we retained this image in some sense

NT

• Image is being restored in those being saved
• Romans 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18; 1 Cor 11:7; James 3:9; Col. 3:10; Ephe 4:23-24

Three Views on the Image of God

• Substantive (What I Am)

  • Held by most

• Relational View (How I relate)

  • [[Karl Barth]], [[Brunner]], [[Neo-orthodox]]
  • Characterized by our unique relationship with God (Deut 6:5, Mathew 22:36-40, John 14:15-23)
  • Able to experience positively or negatively with God

• Functional (What I Do)

  • By our call to have dominion over creation (Gen. 1:26-28, Ps. 8:5-6)
    • [[Creation Mandate]]
  • We are God's vice agents on Earth

• The Image of God is universal with the human race (James 3:9)

• The fall didn't remove this image (James 3:9, Gen 5:2, Gen 9:6)

• Image is intrinsic to being a human (Gen 1:26-27)

• It is probably more substantial (personality) than relational (commune) or functionl (serve)

• God created humans to:
  • Love, know and obey God
  • Love, know, and serve others
  • Exercise dominion over God's creation

Philip Hughes' View

• Personality
• Spirituality (religious beings)
• Relational (reason, thoughts, self-reflection)
• Morality (will to do the good or evil)
• Authority (Gen 1:28)
• Creativity (Imaginative & creative)

• Moral
• Spiritual
• Mental
  • Language
  • abstract reasoning
  • sense of eternity
• Complex Emotional Beings
• Relational
  • dominion over creation
  • marriage + friendship etc..
• Physical
  • 5 Senses -> God being able to see, hear etc..

Biblical View of Humanity

• What makes human human?
  • Tools making
  • burial of the dead
  • language
• Happiness comes from:
  • loving and serving God
  • God is pleased with us

Origin of Humanity

• Genesis 1, as the pinnacle of God's creation

Implications

• We belong to God, we should follow Jesus
• We're most human when we're most like Jesus
• All human life is valuable because of this intrinsic worth and dignity of being made in the image of God
• Personhood at conception (Luke 1:41-44, Psalm 139:13-15)
• Learning and work are good because it allows us to experience God's will and dominion over creation

Image of God

[!bible] Genesis 1:26-28 - ESV ²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” ²⁷ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. ²⁸ And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

• Commune & relate to God (Jer 2:23)
• Eternal

Unmarred Image of God in Jesus

• Perfect relationship with the Father (John 17:21-23)
• He obeyed God's will perfectly (John 4:34, 5:30, 6:38)
• Loved God by doing His will and seeking HIs glory (John 17:1-5; John 14:37; 15:10)
• Loved others through His incarnation and crucifixion (John 15:13-14; Matt 9:36)

Views of Humanity

• ~ There are some truths to these views, but not central to what it means to be human

• Machine

  • Valued by our productivity
  • Viewed as objects, a means to an end

• Animal

  • Higher life form of animal
  • motivated by biological drives

• Pawns of the Universe

  • Subject to the forces of nature
  • Destiny determined by blind chance

• Sexual Being

  • [[Sigmund Freud]]

• Economic Being

  • Money as motivation
  • [[Marxism]] and [[Capitalism]]

• Free Being

  • Self-determination is essece of humanity

• Social Being

  • Part of a community
  • value comes from relationships

What is a man?

Why did God create man?

Secular views

Biblical View

Image of God

Male and Female

Trichotoism

Monism

Application & Importance

Dichotoism

What makes up a man?

Anthropology

Anthropology

Did God directly create human?

• Most believers say yes.
• Some say no,
  • [[Theistic Evolution]], Gen 1-3 is not historical
• [[Deistic Evolution]]

God did not need to create us.

He made us to glorify Himself.

Which is where we get our worth

[[Dichotomism]]

[[Trichotomism]]

Origin of the Soul/Spirit?

[[Pre-existentialism]]

[[Creationism]]

[[Traducianism]]

[[Monism]]

[[Erickson's Conditional Unity]]

What Constitutes a Man?

[[Complementarianism]]

• Different roles
• 1 Cor 11, and Eph. 5 is normalative, and not cultural

leadership/headship of male

• Adam before Eve (right of the first born)

• Eve as helper for Adam

  • for, corresponding to

• Adam named Eve

• God named human race "man" (Genesis 5:1-2)

• Satan Came to Eve first, to destrupt the creation order

• God spoke to Adam 1st after the fall to fix the destrupted creation order

• Adam represented human race (1 Cor. 15:22)

• Trinity: as the Father is head over the Son, the husband is head over the wife.

• As Jesus is head over the church, the husband is head over the wife

[[Egalitarianism]]

• Equal in roles

Roles of Man and Women

Male and Female

• Equal in personhood and importance

Theological Points

• We are not independant, we are God's
• We are part of creation, so we should try to have harmony with Creation and take care of it
• Unique in the image of God
  • We have intrinsic value and worth because of God
  • Spiritual satisfaction in God

Importance

• Holistic View of Humanity
  • Spiritual
  • Sexual
  • Pysical
  • Intellectual
  • Emotional
• How we minister to people
  • body and spiritual
• Helps with present human self-understanding
  • Human appears to be evil and special at the same time
• Starting point of dialogue with unbeliever. In the field of:
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Political Science
• It's relation to other doctrines
  • God, Christ, Church, Salvation, incarnation

• Marriage
  • one flesh (Matthew 19:16; 1 Cor 6:16, 18-20)
  • Jesus & Paul
    • Church is the bride
    • Another way to reflect God
• Plurality of the Godhead
  • Father Mother, child
  • Similar to the trinity but not exact ([[The Transcendence of God]])

Applicaition

• [[Deism]] is false
• Assurance of God's continual love and provision for all of our needs
• His is not distant or uninvolved in my life. I can have peace through trust in Him, no matter what I face
• Makes scientific study possible, because we can trust that things act in an orderly manner

Preservation

God's protection and provision for His creation.

Preserve the properties of creation.

Preservation of Humanity

• Genesis, Joseph and his family during the famine
• Exodus, wilderness provision of manna and water
• Exodus to Malachi, concering Israel
• Daniel in the lion's den
• Three men in the fiery furnace
• Jesus' words - Matt. 6:25-33; 10:28-31
• Care of believers - Romans 8:28-39

Importance of Our Human Actions

• We are responsible for our actions
• Our actions have real effects
  • Prayer
• We must act!
• Do not be afarid but trust in God
• Be Thankful for all good things that happen
• there is no such things as "luck" or "chance"

Preservation of Creation

Neh. 9:6; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3;

Ps. 104:10-23, 27-31; Acts 14:17

Why Study it?

• Relation to other doctrines
  • Nature and will of God (Rom. 1:19-20)
  • Physical world is not inherently evil; creation is good (Gen. 1)
  • Differentiates Christianity from other religion like Buddhism and Hinduism, which maintain the eternal existence of the universe
  • Dialogue between Christianity and natural science. 'What does the Bible say about the age of the earth? Evolution?'
• Important to the church
  • Apostle's Creed States 'I Believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth'
• Bible Place Great Importance on it
  • (Genesis 1:1, John 1:1-3, Psalm 102:25-27)

Lecture 12 Creation of God

[!bible]+ Revelation 4:11 - ESV ¹¹ “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

4 Important Truth about Creation

Creation Ex Nihilo

• Creation out of nothing
• Scripture
  • In passing of a "begining" of the world (Matt. 24:21; Mk. 10:6; 2 Pet. 3:4; Mk. 13:9; Heb. 1:10; Eph. 1:4)
  • Stringly implying ex nihilo (Heb. 11:3; Rom. 4:17; 2 Cor. 4:6)

Implication

• God freely chooses to create
• By His will He can create; His has great power
• Creation is not out of Him; He is distinct from creation which is contra [[Pantheism]] and [[Panentheism]]

Creation is the Work of the Triune God

• OT, God Yahweh creates (Ps. 96:5; Isaiah 37:16)
• NT, the Father creates (1 Cor. 8:6); He is the source of creation
• The Son is involved as the agent of creation (Heb. 1:10; John 1:3; Col 1:15-17)
• The Spirit is also involved (Gen. 1:2, Job 33:4, Psalm 104:30)
• Creation is from the Father through te Son by the Spirit, e.g. architect, contractor, worker

Purpose of creation is God's glory

[!bible]+ Psalm 19:1 - ESV ¹ The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

[!bible]+ Revelation 4:11 - ESV ¹¹ “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

God Created All Things

• God created all things - Nothing that existed has its orgin in anything other than God
  • Gen 1:1, 'heaven and earth' means eevrything
    • John 1:3; Acts 4:24; Rev 10:6; Colossians 1:16; Acts 17:24 (all things in it)
  • All things owe their existence to God; therefore, we are not autonomous but dependent on Him

Creation, Bible and Science

Historically

• Before 1600
  • Foremost authority in the west was the Bible and the Church
  • Started to change with the rise of modern science -> Renaissance Period in the 1400-1600
• By the end of the Enlightenment (1800) science became the chief authority in the natural world
• By the 20th century, science become the authority over all things
  • trusted to deliever truth and help society to progress
  • Included behavioral sciences
  • Dominant paradigm in science is naturalistic neo-Darwinism, which excludes creationist interpretation of beginings.

Today

• Some Christian say that Bible has some to say about scientific matters (origin of universe, life)
• Some say that it only talks about religions matters

Providence

God working in the present time

Scripture Analysis

OT

In OT the word Yatsar, and ya'ats are used for plan, purpose, determination

• Psalm 139:1
• Isaiah 45:11
• isaiah 14:24, 26, 27
• Proverb 16:9
• Isaiah 46:10
• Proverb 19:21
• Jeremiah 23:20

God is also sovereign over evil, sin and Hell

• Genesis 50:19-20
• Deut 32:39
• Lam. 3:39Job 2:10
• Isaiah 45:7
• Prov 16:4

NT

In OT the word proorize, prothesis, prostasso is used

Ephesians 1:11 - all things Acts 17:25 - nations Ephesians 1:5, 10-13, 3:1; Romans 8:28; Romans 9-11. Redemption Plan Galatians 3:8; 4:4-5; Acts 2:23, Redemption through Christ

[[The Plan of God]]

Eternal Decree

Prayer

If God's sovereign over His plans what use are my prayers?

• Scripture teach that:

  • God is sovereign in all that happens (Rom. 8:28)
  • We are to pray, and prayer has value (James 5:16)
    • God wills both ends and the means
    • God heals because people came to Him in faith and prayer, e.g. Jesus in mark's Gospel
    • People confess faith because people prayed for them and preached to them (rom. 10:17)

• What is the prime purpose of prayer?

  • Creating in us a right attitude with respect to God's will
  • Aligning our will to God's

There are un answer question for both sidies.

Calvinist are left with the unanswered question:

• How can God cause us to choose something willingly
• How can God ordained that we do evil willingly, and yet God not be blamed for evil Though these seems to glorify God in His greatness and wisdom

Armaniam:

• God's knowledge of the future
• Why he would allow evil if its not his will
• Whether He will certainly triumph over evil

These diminish God, and makes man greater (able to choose apart from God)

Foreordained

For creation and history

Arminianism

God sees what moral agent will do and then decide (Roman 8:29)

God's decree is conditioned upon human decision.

However, we have example of God's plan working without foreknowledge (Romans 9:11-24; John 15:16)

Predestined

• In context of moral agents
• For election or retrobation

Two Views

Calvinism

God will human decision in someway.

God's plan is unconditional and human decision is consequence of God's decree.

[[Erickson's Moderate Calvinism]]

Characteristics

• Efficacious and unchangeable (Psalm 33:11; John 6)
• Eternal (2 Timothy 1:9-10)
• Freely Decreed(Ephesian 1:5, 10-12; Isaiah 40:13-14)
• For His Glory (Isaiah 48:11, Ephesians 1:5,6,14; Romans 16:25-27)
• All inclusive (Ephesians 1:11)

Theological Meaning of the Biblical Doctrine of Creation

1. All things derive their existence from God
   • Excludes [[Dualism]] (New Age, [[Hinduism]], Star Wars)
   • There is no ultimate reality other than God
2. Original Creation is unique
   • Humans fashion from existent materials but God from nothing
   • God is only bound by His will and nature
3. Creation is not intrinsically Evil
   • God made everything originally good (Gen. 1:10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31)
   • Matter is not evil, contra [[Dualism]] and [[Gnosticism]]
4. The Incarnation of the Son of God
   • Because God created all physical things to be good, it helps us understand the Incarnation, contra [[Docetism]] (dualism)
5. Restrains us from Asceticism
   • In the medieval church there was a tendency toward [[Asceticism]]
   • since creation is good, spirituality involves our bodies as well as our souls
6. All creation is finite and dependent on God
   • Therefore, we must reject [[Pantheism]], [[Panentheism]], [[Monism]]
7. Ecology
   • We are to treat creation as God does and wills, and so care for His creation
8. Only God is to be worshipped
   • Nature is not to be worshipped in anyway (Ex. 20:2-3)

Christian Response

• Two types of evil and
  • Natural evil (hurricanes, earthquakes, disease)
  • Moral evil caused by humans (war, murder, adultery, salvery, theft)
• two form of the problem
  • Religious (existential, experiential)
  • Intellectual (theological)

The frst thing is to realize and admit that we will never have a total solution to the problem of evil this side of heaven.

Freewill Defence

1. We know only this (actual) world
2. We can think of other possible world (inlcudings ones with less evil), but not all possible world, because we are finite
3. God (who is infinite) knows all possible worlds
4. This world is not (at this time) the best of all possible worldss (even that we can think of)
5. When we stand in our Lord's presence and enter eternity, the Bible says we will be in the best of all possible world (Rev. 21-22)
6. There, although this is not (now) the best of all possible worlds, a world of man's free choice (even to do evil) is the best way to achieve the best of all possible worlds.

Philosophical answer to the Intellectual/Deductive Problem

[[Alvin Platinga]]'s answer

1. God exists, is omnipotent, omnisicent, omni-benovolent and created the world
2. God created a world that now contains evil and had a good reason for doing so.
3. Therefore the world contains evil

9 Foundational Biblical Considerations

1. God is sovereign
   • Will never be able to fully comprehend the ways of God, or the reason for evil in this world (Deut. 29:29; Job 38-42; Is 55:8-9)
   • But we know that His purpose is just and good (Deut. 32:4; Ps. 100:5)
   • Some of his purpors for evil has been revealed:
     • Suffering makes people trust and depend on Him (2 Cor. 12:7-10)
     • Suffering makes us like hi Son preparing us to be with Him (James 1:2-4; 2 Cor. 4:7-12; Heb. 12:5-10; 1 Pet. 1:6-7; Rom. 5:3-5, 8:28)
     • Suffering enables us to comfort other who suffer (2 Cor. 1:3-7)
     • Suffering is used to bring people to see God (John 9; [[Gaderene Demoniac]])
2. God is all Loving
   1. He sent His Son to deliver humans from evil (John 3:16; 1 John 4:9, 10)
3. God is all powerful
   1. He has, is, and will overcome evil through His Son (1 Cor. 15:23-27; Revelation 1-21)
4. God is all wise
   1. By His plan we experience His grace, wisdom, and mercy in ways we never would have, if sufering had not entered into this world (Ephesians 2:7; 3:9-11; Ps. 32; Ps. 103).
5. God is just
   1. Though we do not always see justice in our world, God will bring about justice in all things in the end (Rev. 15:3-4; Psalm 73)
   2. Life here has injustice, and those who do not directly deserve sufering, humanly speaking, experience it. However, God will deal with these injustices in the life to come. Remember we all must appear before the judgement seat of Christ. Without the hereafter there is no fnal resolution to injustice (Ps. 37; 73; Habb. 1-3; Rom. 12:19-20; Rev. 6:9-11; 11:17-18; 19:2; 20:11-15).
6. God is holy
   • God hates all evil because He is holy. Evil is a result of Satan’s and human rebellion. Humans will bear the consequences of their rebellious choices against a holy God.
   • His hatred toward sin and rebellion is death and corruption both natural evil (Rom 8:19-23) and moral evil (Genesis 2,3; Eph 2:1-3; Eph 4:17-19; Rom. 1:18- 32).
7. God's Glory and Our Good
   • All that takes place in God’s creation is for His glory (John 9; Romans 9:17; 11:33-36), as well as our good (Rom. 8:28; Mark 10:29-31).
8. Evil will be Destroyed
   • God as all-powerful and good will destroy evil in the end (Revelation 1-21).
9. God's Son
   1. God’s Son also sufered the maximum of evil on the cross. God, therefore, knows our sufering and has entered into it with us (Isa 53).

“God, as sovereign Lord, is the standard of his own actions, He is not subject to human judgment; on the contrary, our judgment is subject to his word. Once we are thus clear on our epistemological situation, we can be assured, despite our questions, of God’s good character, for on that matter the Word of God is clear” (Frame, Apologetics, 178).

Implication of the Doctrin of Creation for the Christian

• God loves His creation, so should we
• We can create for GOd's glory - art, genetics?
• Because it's God's creation, there's order, pattern and purpose to the universe which makes scientific study possible
• We cannot hold to naturalistic evolution
• Only God is self-sufficient, infinite and independent. All else is contingent and dependent on Him

What is the purpose of the bible

• Reveal how to have a relationsip with God through the person and work of Jesus Christ
• What the bible write about on History, geography, science is true, but not in a technical sence but more in a phenomenological sence.

Age of the Earth?

• Three Views
  • [[Evolutionary Creationism]]
  • [[Progressive Creationism]]
  • [[Young Earth Creationism]]
• Theories Dealing with the Age of the Earth
  • Gap Theory - Scofield Bible
  • Flood Theory - earth looks old because of the flood
  • Ideal time theory - appearance of age
  • Age-day theory - "yom" can mean long period of time
  • Pictorial day (literary frameowrk) logical, not chronological

The Problem of Evil

If God is good and omnipotent, then why does evil exists? Conclusion:

1. He does not exist
2. He is good but not all powerful
3. he is all powerful but not good

None of which are biblical

[!NOTE] The Prof's Opinion The six day of creation is the historical position of the church but is not definitive.

Genesis is polemical and artisitcally deisgned.

Be wary of science as our authority of origins (see Byl, Go and Godmos)

For a defence of [[Young Earth Creationism]] see Fienberg, No One Like Him

Should Christians Seek Miracles Today?

• Depends on the purpose

  • For selish gain? (Acts 8:21-22)
  • For entertainment? (Luke 23:8)
  • For proof? (Matt. 16:1-4)

• 1 Cor 1:22-24

  • Signs and wonder do not save people
  • but they can:
    • confirm the truthfulness of God's message

Purpose of Miracles

• To glorify God (John 9)
• to establish the supernatural basis of the revelation given (Hb. 2:4)
• To declare in history (Luke 5:24), the in-breaking of the new era of Christ (Matt. 8:14-17)
• To meet human needs (Matt. 9:35-36)
• Remove hinderance to ministries (Phil. 2:25-30)

Moral Evil as a result of orignal sin

• Gen 3 caused separation from God -> moral dpravity.
• Sin affected our desires and action, attitudes and relationships.
• Now controlled by self-centredness and sinful attitudes

God as the Victim of Evil

• Sin is hurtful and paintful to God (Gen. 6:6)
• God allowed evil even when He knew His Son would have to live with sinful humans and die for those humans. God does deal with evil in His Son (2 Cor. 5:21).

Specific Evil as a Result of Specific Sins

• Our actions have consequences
• We are responsible for our specific sins, not God.

Philosophial answer to the existential and experiential problem

[[Theodicy|Theodicies]]

1. Free will
2. Natural Law
3. Soul Making

• Natural order of creation
  • Water and fire can result in both good or evil, life or death,. Pain signals danger or warns us

Reevalutaion of what constitues as good and evil -- Greater Good

• Conforminity to Christ is the greater good (Rom 8:28-29)
• Short term pain for greater good (Rom. 8:18; 1 Pet. 1:6-7; James 1:2-4)
• My pain for the greater good of others.

Conclusion: an action is good because God has willed it for a greater good

Evil in general as a result of Original sin and Satan

• Oroginal sin caused falleness and death of all creation. Evil came by Satan (Gen 3; Job)
• Natural evil (Luke 13:1-5; John 9:1)
• Evil is a result of human disobedience to God.

Other Possible Solution to the Problem of Evil

1. Dualism
   1. Evil is real. A never ending struggle between good and evil
2. Illusionism
   1. Evil is not real (eg. Vedanta Hinduism). The world and the appearance of evil is maya, an illusion
3. Finitism
   1. God is trying to overcome evil, but He is unable to. God is good but not all powerful
   2. eg. Dualism of Zorastrainism, Harold Kushner, When Bad things happen to Good People
4. Transmoralism
   1. God is all-powerful but his goodness is not what we define as good. God transcends morality.
   2. Eg. in Hindu Upanishads some of the gods are actively malevolent.
   3. God is accountable to no one, God's character defines what is meant by good.
5. Impossibilism
   1. Evil is real God created the world freely along with creature with freedom
   2. God does not know the future action of humans. Therefore, evil is possible through human freedom.
   3. eg. Process Theism or Open Theism
6. Realism
   1. Evil is real. Christ has come to defeat evil judicially, and God will defeat it practically in the future.

Norman Geisler's Restrivticve Definitoin of Miracles

• As an attempt to say that miracles no longer exists after the apostles (Ceased)

1. Always successful
2. immediate
3. no relapses
4. give confirmation of GOd's messenger

• What about when Jesus healed the blind man in two stages? (Mark 8:24-25)
  • If God worked in two stages here why couldn't He work in multiple stage now?
• What about the time Paul didn't health Epaphoroditus? (Phil. 2:27)
• What about when the disciples weren't able to heal the possed boy (Matt. 17:14-21)
  • Not because they 'forgot' but because of their little faith (Matt 17:20)

Heb 2:3-4

• Argues that miracles come to those who have heard Christ first hand

• Those who haerd Christ is not limited to apostles

• does not say if the Gospel will be confirmed by others who did not perform miracles

• Confirmed not just by "sign and wonders" but also by gift of the holy spirit

Examples

• God controls nature (Ps. 135:5-7; Job 9:5-9; 37:1f; Ps. 147:8-15; Moses - ten plagues).
• God controls animal creation (Ps. 104:21-29)
• God controls human history (Dan. 25; Esther; Acts 17:26)
• God controls human lives (Prov. 16:9, 33; Prov. 21:1; 19:21; 1 Sam. 2:6-7; Gal. 1:15-16; Ps. 31:14-15; Ezra 7:27)
• God controls all things (Psalm 103:19-22)
• He controls even sinful actions (Acts 2:23; Gen. 50:20)

Were Miracles Restricted to Apostles?

• There are unusually concentrated amount of miracles performed by the Apostles but there were also account of miracles performed by others (1 Cor. 12:10, 4-11; Gal. 3:5)
• "Sign of an Apostle" (2 Cor 12:12)
  • Paul was talking about "false apostles" and genuine Christians. Not distinguishing himself from other Christians
  • "sign of an apostle" was done with "signs and wonders and mighty works".
    • "Sign of an apostle" not refering to miracles
    • but rather things that proved him to be an apostle
      • Selflessness, generousity, true knowledge of the Gospel, suffering and hardship endured for Christ etc.
  • in all patience, miracles don't happen show but fast
• Miracles performed by non-apostles
  • Stephen (Acts 6:8), Philip (Acts 8:6-7), Chrisitan in Galatia (Gal 3:5), 1 Cor 12, etc..

Micracles

How do miracles fit into God's providence?

What is a miracle?

• Less common activity of God that arouses people's wonder and awe, and bears wittness to Himself.
  • Not just a breaking of natural laws, because God can use natural law to do miracles
• The Bible uses the words "sign and wonders and mighty works" to describe miracles

relationship between miracles and natural law?

• Three views
  1. Miracles are unknown natural laws
  2. Miracles breaks the laws of nature (2 Kings 6:6)
  3. Miracles are God's action that He wills into existence which appears like miracles. But natural laws are also work of God that he continually upholds.

Philosopher Jerry Gill agrees with the 3rd view

• The third view, is the view commonly held by the Judea-Christian Scriptures.
  • The bible sees God as active in all events.
• The notion of miracle as violation of the natural law is a modern concept

Scientist Richard Bube also agree with the 3rd view

False Miracles

1. Power of God is greater than the power of Satan
2. False miracle are identity by the denial of the Gospel

God's Providence - God's Continual Work

• God preserves and directs His creation
• Preserve to existence, and direct to its purpose

[!DEFINE] Providence Comes from Latin providentia which means "to foresee" or "to superintend"

Has the idea of making preparation for the future

This means that things do not happen by chance by are continuously direted by God (contra evolution)

Sinful Action?

• God is not the author of sin (James 1:14)
• But He controls them by:
  • Permitting them (Acts 14:16; Rom. 1:24-26)
  • Using them (Gen. 50:20; Gen 45:8)
  • Preventing them (Matt. 6:12-13; Gen. 20:6; Psalm 19:13)
  • Limiting them (Job 1:12; 2:6)

Governance

All of God's plan is fulfilled in the universe. God is fulfilling His plan in history and in His creation.

Bigger Picture, and overarching soveregnty over creation

Gen 50:4, what you mean for evil God meant for good

God's moral will vs secret wil

Regaring God's Government

• Over all creation (Rom. 8:28)
• Over all people, believer and unbeliever (Matt. 5:45)
• For good (Psalm 100)
• Especially for His people (Rom. 8:28; John 10:aff; Ps. 100)
• Includes our active involvment. Co-labourers with Christ (Isa. 45)
• God is sovereign, and answerable to Him alone. Often we will be left in the dark about what He is doing (Job)
• Don't be too ready to read God's providence in every historical event, e.g. Eschatology, Germany

• Inanimate creation: Weather, natural disasters
• Animals: feeds them
• Random or Chance Events: coin toss
• Events are fully caused by God (primary cause), and fully caused by the creature (secondary cause) as well
• The affair of nations
• All aspect of our lives

Concurrence

God cooperates with creation to direct them

God's moment to moment action with creation

Evil

• God is not directly involved indoing of evil, but that He bring it about through the willing action of moral agents.
• Scripture never blames God for evil, and God never takes pleasure in evil and is never pleased with evil done by people

Our choices are real and significant

A play written by Shakespear

• MacBech kills King Duncan
• Primary (Shakespear), secondary (MacBeth)
• Limitation of the anology: MacBech is not a reason person and has no real choice in the play
• God's wisdom and power, made us real peoples who make real willing choices

Pharhoah's hardening of his own heart, and God's hardening of Pharoah's heart

• God uses all things to fulfills His purpose even evil
• God never does evil, and should not be blamed for evil
• God rightfuly blames and judges moreal creatures for the evil they do
• Evil is real, and we should never do evil for it hurts us and others
• We don't know how God's sovereignty and human responsiblity fit together

"Free"

• What do people mean by free will?
  • not influence by others?
  • free to do good? apart from God's grace?
  • free from God's control?
  • free to make moral choices?

Who is the Angel of the Lord?

• Gem 16:10-13, some passage refers to the Lord (Gen 22:12, Gen 31:11, 13, Exodus 3:2, 6; )
• Other times, "angel of the Lord" seems to be distinguished from God (2 Sam. 24:16; Ps. 34:7, Zech. 1:11-13)
• "an angel of the Lord" seems to indicate an angel sent by God (Luke 1:11)

Angels are Creatures

• Ps. 148:2, 5; Col 1:16
• Spirits without material bodies (Eph. 6:12; Heb 1:14; 2 Kings 6:16; Num 22:31)
• Appearances to humans are called angelophanes.
  • Created with ability to fellowship, with personaility that is expressed by intellect (1 Pet. 1;12), emotion (Job 38:7) and will
  • Never said to be created in the image of God.
  • Localied beings (Dan. 9:21-23, Luke 1:26, Daniel 10:12-14)
  • Immortal (Luke 20:36)
  • Limited in knowledge (Matt 24:36)
  • Do not marry (Matt. 22:28-30)
  • Possess great power (2 Pet 2:11, Ps. 103:20, Eph 1:21, Col 1:16 Matt 28:2)

Angel Terminology

• Angel means "messenger" mal'ak in HB, angelos in Gk.
• Also known as "holy ones" (Ps. 89:5, 7) or "watchers" (Dan. 4:13, 17, 23) or "spirits" (Heb. 1:14)
• As a group they are known as "council", "assembly", "hosts"
• They appear to be ranked or portrayed in combinations.
  • Principalities, powers, thrones, dominions, authorities
  • archangels (Michael Jude 9)

General Biblical Truth About Angels

• Angels are spiritual intelligent beings that Go created who are higher than humankind (Col. 1:16; Neh. 9:6; Heb 2:7, Job 38:6-7)
• Some have obeyed God continuously, and are called elected angels
• Some rebelled against God. Called fallen angels.
• In history of redemption, angels do not take centre stage in the Bible. They are servants of God (Heb. 1;4)
• They are indicental in the story of redemption. So when we see them act, it's really God's action or speech

Name of Specific Angels

• Michael (Jude 9, Rev 12:7-8, Daniel 10:13, 21)
• Gabriel (Luke 1:19, 26-27)

God is sovereign over angels

• He is sovereign over both good and evil angels, e.g. Job 1:12; 2:6.

How Many are there?

• Rev. 5:11 - thousands upon thousands, 10,000 upon 10,000
• Ps. 68:18 - tens of thousand and thousand of thousands
• Matt 26:53 - twelve legions
• Deut 33:2
• Heb 12:22
• There are multitudes of angels according to Scripture

Activities of Good Angels

• Praise and glorify God
  • (Job 38:7; Ps. 103:20; Rev. 5:11-12; 8:1-4; Luke 2:13-14)
• Reveal and communicate God's message to humans
  • e.g. mediators of the law - Acts 7:53; Gal. 3:19; e.g. mediators of God’s Word - Luke 1:13-20; 1:26-38; Acts 27:23
• Minister to believers
  • Heb. 1:14; e.g. Acts 5:19
• To act in God’s government – Dan. 10:13,
• Execute judgement on the enemies of God
  • 2 Kings 19:35; Acts 12:23; Rev.16:1-17
• Involved in the Second Coming
  • Matt. 25:31; Matt. 13:39-42; Matt. 24:31

Differing stages of demonic activity in the history of redemption

Old Testament

• False God's and children sacrifices
  • Deut. 32:16-17, Ps. 106:35-37, 1 Cor. 10:20
• Cult prostitution as part of pagan worship (Deut. 23:17; 1 Kings 14:24; Hos. 4:14)
• No clear of casting out of demons
  • the closest is David playing harp for King Saul (1 Sam. 16:23)

During the Ministry of Jesus

• Jesus casting out demon with authority (Mark 1:27)
• Kingdom of God has come (Matt. 12:28-29)
• Strong man Matt 4:1-11

New Covenant Age

• Authority to cast out demons given to the Twelve (Matt 10:8, Mark 3:15) and ten the 70 disciples (Luke 10:17-18) then to the early church (Acts 8:7; 16:18; James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8-9)

During the Millennium

• The 1000 year reign of Christ in Rev 20
• Activity of Satan and Demon will be further restricted
• Rev 20:1-3

At the Final Judgment

• Satan and demons will be thrown in the the lake of fire and sulfure (Rev. 20:10)
• Judgement of Satan and demons will be complete

Demons

• Fallen angels that carry out Satan's work in the world
• make war against God (Eph 6:12)
  • Victory already won by Christ (1 John 4:4, Matt 12:29)
• They also:
  • accuse (Rev. 12:10)
  • plan doubt (Gen 3:1-3)
  • tempt to sin (Eph. 2:1-3)
  • persecute (Rev. 12:13)
  • prevent service (1 Thess 2:18)
  • disturb the church (2 Cor 2:10-11)

Origin of Evil Angels

• No direct statements about origin of evil angels
• Allusions to it in 2 Peter. 2:4 and Jude 6
  • These angels were created by God bnut feel away through disobedience
• When did this take place?
  • We assume between creation and the fall (Gen 1 and Gen 3)
• Isaiah 14:12-15
  • Pride and attempting to be equal to God in status and authority

Satan

Chief of Demons is called the devil or Satan, sometimes the adversary or accuser. His character can be understood from the names he is given in scripture. He is called the tempter, Beelzebub, enemy, evil one, Belial, adversary, deceiver, father of lies, murderer, sinner.

• Job 1:6, 1 Chron. 21:1, Zech 3:1
• "adversary"

Our Relationships to Demons

• Demons are still active in the world today
  • Not all evil and sin is from Satan and Demons, but some Is
    • 1 Cor. 1:10, 1 Cor. 5:1-5, solution wasn't to rebuke evil spirit or demons but to live holy lives.
    • But Satan and demons are involved in all evil and sins

What About Demon Possession?

• people in this world can be possessed by demon
• but a believer can not be demon possessed (1 John 4:4; 5:18)
  • They can become under influence of demons, with varying severity

Demons are limited by God's control and have limited Power

• Job 1:12; 2:6
• Can not know the future or any of our thoughts
  • Daniel -> God alone is the interpreter of dreams. No one else knows the dream of Nebuchanedzer

How to recognize demon activity

• Regular violent self harm (Mark 5:2-5, mark 9:17-18, 20, 22)
• Blatantly false doctrinal statments (1 Cor 12:3; 1 John 4:2-3)
• ... otherss

Satan's Work

• Oppose God and His work.
  • Mainly work of salvation in Christ
  • In the form of temptation
    • Matt 4, Acts 5:3, Eph. 6:11, 1 Pet 5:9-10
• Deceives people
  • (2 Cor. 11:14-15; 2 Cor 4:4)
• Oppose God's work even physical
  • 1 Thess. 2:18; 2 Cor 12:7

Stan Can Be Resisted

• Though he is powerful He is under God's control
• Can be resist and put to flight through Christ
  • James 4:7, Eph 6:10-18 (Whole armor of God)

Originator of Sin

• Gen 3:1-6; 2 Cor 11:3
• a liar and father of lies (John 8:44)
• the devil has sinned form the beginning (1 John 3:8)

Significance of the Doctrine of Angels for us

• God uses angels to help us, though unseen by us

• Angels give example of praise and service to God

• Even angels fell from God; a warning for us (1 Cor. 10:12)

• Knowledge of the devil’s wiles helps us to be alert to his temptations and attacks

• Though powerful, Satan is limited by God in all that he does or can do in the world, and to us (1 John 5:18; 1 Cor. 10:13; James 4:7).

• Satan has been defeated by Christ (Matt. 12:29; Col. 2:15), and will be completely/ultimately at His return (Rev. 20:10).

• Not made in the image of God

• Do not bear children like themselves

• No angel Jesus (2 Pet 2:4)

• The Unseen world is real (2 Kings 6:17)

• Angels are examples for us

Popularity of Angels

• Frank Peretti’s books
• Spiritual warfare books
• Touched by an Angel
• Twice in a Lifetime
• Dead Like Me

But be careful. Scripture is our authority on angels.

Other Kinds of Heavenly Beings

• Cherubim
  • (Gen 3:24)
  • Ps. 18:10; Ezek. 10:1-22
  • Ex. 25:22, vv. 18-21
• Seraphim
  • Isaiah 6:2-7
• The Living Creatures
  • Ezek 1:5-14, Rev 4:6-8

Do Guardian Angels Exist?

• Probably not
• Insufficient biblical evidence on this issue in Scripture

[!bible] Matthew 18:10-14 - ESV ¹⁰ “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. ¹² What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? ¹³ And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. ¹⁴ So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

• It must be his angle -> referring to Peter when he got released from the prison (Acts 12:15)

• God does give use angel to protect believers, but nothing indicates that we're assigned individual angels

• Psalm 91:11-12

Cautions

• Beware of receiving false doctrin from angels (Gal 1:8, 2 Cor. 11:14; 1 Kinmgs 13:18)
  • [[Mormonism]]
• Do not worship angels, pray to them, or seek them (Col. 2:18, Rev. 19:10)

Be Aware of Angels in Our Daily Lives

• Worshipping with them (Heb. 12:22-23)
• Angels are watching our obedience or disobedience
• Sometimes angels take physical forms (Heb. 13:2; cf. Gen. 18:2–5; 19:1–3)
• Angels sometimes help us (Dan. 6:22; Acts 5:19-20; Acts 12:7-11; Matt. 4:1; Ps. 91:11-12)

Angelology

Guardian Angels

Applciations

Other Heavenly Beings

Angelology

Angels

When were angels created?

What do angels do?

What are "angels"?

How many angels?

Demon Posession

Differing activities of Satan through redemptive history

origin of Satan and Demons

Works of Satan and Demon

Satans

Angel Appearances

Who are some of the named angels?

When Were Angels Created?

• All the angels must have been created before the seventh day of creation (Gen 2:1; Exodus 20:11)
• Maybe even on the first day of creation (Gen 1:1; Gen 1:2). Heaven is not mentioned to be void. So perhaps angels were already created. (Job 38:6-7)

Do Angels Appear to People Today?

• Nothing rules out that angels don't appear to us today.
• But we should be very skeptical. Scripture is our sole authority

Rank and Order Among the Angels

• michael "archangel" (Jude 9, Daniel 10:13; Rev 12:7-8, 1 Thess 4:16)

Why structure within Angels?

Someone has to lead, even when there is no sinful choices for the elect angels

• they’re not all knowing or have some sort of hive mind

[[Doctrine of Sin|Hamartiology]]

Consequences of Sin

Practical Questions of Sin

Is there Degree of Sin?

[[Nature of Sin]]

[[Origin of Sin]]

Answer to Sin

• Our only answer to sin is new birth in Jesus Christ.
• The power of the Holy Spirit, and the death and resurrection of Chist
• (2 Cor. 5:17, Titus 3:46)
• Rom 8:1-4

Consequences on the Sinner's Life

• Enslavement by Sin (Romans 6:17, 7:14)
  • David and Bathesheba (Adultery -> Lying -> Muder)
• Flight from reality
  • Make death normal through euphemistic language (Pass away, no longer with us, departed)
  • drunkeness
• Denial of sin
  • Not taking responsibility; just social maladjustment; ignorance; blame (Gen 3:11-12); mislabeled
  • Self Deceit (Jer 17:9, Mat 7:3)
    • David & Nathan
  • Insensitivity towards sin; Seared Conscience (1 Tim. 4:2)
  • Self-centerdness (1 John 2:15-16)
  • Restlessness
    • Sin never satisfies (sex, money)

What happens when Christian Sin?

• Legal standing before God is unchanged (Rom 8:1; 6:23, 1 Cor 15:3)
• Fellowship with God and Christian Life disrupted (Rev. 3:19)
  • fruitfulness (John 15:5, 1 Cor 3:12-15)
  • God is displeased
• Unconverted Evangelicals (Matthew 7:23)
  • warning sign
    • Pattern of Sin
    • lack of fruits (Gal 5:22-23)
• Unpardonable Sin? (Matt. 12:31-32; Mark 3:29-30; Heb. 6:4-6)
  • Unrepentant
    1. know the truth
    2. willfully rejects it
    3. attributes it to work of Satan
  • Unsual, willful rejection & slander against the work of the Spirit

Relationship with Others

• Competition and Pride of Life (James 4:1-2; 1 John 2:16)
• Inability to empathize (Phil 2:3-4)
• Rejection of Authority
  • because it restricts what we what to do
• Inability to Love

Magnitude of Sin

Extensiveness

• All people
  • OT
    • Gen 6:5, 8:24; 1 Kg 8:46; Prov. 20:9; Ps. 143:2; Ps. 14; Ps. 13:3; Isa. 53:; Ecc. 7:20
  • NT
    • Rom. 3:9-20, 23; Eph. 2:3; Gal. 3:22 Romans
• Death goes to all (Rom. 6:23; 5:12)

Intensive

• Jer 17:9, Ps. 51:5-10, Gen 6:5
• NT (Matthew 5:21-48; 12:33-35, Mark 7:14, Rom. 7:7-25; 7:5; Gal 5:17)

Totally Depraved

1. Reason, conscience (Rom 1:21; Eph 4:17-19)
2. Affections, emotions (Rom 1:26-27, Gal 5:24; 2 Tim :2-4)
3. Will (Rom 6:17)

Our motives are sickened and self-serving. No love for God.

Does not mean that human are as bad as possible. (Rom 2:15)

• Unable to:
  • be free from sin (Rom 8:7, Eph 2:1-3; Heb 4:14)
  • repent and believe (1 Cor 2:14, 2 Cor 4:3-4)
• still responsible for sin (John 3:36; Rom 3:19-20)

Inherited Sin (Aka. Original sin)

Inherited guilt

[!bible] Romans 5:12 - ESV ¹² Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned —

• Mankind were represented by Adm in the Garden of Eden
• We were born into guilt and sinful tendency
• Is this unfair?
  • We all have already committed voluntary sins
  • then also unfair to be represented by Christ (Rom 5:12-21)

Inherited corruption

• Psalm 58:3, Ps. 51:5
• Our actions lack spiritual good (Rom 8:8; John 15:5)
• Nature totally lack spiritual Good
  • Rom 7:18, Titus 1:15
• Doesn't mean people are as bad as they could be
  • Civil, common grace, societal/family expectation

Biblical Answer

• ! God is not the source, but he did ordain it (Eph 1:11)

  • Deut 32:4, Job 34:10; James 1:13

• Initial Source

  • Satan
  • Adam & Eve's disobedience

• Continual Source (After the Fall)

  • Our sinful nature (James 1:13-15, Eph. 2:1-3, Rom. 7:18, Gal. 5:16-24)
    • Misuse of our God given desire
  • 1 John 2:16
    • Lust of the flesh
      • inordinate enjoyment of things
      • food -> gluttony
      • sex -> adultery
    • Lust of the eye
      • to obtain things
      • lust, greed, covet, envy
    • Pride of life
      • to do things; achieve, create, expand, power, glory
  • Not trusting in God
    • overstep divine limit of our desire (Matt. 4:1-13)
    • temptation: enticement to sin

[[Age of Accountability]]

• All have sinned
• Our ability does not limit our responsibility
  • Against [[Pelagianism]]: "only responsible for what we're able to do"
  • We were dead in our trespass (no ability to do good) (Ephesians 2:1)
  • Does that mean, Satan who can only sin have no guilt at all?
• If the infant dies and is saved, it is not by their own merits. It is possible for God to bring regeneration before birth (Luke 1:15), but this is not the norm)
• (2 Samuel 12:23)
• Though it seems the pattern of Scripture for God to save the children of those who believe in him (see Gen. 7:1; cf. Heb. 11:7; Josh. 2:18; Ps. 103:17; John 4:53; Acts 2:39; 11:14(?); 16:31; 18:8; 1 Cor. 1:16; 7:14; Titus 1:6; cf. Matt. 18:10, 14)
• [[THS501 Paper 9]]

[[Pelagianism]]

[[Arminianism]]

• We only have corrupt nature
  • Adam's fall affected the mind not the will
• No corrupt guilt
  • Prevenient grace: We're guilty for our own sins

[[Augustinian]]

• 5th century
• inherited guilt and sinful nature at birth

Nature of Relationship between Adam and Humanity?

[!bible]- Romans 5:12-19 - ESV ¹² Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned — ¹³ for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. ¹⁴ Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. ¹⁵ But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. ¹⁶ And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. ¹⁷ For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. ¹⁹ For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

• 3 views
  • Alienation from God
    • no transfer of guilt
    • born into the realm of sin and death
  • Federal Headship (legal tie)
    • Covenant of Works
    • Adam represented humanity, therefore we are treated as he was
  • Natural or Seminal Headship ([[Augustinian]])
    • Depravity of Adam is passed on to us
    • We were in germinal or seminal form in Adam
    • His act was the act of the whole race
    • in whom all sinned

Relationship with God

• Pre-fall
  • Close fellowship with God (Gen 3:8)
• Post-fall
  • Death (Rom 6:23, Gen 2:17)
    • Spiritual (separation from God)
    • Physical (Rom 5:12; Heb 9:27)
    • Spiritual death becomes eternal at physical death
  • Divine Disfavor (Gen 3:23-25)
    • God hates those who sin (Hos 9:15, Jer 12:8, Psalm 5:5; 11:5)
      • God is holy
      • Enemies of God (Isa. 63:10; Lam 2:4-5)
        • God hates sin and sinners (Prov. 6:16-19, Rom 8:7)
      • Wrath hangs over sinners
        • Now (Rom 1:8, 24)
        • Pay-day someday (John 3:36; Rom. 2:5)
  • Guilt (Rom. 3:23; 1:21)
    • not a feeling but judicially objective
    • We cheated God of what is His
  • Punishment (Jer. 46:10; Ezek. 25:12-14)
    • Remedial (corrective)
      • Judges; Ps. 107:10-16, Heb 12:6, Ps. 119:71
    • Deterrent (Josh 7; Jer 2:12-14; Ps. 95:8-11)
      • Archan's punishment
    • Retribution (Avenge)
      • Justice
      • OT. Naqam 80 times
      • Gen. 6:5-7, Rom 12:19, Heb 10:30

Are There Degrees of Sin?

• Legal guilt (Gal 3:10, James 2:10-11)
  • Same sentence
• Consequences differ (Ezek. 8:6, John 19:11)
  • Pilate v.s. Judas
• Leaders are held to a higher standard (James 3:1)

Catholic View

• Two level of sin:
  • Venial (can be forgiven)
    • punishment and purgatory
  • Mortal (can't be forgiven)
    • ! All sins are mortal according to Scripture and all sins are venial (can be forgiven) (1 Cor. 6:9-11)

Application

• Where to put efforts in sanctification
• When to point out sin
• Church discipline
• civil punishment

Atheistic Answer

• Animal Nature (F. Tennant)
  • Based on Evolution theory
  • Human envolved from lower form of life
  • Morality slowly developed (conscience)
  • Origin of sin is gradual
• Anxiety About Our Humaness (R. Niebuhr)
  • finitness vs. freedom
  • We over come our humaness by 1) accept finitness 2) trust in God
    • Change our attitude
  • Sin is when we don't do that
• Existential Estrangement (Paul Tillich)
  • We are estranged from god, people, and ourselves
  • We need to change our attitude to be in harmony
• Economic Struggle
  • Came from liberation theology, feminist theology, and black theology
  • Elimate oppression and inequality
  • God is identified with the oppressed
• Individual Competitiveness (H.S. Elliot)
  • Sin not as innate but learned
  • Antidote is more education