Theology Series Chapter 6: Anthropology

Chapter VI: Anthropology
pdf
Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

In A Reader's Digest Approach to Theology, we looked first at what the Bible says about itself, because that is the chief source of information on spiritual issues. Then we examined what the Bible says about God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and angels. Today, we begin to see what scripture says about us, in particular, about our nature. Much of it will probably be familiar to you, but the purpose of a study like this is to provide a summary of doctrine as well as a frame on which you can hang more specific information.

Weekly World News: "How to Tell If You Are Double-Souled" (Floori 2010)

What happens when two souls are reincarnated in a single body? That is the provocative question Dr. Sankar Khan, who has been conducting reincarnation studies in Mumbai, India, for the past 26 years, is attempting to answer. He says, "Some individuals are not truly one person, but two." According to Dr. Khan, a reincarnated soul enters its new body when the fetus is at an early stage of development.

Usually a single soul enters the embryo — but sometimes two spirits, eager to be reborn, both elbow their way into the child. When this occurs, the body responds by splitting the embryo, leading to the birth of twins.

This explains why many identical twins, though raised in the same environment, are polar opposites in personality.

When the spirits are very different in nature this can lead to the tragic condition known as 'multiple personality disorder.' In these cases, there are two radically different persons trapped in one body, taking turns controlling it.... A telltale sign of such individuals is their tendency to talk to themselves, as they consult their inner companion.... Typically, double-souled individuals tend to be full of inner conflict. They find themselves torn between two lovers, two career goals, two dreams of the future. Each of their souls pulls them in an opposite direction.

According to Dr. Khan, you are likely to be double-souled if...

• You have difficulty making important decisions.
• You talk to yourself often throughout the day.
• You are ambidextrous.
• You often "can't believe" what you did the night before.
• You alternate between using your real name and a special nickname.
• You sometimes sign your name so differently, it is almost unrecognizable.
• You love a song one day and can't stand it the next day.

What is the main problem with this hypothesis? ... Scripture dismisses the idea of reincarnation.

• Death only goes in one direction.¹

Heb 9:27 ... man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,

• God alone can reverse that direction.²

Rom 7:24b Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25a Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

A. The nature of man

1. Man is a created being.

 [The end notes can be found in the linked pdf]

• He began in an act of God.³

Gen 1:26 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." 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Gen 2:7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.... 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

Ps 100:3 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Isa 45:12 It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts.

Query: Did God create man through supernatural means (immediately) or through natural means (mediately)? ...Believers generally adopt one of three major positions (Thiessen 1979:151-152).⁴

• Theistic evolution

God created the raw material and let nature take its course (deism), allowing higher life forms to develop from lower life forms.

• Progressive creationism

God performed several creative acts over millions of years, making each species distinct and separate (reproducing "after its own kind").

• Fiat creationism

God created everything in six literal and consecutive days, making each species distinct and separate (reproducing "after its own kind").

We will not deal with any of them in detail. I will just mention them and let you think about which one best accords with the biblical record.⁵

1. He possesses the image of God.⁶

Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Gen 5:1 This is the written account of Adam's line. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God.

2. Man is a composite being.

• He has a material and an immaterial part.⁷

Matt 10:28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

1 Cor 5:3 Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present.

3 John 2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.

3. Man is an imperfect being.

• He was originally good, but then sinned.⁸

Gen 1:31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Gen 3:3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die." ...6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

Rom 5:12 ...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—

Query: What do others believe about the fall of man?

• Christian Science: There was no fall.

"...Soul is sinless." (Eddy 1906:288-23)

"...there is no sin." (Eddy 1906:447-24)

"Man is incapable of sin." (Eddy 1906:475-28)

• Mormonism: The fall was necessary (and, to some extent, intentional).

"Adam found himself in a position that made it impossible for him to obey both of the specific commandments given by the Lord. He and his wife had been commanded to multiply and replenish the earth. Adam had not yet fallen to the state of mortality, but Eve already had; and in such dissimilar conditions the two could not remain together, and therefore could not fulfill the divine requirement as to procreation... He deliberately and wisely decided to stand by the first and greater commandment; and, therefore, with understanding of the nature of his act, he also partook of the fruit that grew on the tree of knowledge." (Talmage 1978:65)

• Unification Church: The fall was Freudian.

Spiritual: "Lucifer, who left his position due to excessive desire, and Eve, who desired to have her eyes opened like God's through a sexual relationship before she was ready for it... had sexual intercourse with each other... [and] fell into an illicit relationship of spiritual love." (Moon 1973:79)

Physical: "Eve then seduced Adam in the hope that she might rid herself of the fear derived from the [spiritual] fall and stand before God by becoming... one body with Adam, who was meant to be her spouse. This was the motivation behind the physical fall." (Moon 1973:80)

"Adam, by becoming one body with Eve, inherited all the elements Eve had received from Lucifer, in the same manner she did. These elements were then transmitted to their descendants... and mankind has multiplied sin to the present day, thus perpetuating the lineage of Satan." (Moon 1973:80)

The Bible tells quite a different story of the fall. It also indicates that man has not improved in subsequent years.

• He has continued to sin ever since.⁹

Isa 53:6a We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way;

Eccl 7:20 There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.

1 John 1:8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

What to remember: Man had great promise when he first appeared—a complex creature upon whom God stamped His image—but man soon fell on hard times from which he has never been able to extricate himself. He is, therefore, in dire need of divine assistance if he is ever to rise above his situation.

Part 2

We began our study of anthropology by looking at the nature of man, that he is a created being, a composite being, and an imperfect being. Now, we consider the reason for his sojourn on earth and what happens at the end of the journey. First, here are two possible scenarios.

WWN: Headlines—At the End of Life's Journey


B. The destiny of man

1. Man exists for God's glory.

• He offers praise as a matter of course.¹⁰

In word

1 Chr 16:28 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength, 29 ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.

Rom 15:5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.... 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs 9 so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name."

In deed

1 Cor 6:20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

1 Cor 10:31 ...whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

2. Man acts as God's regent.

• He exercises dominion over creation.¹¹

Gen 1:26 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."

Cf. Rev 5:10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."

3. Man answers to God's judgment.¹²

• He will enjoy comfort if he is righteous.¹³

Luke 23:43 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

Phil 1:23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;

Rev 14:13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them."

• He will endure torment if he is wicked.¹⁴

Matt 25:41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' 44 "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' 45 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' 46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Rom 2:6 God "will give to each person according to what he has done." 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.

Rev 14:9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, 10 he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name."

Query: What do others believe about the fate of man?

As I reviewed various beliefs about this subject, I discovered a surprising similarity. Here, again, are the views of three different groups.

• Mormonism

"Then shall they [i.e., men who obey God's commandments] be gods, because they have no end." (Smith 1979a 132:20)

"Abraham...Isaac...and Jacob...because they did none other things than that which they were commanded, they have entered into their exaltation...and are not angels but are gods." (Smith 1979a 132:37)

• Unification Church

"God and man are one. Man is incarnate God... So man, the object of God, is as important in value as God Himself... He has placed us in a position equal to himself." (Moon 1974:5)

"God's first blessing to man was the perfection of his individuality... This means that man attains deity." (Moon 1973:43)

• Worldwide Church of God

"Even as God became man, so man may become God! . . .Man is to become just as much God as Christ is God." (Schroeder 1975:4)

Despite the differences these groups have in other matters, they hold a similar view about man's destiny. This life is preparation for our ultimate deification. Are they correct? Are all or even some of us headed for divinity? ...The consistent testimony of scripture, especially by the prophet Isaiah, is that God is unique.

Isa 43:10 "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one alter me.

What to remember: Man's entire reason for being is God,¹⁵ and his destiny depends on a proper relationship to God. If man is faithful to his responsibilities in this life, he will enjoy the comfort of that relationship forever. If man is unfaithful to his responsibilities in this life, he will endure the torment of alienation forever.

This is a far cry from the cultic notion that man's destiny is to become a god. The goal is not competition but devotion. How a person acquires and maintains a proper relationship to God is the subject of our next unit—salvation.

For the Endnotes, see the pdf here.

For the other chapters in "A 'Reader's Digest' Approach to Theology" see the contents here.