Lesson 13

ANTHROPOLOGY

A Study of Man, the Object of Salvation

Chapter 6 – Creation

ALS bilingual pdf file: Chapter 6, pages 1-21 [NPH: pages 149-161]

Introduction

In lesson 12 we concluded Unit B, Theology (Lessons 9-12). In Unit C (Lessons 13-20) we will cover the subject of Anthropology.

Anthropology is the study of humankind. In this unit we will see who we are: Created in the image of God, but now through the Fall into sin, we are ruined and corrupt.

The next 8 lessons are critical because they lead us toward Christology. As we get to know ourselves as we really are, we will be ready, all the more, to appreciate Jesus because of who he is: Jesus is God the Son; Jesus is the Savior we need.

We begin this unit with a lesson on the creation of the universe and of the first man and woman.

A. The Triune God Created the World.

a. God the Father created all things.

Genesis 1:1 1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Malachi 2:10a 10 Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us?

b. God the Spirit created all things.

Genesis 2:2 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

Psalm 104:30 30 When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.

c. God the Son created all things.

Genesis 1:3 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

John 1:1-3 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

1 John 1:1-3 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

Colossians 1:15-16 15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.

B. The triune God made the world in six (6) ordinary days.

a. God does all things in an orderly, peaceful way.

1 Corinthians 14:33a 33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace….

b. God created the universe in an orderly fashion.

i. Day 1: Time, matter, light; day & night.

Genesis 1:1-5 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

ii. Day 2: sky; separation of the waters

Genesis 1:6-8 6 And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” 7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

iii. Day 3: dry ground & seas; vegetation

Genesis 1:9-13 9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

iv. Day 4: Sun, moon and stars; times and seasons

Genesis 1:14-19 14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

v. Day 5: sea creatures & winged birds

Genesis 1:20-23 20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

vi. Day 6: land animals; man and woman

Genesis 1:24-31 24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” 29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

c. On the seventh day, God rested.

Genesis 2:1-3 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

d. Genesis is an orderly book with 10 clearly marked sections.

Genesis 2:4 4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.

C. “Toledoth” #1 (Genesis 2:5-25) gives more details about 6th day of creation.

a. The LORD God created the first man and a special home for humankind.

Genesis 2:5-7 5 Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. 7 Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Genesis 2:8-14 8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

b. The LORD God gave mankind his life-giving Word.

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

c. The LORD God created the first woman from the first man.

18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” 19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh.

d. The LORD God created the first marriage.

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. 23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. 25 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

D. The Theory of Evolution must be rejected

a. Evolution denies the biblical account of creation.

2 Peter 3:3-5 3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.

b. Evolution rejects the fall into sin.

Genesis 11:1-4 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

c. Evolution rejects original sin.

Colossians 2:6-8 6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

d. Evolution rejects actual sin.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

e. Evolution sees death as a natural tool in the evolutionary process.

2 Timothy 1:9b-10 This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

Conclusion

This lesson has given us our first look at “anthropology”. There will be 7 more lessons in this unit. We must get to know ourselves as we are – created by the triune God and given God’s image. Now, however, we are corrupted by sin. This is not a pretty picture. We would rather think better of ourselves. And so people have developed evolutionary philosophies and self-help religions. As we continue a study of “anthropology”, we will all the more appreciate and long for the salvation which is ours in Jesus the Son of God.

DISCUSSION TIME

STUDENTS’ QUESTIONS

INSTRUCTOR’S QUESTIONS

Homework

Review your notes from this lesson. Give correct answers to the following questions. You may also find correct answers to these questions in the book “God So Loved the World” as indicated on page 1 of this lesson. Be ready to discuss these questions and your answers at the beginning of the next session.
Your next exam will follow lesson 20 of this course.

  1. What does the created world tell us about God? Romans 1:20.

  2. Why is it a matter of faith that God made the world? Hebrews 11:3.

  3. Demonstrate that the Triune God made the world. Genesis 1:1,2, John 1:3; Colossians 1:15,16.

  4. Demonstrate that God made the world out of nothing? Ge 1:1; Heb 11:3

  5. What idea concerning the length of creation did the church father Athanasius have?

  6. What idea concerning the days of creation is held by theistic evolutionists?

  7. Identify the ten historical accounts which comprise the book of Genesis.

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

f.

g.

h.

i.

j.

  1. How do we know that the information given in Genesis is fact and not folklore or myth?

  2. How did Jesus and the apostles view the account of creation? Matthew 19:4, Acts 4:24; 14:15-17; 17:22-31; Revelation 4:11.

  3. Does the Hebrew word for day sometimes mean more than a normal day? Explain. Isaiah 7:18, 20.

  4. Why do we believe that God made the world in six normal days? Genesis 1:5; Exodus 20:9-11.

  5. Identify what God made on each day of creation.

a. Genesis 1:1-5

b. 1:6-8

c. 1:9-13

d. 1:14-19

e. 1:20-23

f. 1:24-31.

  1. What did God do on day 7? Genesis 2:1-3.

  2. In what did the “image of God” not consist? John 4:24.

  3. In what did the image of God consist? Colossians 3:10; Ephesians 4:24

  4. What position did mankind have with regard to the rest of creation? Genesis 1:28-30.

  5. Demonstrate that Genesis 1 and 2 comprise a unified account of creation.

  6. Demonstrate that God’s command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was based against the background of God’s love. Genesis 2:16.

  7. Demonstrate that Adam was an intelligent man. Genesis 2:19, 20.

  8. What is the significance of the creation of Eve out of Adam? Romans 5:18.

  9. Demonstrate that marriage is “monogamous” and “heterosexual.” Genesis 2:22-25.

  10. Identify three purposes for marriage.

g. Genesis 2:24

h. Genesis 1:28

i. 1 Corinthians 7:2 (since the fall into sin)

  1. How do we know that God did not create evil (Genesis 1:31).

  2. Show how evolution affects the following doctrines:

a. creation

b. the fall into sin

c. original sin

d. actual sin

e. death

j. Jesus’ redemption of the world

  1. Why can we not harmonize evolution with creation?
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