The Truth About Mankind (Click here to see the
entire Anthropology
Table of Contents )
A Systematic Theology for the
21st Century
Part 06 Anthropology
Cambron's Chapter
IV Anthropology -The Doctrine of Man
Below, in a block quote of his book, is his
extensive analysis of Anthropology: [block
quote of Dr. Cambron's Bible Doctrines
page 116-134 (Zondervan 155-174)]
Chapter
4
Anthropology
- The Doctrine of Man
ANTHROPOLOGY
(The Doctrine of Man)
(Cambron's Bible Doctrines pg119)
OUTLINE
FOR CHAPTER IV
ANTHROPOLOGY
I.
Man in His State of Integrity.
A.
His Origin.
B.
His Nature.
C.
His Constitution.
D.
His Condition.
E.
His Headship.
II.
Man in His State of Sin.
F.
The Fall of Man.
G.
The Fallen Sons of Adam.
III.
Man in His State of Grace.
A.
His Standing.
B.
His State.
C.
His Two Natures.
120
Cambron's Chapter
IV Anthropology -The Doctrine of Man
Chapter
4
Anthropology
- The Doctrine of Man
118
ANTHROPOLOGY
(The Doctrine of Man)
119
OUTLINE
FOR CHAPTER IV
ANTHROPOLOGY
I.
Man in His State of Integrity.
A.
His Origin.
B.
His Nature.
C.
His Constitution.
D.
His Condition.
E.
His Headship.
II.
Man in His State of Sin.
F.
The Fall of Man.
G.
The Fallen Sons of Adam.
III.
Man in His State of Grace.
A.
His Standing.
B.
His State.
C.
His Two Natures.
120
Chapter
IV
ANTHROPOLOGY
Anthropology
comes from the Greek word “anthropos,” meaning “man.”
Anthropology is the doctrine of man. There are many different
definitions of man, some comical, some tragic. In this study of
anthropology we shall go to the true source — the Scriptures. Man
has always wanted to know who
he is, where he came
from, and where he is going.
God’s Holy Word gives the only complete account.
I.
Man In His State of Integrity
By
this we mean man in his original state of purity, his uprightness.
A.
His Origin.
1.
Negative.
a.
Not by Abiogenesis or Spontaneous Generation. This theory
holds to the belief that there was no creator of man, but that man
simply came into being without a cause and began to exist, fulfilling
the nursery rhyme, which reads:
Where
did you come from, Baby dear?
Out
of the nowhere, into here!
This
argument needs no answer, but in order to forestall criticism, we
simply state that if such a thing as abiogenesis were possible, there
would be no power to keep it from happening again. There is no record
of a second occurrence, and, of course, it never happened in the
first place.
b.
Not by Evolution or Natural
Developments. A short definition of evolution is: “That
process by which, through some kind of aggregation of matter through
many ages and species, by chance or by law, man appears.” This
concept has held sway for many years, but its adherents are on the
decline. Modern science, such as anthropology, is refuting all of its
claims. The Bible declares that man is a separate creation of God,
and that the animals were created at a different time, completely
apart from man. Evolution teaches that man and animals have a common
origin, which branched out into the different species. In refuting
this we use the Scriptures and human reasoning as follows:
(1)
It is Opposed to Scripture. The
Scriptures state: “After his kind” (Gen. 1:24). This pins the
species down to themselves, forbidding them to evolve into a
completely new species.
(2)
There is No Record of Animal
Becoming Man. Surely, in six thousand years, if 121
evolution were true, there would be living examples of it today.
(3)
There is No Evidence that the
Missing Link Has Been Found. Many so-called history books
show pictures of the creature they term as the missing link. These
pictures are photographs of drawings, and not photographs of real
creatures, as none of these exist. The “missing link,” we are
told, is that creature between man and the ape. Its picture is wholly
the imagination of the artist who took a piece of a bone or tooth and
built a man around it. It is the same as a man taking a key hole and
building a house around it. We would like to quote William Jennings
Bryan concerning the “missing link”: “If the missing link has
been found, why are they still looking for it?”
(4)
There is No Evidence that
Primitive Man Differed From Man Today.
(5)
There Is Proof that Human Blood
is One Blood. (Acts 17:26). World War II has proved this.
The blood of a white man can be placed into the veins of a black man,
and vice versa, and give life. Blood transfusions have only been in
practice during the last hundred years, but God revealed this to us
several thousand years ago.
(6)
There is a Great Difference
Between the Constitution of Man and Animal.
(a)
Physically. Man is
an upright being, while animals are on all fours.
(b)
Mentally. Man has
intellect, while
animals have instinct.
(c)
Morally. Man is the
only creature of God that has moral qualities.
(d)
Spiritually. Man
alone has been created with spiritual concepts. He alone of all the
creatures can worship God.
2.
Positive. Man is a
direct creation of God. “God created man in his own image, in the
image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Gen.
1:27).
B.
His Nature.
1.
Original Image of Man. “God
said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Gen.
1:26a). “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be
shed: for in the image of God made he man” (Gen. 9:6). See also I
Corinthians 11:7; James 3:9.
a.
Seen in Man’s Triunity. “The
LORD God formed man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into
his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul”
(Gen. 2:7). “The very God of peace sanctify you wholly: and I pray
God your whole spirit and
soul and body
be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ” (I Thess. 5:23).
b.
Seen in Man’s Intellectual
and Moral Nature. “Lie not one to another, seeing that
ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new
man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that
created him” (Col. 3:9, 10). See also Ephesians 4:24.
c.
Seen in Physical Likeness. It
is true that God is a Spirit (John 4:24); God is invisible (Col.
1:15). Yet God has always had a form in which He manifests Himself:
“As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be
satisfied, when I awake with beholding thy form” (Ps. 17:15, R.V.).
See also Philippians 2:6,7; Mark 15:12; John 5:37, R.V. 122
Christ
was not made in the form or image of Adam, but Adam was made in the
form, or image of Christ, who was to come: “Nevertheless death
reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after
the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure
of him that was to come” (Rom. 5:14).
2.
Original Innocence of Man. Some
declare that Adam was created in holiness, or righteousness. This is
not quite correct. Man was created perfect, yes, but he was created
in innocence. There is a vast difference between innocence and
righteousness. Innocence is sinlessness that has never faced trial.
Righteousness is innocence that has been tested and tried, and has
come out victorious.
C.
His Constitution.
As
we shall see, man is composed of earthly (Gen. 2:7) and spiritual
elements (I Thess. 5:23; Heb. 4:12).
1.
Body. His body was
made from the earth. This was the first part of man that was formed.
“The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul”
(Gen. 2:7). The body is set forth in Scripture as the house of the
inner man. “How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay,
whose foundation is the dust, which are crushed before the moth?”
(Job 4:19). See also II Corinthians 5:1, 3, 4. The process by which
God made man is not known; we leave that up to God. Men give their
opinions and speculations, but they remain as such. The word “dust”
does not mean clay, or old dirty dirt, but the finest materials of
the earth.
a.
Analysis Proves Man’s Source.
Modern chemical analysis detects in the body the same
elements that are in the earth beneath man’s feet; such elements as
sodium, carbon, iron, and the like.
b.
Earth Sustains Man’s
Existence. The body is sustained by that which grows out
of the earth. It is man’s body and not his spirit that is
sustained. Famine in our modern day has proved that if vegetation is
taken away, life is taken away. Kill
vegetation and you kill man.
c.
Death Substantiates Man’s
Elements. At death corruption sets in, and man’s body
soon returns to the dust from which it was formed. “In the sweat of
thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for
out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt
thou return” (Gen. 3:19).
2.
Soul. “The LORD
God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Gen.
2:7). See also I Corinthians 15:45. The soul is the seat of the
emotions and appetites. Plants, animals and man have bodies; only
animals and man have a soul; but only man has a spirit. The soul is
that conscious life
which is in man and animal. Plants have life, but it is unconscious
life. There is a difference between the souls of men and
the souls of animals. The animal’s soul is connected with his body,
while man’s soul is connected with his spirit.
The soul of an animal dies with the animal, but man’s
soul never dies, for he was made a “living soul” — a soul that
would never die. 123
As
stated, the soul of man is the seat of his emotions and appetites,
and the following Scriptures will bring out the degrees of same:
Appetites: “Thou
mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul
lusteth after, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he
hath given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the
roebuck, and as of the hart” (Deut. 12:15). Desires:
“If any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the
fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he
would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I
will take it by force” (I Sam. 2:16). See also Deuteronomy 12:20;
Psalm 107:18; Proverbs 6:30; Isaiah 29:8; I Samuel 18:1. Hates:
“David said on that day, Whosoever getteth up to the
gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind, that
are hated of David’s soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore
they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house”
(II Sam. 5:8). Mourns: “His
flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn”
(Job 14:22). Is Vexed: “The
man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and
the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me” (II Kings
4:27b). Rejoices: “I
will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my
soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the
garments of salvation, he hath covered me with a robe of
righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as
a bride adorneth herself with her jewels” (Is. 61:10). Suffers:
“They said one to another, We are verily guilty
concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when
he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress
come upon us” (Gen. 42:21). Sorrows:
“He said unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto
death: tarry ye here, and watch” (Mark 14:34).
Where
does man get his soul?
a.
Pre-existence. This
theory teaches that all souls that have ever been in the world, or
shall ever be in the world, were created in the beginning. At time of
conception, they are united with the body. This was taught by Plato,
but it was never accepted by the church, as it is without Scriptural
foundation.
b.
Creationism. This
belief holds that after forty days of conception the soul unites with
the body. Roman Catholicism proposes this. If this belief is true,
then God is the creator of sinful souls.
c.
Traducianism. This
is the truth which holds that both soul and body are derived from the
parents. “Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in
his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth” (Gen.
5:3). See also Acts 17:24-26.
3.
Spirit. Here is
where man differs from all creatures. In Hebrews 12:9 God is said to
be “Father of spirits.” This does not mean the Father of angels,
but of the spirits of men made perfect. God is never said to be the
Father of souls.
“As
the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead
also” (Jas. 2:26). When a body dies, the soul departs with the
spirit of man. The soul and spirit can be separated “the word of
God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword,
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the
joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of
the heart” (Heb. 4:12). However, there is no Scriptural proof that
they are ever separated. The rich man of Luke 16 goes to Hades upon
death, and he has both soul and spirit with him. See also Matthew
10:28. 124
The
spirit of man is the seat of his intelligence. “What man knoweth
the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so
the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God” (I Cor.
2:11). Animals do not possess intelligence. “Be ye not as the
horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must
be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee” (Ps.
32:9).
The
word “spirit,” both in the Hebrew and Greek, is sometimes
translated as “breath,” and “wind.” The context determines
the translation.
The
materialists say that the word for spirit should be “breath,” and
that when man dies he is gone forever.
Some
people say that man lost his spirit at the Fall and regains his
spirit at conversion. This would make him a dual being however, and
this conception has no Scriptural grounds.
4.
Heart. When we speak
of the heart, we do not mean the muscle in the body, but rather the
seat of conscience. “Let us draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:22).
See also I John 3:19,20; Acts 2:26; 5:3, 5; Matthew 22:37. There is a
warning that there may be a profession without a possession, a head
knowledge without a heart trust. “Not every one that saith unto me,
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth
the will of the Father which is in heaven” See also Matthew 7:22,
23.
D.
His Condition.
By
this we mean man’s condition in his state of integrity before he
fell.
1.
His Knowledge. He
had immediate knowledge, intuitive knowledge. He was not an adult
infant. He named all animals that came from the hand of God; It would
take an intelligent man to do this. “Adam gave names to all cattle,
and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for
Adam there was not found an help meet for him” (Gen. 2:20).
2.
His Fellowship. He
was able to commune with God. “The LORD God commanded the man
saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat” (Gen.
2:16). “God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed,
which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which
is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat”
(Gen. 1:29).
3.
His Home. It was
located in a garden. “The LORD God planted a garden eastward in
Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed” (Gen. 2:8). Some
men claim that primitive man was a cave man, but this was not so, for
he was a garden man. The first records we have of men living in caves
are of the persecuted: “Of whom the world 125 was not worthy; they
wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the
earth” (Heb. 11:38), and of the insane: “when he was come out of
the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an
unclean spirit” (Mark 5:2).
This
garden is not called Eden, but rather, the Garden in Eden. “Eden”
means plains, or plateau. Armenia, no doubt, is the place where man
began.
4.
His Companion. “For
Adam there was not found an help meet for him. . . . And the rib,
which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought
her unto the man” (Gen. 2:20, 22). The words “help meet” are
not a compound word, but two separate ones, meaning “fit for.”
Eve was “fit for” Adam. Some who laugh at this “rib story”
cannot tell us where woman did come from. Why do you suppose God did
not make woman from the dust? For the simple reason that God did not
want to have two origins of man.
God
can make a human being in four ways:
By
conception.
Without
the aid of a woman, as Eve.
Without
a man or woman, as Adam.
Without
a man, by a woman, as Christ.
5.
His Work. “God
blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and
replenish the earth, and subdue it: and
have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air,
and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth” (Gen.
1:28).
“The LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to
dress it and to keep it” (Gen. 2:15). There was employment in the
garden, but no toil. There was work, but not the kind that wears one
out. The word “keep” in Genesis 2:15 is best translated “guard.”
Against whom was Adam to guard the garden? Against wild animals?
No,
there were none. Against wild men? No, for Adam was the only man. He
was put on his guard against the possible appearance of the Devil.
Whenever man is placed in a position of trust, God always gives ample
warning.
6.
His Food. “God
said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon
the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit
of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat” (Gen. 1:29).
The first man and beast of the field were vegetarians. Their diets
included no meat. Man was not carnivorous as evolutionists claim.
7.
His Responsibility.
a.
To Replenish the Earth With a
New Order — Man.
“God blessed them and God said unto them, Be fruitful,
and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28).
Adam was the first man: “The first man Adam was made a living soul”
(I Cor. 15:45). Eve is the mother of all human beings. “Adam called
his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living”
(Gen. 3:20). 126
b.
To Abstain from Eating of the
Fruit. This fruit was of the tree of the knowledge of Good
and Evil. “The LORD God commanded the man saying, Of every tree of
the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it:
for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely
die” (Gen. 2: 16, 17).
They
were allowed to eat freely, as there was plenty. There was only one
tree forbidden them. We do not know what kind of fruit it was.
Nothing was wrong with the fruit; there was just God’s prohibition
behind it. God wanted Adam and
Eve to have knowledge, but he did not want them to gain it by
disobedience. Re-member, man had been placed on his guard; he had
been warned of the enemy; Satan did not come in unawares. This being
true, why did God allow Adam and Eve to be subjected to the attack of
the Devil? Testing always comes before a blessing. Man always has to
be tried before he is promoted.
E.
His Leadership. (Headship)
The
entire human race comes from that one man, Adam. As is the head, so
are the descendants.
1.
Ethnography. This is
the branch of anthropology that considers man geographically and
descriptively, treating of the subdivision of races, the causes of
migration, and related matters. This science points to a common
homeland — Armenia.
2.
Comparative Philology. This
is the science of language, and it considers that men all come from
the same origin.
3.
Psychology. This is
the science of the mind, and it also indicates that man comes from
one origin.
4.
Physiology. This is
the science that deals with the organic structure of the body, and it
declares that all men come from the same source, a common origin.
II.
Man In His State of Sin
A.
The Fall of Man.
Some
may say that the fall of man is an old Babylonian fable, but we have
only to look upon man and see him toil for his bread, weaken in his
diseases, and die in his misery, to realize that he has had a fall.
“By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so
death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Rom. 5:12).
127
1.
The Source of Sin. “Now
the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the
LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye
shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Gen. 3: 1). “I fear,
lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety,
so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in
Christ” (II Cor. 11:3). God is not speaking about a beast when He
mentions the serpent, but a person. Notice that the Scripture does
not say, “more subtle than any other
beast of the field,” but leaves out the word “other,”
stating only that he is more subtle than any
beast. This is merely a statement of what God thinks of
the Devil.
Nowhere
in Scripture does it state that the Devil was in
the serpent, but it does say that the serpent was
the Devil. “He laid hold on the dragon, that old
serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand
years” (Rev. 20:2).
2.
The Nature of Sin. “The
serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth
know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened,
and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman
saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the
eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the
fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her;
and he did eat” (Gen. 3:4-6). Now the fruit was all right; it was
good fruit, with only the prohibition of God behind it. Some people
may contend that it was a small thing to bring about man’s
downfall, but we ask the question, “How many steps does it take to
fall off a bluff?”
a.
He Doubted God’s Love. In
doubting God’s love, man denied God’s goodness, and acted apart
from God and became a sinner. “There is a way which seemeth right
unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov.
14:12). See also Isaiah 55:6.
b.
He Doubted God’s Word. In
doubting God’s Word, man denied His Truth; denying His Truth, he
acted in spite of God and became a criminal. “Whosoever committeth
sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the
law” (I John 3:4).
c.
He Doubted God’s Authority.
In doubting God’s authority, man denied God’s deity;
denying His deity, he became contrary to God. Thus, he became God’s
enemy and a rebel in God’s universe. “The carnal mind is enmity
against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed
can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom.
8:7, 8).
The
testing was given to see if man would stay true to God. He failed
because he wanted to be a god. The Devil himself fell (Is. 14),
because he wanted to be like the Most High God. This brought about
his downfall, so he planted the same seed of false ambition in Adam
and Eve to see if it would bring about their downfall, and it did.
Some
may ask, “Was this fair to them?” They were warned and placed on
guard against Satan. There was only one prohibition in the garden.
They did not need the fruit; they lacked nothing. 128
3.
The Effects of Sin.
a.
Immediate Effects Upon Eve.
(1)
Shame. “They both
were naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
And
the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were
naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves
aprons” (Gen. 2:25; 3:7). God himself is clothed with a garment of
light (Ps. 104:2); and when He made man, he made him in His own image
and likeness. Thus, we believe that man also was clothed with a
garment of light. When man sinned, that clothing of light was lost,
and he made himself a fig leaf covering to take the place of that
which was lost. Ever since, man has tried to put on what God once
gave him, but he has nothing but filthy rags.
(2)
Fear. “He said, I
heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked;
and I hid myself” (Gen. 3:10). Man still tries to hide from God.
(3)
Separation from God. There
is no doubt that man lost his perfect nature and ended his fellowship
with God. There is no such thing as the Fatherhood of God and the
brotherhood of man of the natural
man, the unsaved man.
(4)
Expulsion from the Garden. “The
LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden to till the ground
from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at
the end of the garden of Eden cherubims, and a flaming sword, which
turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life” (Gen. 3:23,
24). Man was driven out.
(5)
Lost Lordship Over Creation. In
the beginning Adam was indeed the ruler of all earthly creatures:
“Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou
hast put all things under his feet: all sheep and oxen, yea, and the
beast of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and
whatsoever passeth through the paths of the sea” (Ps. 8:6-8). This
is not true of man today. He has lost that lordship. Christ will
return it to man when He comes again (Heb. 2 and Is. 11).
b.
Remote Effects Upon Adam’s
Posterity.
(1)
The Spirit is Darkened. “This
I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not
as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the
understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through
the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their
heart” (Eph. 4:17, 18). The darkened room of understanding will
remain darkened until the Holy Spirit comes in to illuminate.
(2)
The Soul Is Debased arid
Corrupt. Unbelievers, “being past feeling have given
themselves over unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with
greediness” (Eph.
4:19).
See also Jeremiah 17:9.
(3)
The Body Is Subjected to
Disease and Death. “The creature itself also shall be
delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of
the children of God” (Rom. 8:21).
4.
The Effects on Sin.
a.
The Immediate Expression of
God’s Judgment.
(1)
On the Serpent. “The
LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art
cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy
belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy
life: and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between
thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt
bruise his heel” (Gen. 3:14, 15). Satan, in all of his majesty, is
considered nothing but a serpent. This is a figure of speech, for we
know that snakes do not eat dust. 129 God’s decree unto the
serpent that he should eat dust all the days of his life, showed the
contempt in which He held the Devil.
(2)
On the Woman. “Unto
the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy
conception; in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children; and thy desire
shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee” (Gen. 3:16).
(3)
On Creation. “Unto
Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife,
and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou
shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow
shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and
thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of
the field” (Gen. 3:17, 18).
(4)
On Man. “In the
sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return unto the
ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto
dust shalt thou return” (Gen. 3:19). See also Genesis 5:29.
b.
The Future Expression of God’s
Judgment. “The fearful, and unbelieving, and the
abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and
idolators, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which
burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Rev.
21:8).
5.
The Provision for the Sinner.
“I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and
between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou
shalt bruise his heel” (Gen. 3:15). In the hour that man sinned,
God promised a Redeemer. The Seed of the woman is no one else but
Jesus Christ. “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make
coats of skin, and clothe them” (Gen. 3:21). When they realized
their nakedness, they covered themselves with aprons of fig leaves.
God clothed them with animal skins instead. As far as covering their
nakedness was concerned, fig leaves were as good as animal skins;
however, blood had
to be spilt — “For without the shedding of blood there is no
remission of sin.” They had to be covered with that which was slain
for their sins. Likewise, the sinner today has to be clothed with the
righteousness of Him who died for them.
B.
The Fallen Sons of Adam.
1.
Their Standing.
a.
In Adam. “Since by
man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as
in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (I Cor.
15:21, 22).
See
also I Corinthians 15:45, 47; Romans 5:12-21. There are only two
representative men in the world: the first man and the second man;
the first Adam and the last Adam. All men are born in Adam; all
born-again men are in Christ.
b.
Of Sin and Guilt. “What
then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before
proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin, as it is
written, There is none righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:9, 10). See
also Romans 3:19.
2.
Their State. By
their state we mean their spiritual condition; that is, the absence
of righteousness in their spiritual life.
a.
Sinful in Nature. “Behold,
I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me”
(Ps. 51:5). See also Ephesians 2:3; Genesis 6:5; Jeremiah 17:9;
Romans 130 8:7; Galatians 5:19-21.
b.
Sinful in Practice. “We
ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving
divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and
hating one another” (Titus 3:3). See also Romans 3:23; Colossians
1:21; Psalm 14:1-3.
c.
Lost in Sin. “The
Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke
19:10). See also Isaiah 53:6; II Corinthians 4:3, 4.
d.
Spiritually Dead. “You
hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins...Even when we
were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace
are ye saved” (Eph. 2: 1, 5). God’s picture of a sinner is a dead
man, a man with all of the organs of movement, but no motion.
Likewise, the sinner cannot move in the things of God.
e.
Under God’s Wrath. “The
wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness”
(Rom. 1:18). See also John 3:36.
f.
Waits for Death. “It
is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment (Heb.
9:27).
g.
Sure of Hell. “Whosoever
was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of
fire” (Rev. 20:15). See also Revelation 21:8.
III.
Man In His State of Grace
A.
His Standing.
1.
In Christ. As in
Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (I Cor.
15:22). See also I Corinthians 15:21, 45, 47; Romans 5:12-21.
2.
Of Perfection. “According
as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that
we should be holy and without blame before him in love. . . . To the
praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in
the beloved” (Eph. 1:4, 6). There are no charges against the Head;
and, as that is so, there can be no charges against the Body.
B.
His State.
By
this we mean his spiritual condition. This differs from the life of
the unbeliever. In the believer’s life righteousness is present —
the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
1.
A New Creature. “If
any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed
away, behold, all things are become new” (II Cor. 5:17). See also
11 Peter 1:4; Galatians 6:15; John 3:16. Regeneration is a
re-creation. Only God can create; only God can re-create.
2.
Saved. “Who hath
saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us
in Christ Jesus before the world began” (Il Tim. 1:9). See also
Ephesians 2:8,9. 131
3.
Dead Unto Sin. “Likewise
reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto
God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:11). “Who his ownself
bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to
sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were
healed” (I Peter 2:24).
4.
Child of God. “As
many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of
God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12). “Ye are
all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26).
5.
Under God’s Favor. “Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us
with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph.
1:3). See also Romans 5:2.
6.
Waits for God and Glory. “Our
conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour,
the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be
fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working
whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself” (Phil.
3:20,21).
7.
Sure of Heaven. “The
Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto
his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (II
Tim. 4:18). See also I Peter 1:4.
C.
His Two Natures.
“The
flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh:
and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the
things that ye would” (Gal. 5:17).
The
above Scriptures could not describe anyone but a saved man. The
sinner has but one nature; the child of God has two natures. Every
true believer has experienced the warfare of which Paul speaks. This
warfare is best demonstrated by the household of Abraham. He had two
sons — Ishmael, the older; and Isaac, the younger. Ishmael stands
for that born of the flesh, while Isaac stands for that born of the
Spirit. The trouble started when Isaac came into the household.
Trouble comes into a Christian’s life when Christ enters in.
1.
The Description of the Old
Nature.
a.
Names and Characteristics.
(1)
The Flesh. “That
which is born of the flesh is flesh” (John 3:6). See also Romans
7:18, 23; 8:9. By “the flesh” we do not mean “muscles and
sinews,” which are part of the human body, but rather the carnal
nature, which all possess at birth. There is no such thing as our
being in the flesh; the flesh is in us. No man has ever begotten an
unfallen man. “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,)
dwelleth no good thing” (Rom. 7:18a). See also John 6:63; Romans
8:8. There is no such thing as a person being born with a “divine
spark” within them.
(2)
The Natural Man. “The
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they
are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned” (I Cor. 2:14). This is what man is by
nature, by his natural birth. 132
(3)
The Old Man. “Our
old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be
destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Rom. 6:6). See
also Ephesians 4:22; Colossians 3:9. This is the man of old — what
we once were: corrupt, full of evil desires and lusts.
(4)
The Outward Man. “Though
our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day”
(II Cor. 4:16).
(5)
The Heart. “From
within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries,
fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit,
lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these
evil things come from within, and defile the man” (Mark 7:21-23).
We hear so much of man having a change of heart, but this is
impossible, for only God can give a new heart.
(6)
The Carnal Mind. “The
carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law
of God, neither indeed can be” (Rom. 8:7).
(7)
Sin. “By one man
sin entered into the
world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that
all have sinned” (Rom. 5:12). The word “sin” refers to the
fallen nature of man, while “sins” refer to the actions of this
nature.
b.
The Character and End.
(1)
It Is an Adam’s Nature. This
means that Adam fell, and his children are, therefore, fallen
children of a fallen father.
(2)
It Is an Inherited Nature. We
receive our fallen nature from Adam.
(3)
It Is an Evil Nature. The
eighth chapter of Romans is a commentary on this point.
(4)
It Is an Unchangeable Nature.
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh” (John
3:6a). As long as man lives, that fallen nature remains in him. It
will be eradicated only at the resurrection of the dead in Christ,
and the transformation of those alive in Christ, at His second
appearing.
(5)
Its End Is Death. “The
wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23a). See also Romans 8:5-13.
2.
The Description of the New
Nature.
a.
Its Names and Characteristics.
(1)
Spirit. “That
which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6).
(2)
Divine Nature. There
“are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by
these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the
correction that is in the world through lust” (II Peter 1:4). See
also I John 3:9; 5:18, 19.
(3)
The New Man. “Put
on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true
holiness” (Eph. 4:24). See also Colossians 3:10; II Corinthians
5:17.
(4)
The Inward Man. “Though
our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day”
(II Cor. 4:16). “I delight in the law of God after the inward man”
(Rom. 7:22). See also Ephesians 3:16.
(5)
Mind. “I thank God
through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve
the law of God: but with the flesh the law of sin” (Rom. 7:25). 133
b.
Its Character and End.
(1)
It Is a Christly Nature.
(2)
It Is An Imported Nature..
(3)
It Is a Holy Nature.
(4)
It Is an Unchangeable Nature.
(5)
It Is Non-forfeited Nature.
Verses
1 and 2 of I John 2 ‘speak of the relation of the saint with the
Father. Even when the saint sins it is a family matter.
(6)
It’s End is Resurrection and
Rapture. “Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all
sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of
an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead
shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this
corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on
immortality... But thanks be to God, which giveth us
the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (I Cor.
15:51-53, 57).
3.
The Conflict Between the Two
Natures.
a.
The Believer’s Experience.
Every child of God has two natures; the unsaved man has
only one nature. The old nature cannot be eradicated while the
believer lives in the flesh; therefore, we have the fight between the
old and new natures. “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the
Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the
other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would” (Gal. 5: 17).
Romans 7:15-25 is another marvelous example illustrating this truth.
However, someone may declare that this passage shows the conflict in
Paul’s life before he
was saved, but one verse in this passage clearly reveals that this
conflict, so vividly described, occurred after
he was saved: “I delight in the law of God after the
inward man” (Rom. 7:22). No
unsaved man ever delights after the law of God. Also, only
the saved man has the inward
man, which is the new nature.
b.
The Believer’s
Responsibility.
(1)
In Relation To the Old Nature.
(a)
Accept God’s Estimate of It.
“Our old man is crucified with him, that the body of
sin might be destroyed, that
henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from
sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also
live with him: knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth
no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died,
he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but
alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:6-11). This
one truth must be pointed out: the old man is never said to be
crucified in the
believer, but is crucified with
Christ. It is a reality! Accept it! It is not a matter of
feeling, but one of faith. All of this truth is according to God’s
view. As for the believer’s view, he knows that the old nature, the
old man, is not dead; he is very much alive. The Scripture says,
“Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin.” If the
old nature were actually dead, the believer would not have to reckon
him so; he would know.
(b)
Make No Provision for the
Flesh. “Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not
provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof (Rom.13:14). In
other words, do not feed the flesh. Starve it.
134
(c)
Mortify the
Flesh. “Mortify therefore your
members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness,
inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is
idolatry” (Col. 3:5). A stronger term is, “Put to death,
therefore, your members.” The words “as good as dead” (Heb.
11:12) are the same terminology.
(d)
Never Try
to Improve It. “Neither yield your
members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield
yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your
members as instruments of righteousness unto God” (Rom. 6:13).
(e)
Put It Off.
“Put off concerning the form of
conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful
lusts” (Eph. 4:22). The same word is translated “laid down” in
Acts 7:58.
(2)
In Relation
to the New Nature.
(a)
Reckon
Ourselves to Be Alive. “Reckon ye
also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive
unto God through Jesus Christ our
Lord” (Rom. 6:11).
(b)
Walk in
Newness of Life. “We are his
workmanship, created unto good works, which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). See also Romans 6:14;
7:6.
(c)
Feed and
Nourish It. “As newborn babes,
desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (I
Peter 2:2). We are to feed the new nature by the exposition of the
Word, and not by the exhortation of man. We know we have two natures,
and it is well to consider that the food for one will starve the
other. It is the individual Christian who must decide which man, the
old or the new, shall be fed. He cannot feed both at the same time.
(d)
Put On the
New Man. “Put on the new man, which
after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Eph.
4:24).
(e)
Depend Upon
the Indwelling Spirit for Power. “Grieve
not the Holy Spirit of od, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of
redemption” (Eph. 4:30). “My brethren, be strong in the Lord, and
in the power of his might” (Eph. 6:10). “Not by might, nor by
power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts” (Zech. 4:6b).
Critique of Chafer's Anthropology
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Anthropology
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