Man

5. Man

Baptist Doctrine

Introduction to the Doctrine of Man

The doctrine of man will cover six major topic areas. It will try to answer obvious questions of what does the Bible say about man’s origin, why was he created, and the inner workings of man. It will not be designed to answer every question, but the more obvious ones.

Subjects like “how do we know what the Bible says is true?” or “Is man a god?” and “Is man a multifaceted being?” We will search scripture for answers to the questions and reasonable ways we can know that the answers are true. However, we must keep in mind that final definitive answers will not be known until we face our Almighty Maker in heaven.

We will also touch on some thoughts about the difference between creation and evolution. Keep in mind that the “true” science that disproves and dispels evolution is censored by today’s power structures as it will overthrow their hold on authority and power in today’s world. We are reminded that we must believe in God and His truth by faith. This review of the Doctrine of Man will help you to see God’s truth and how He works in believers that we can live in truth.

WHO IS MAN?

Man is the focal point of the Bible’s Instructions.

The first four chapters of Genesis give details of the origin of man. In chapter 2 we see the following observation about what God had created and why man was created: “.and there was not a man to till the ground.” And in verse 7 we see these words: “And 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.” God created all living things (plants, animals, fish, etc.) but God had no caretaker for all that He created. This was why man was created to be the caretaker for God’s creation.

For man to be a good caretaker, God gave him instructions. For a time, these were verbal instructions, but as man multiplied, God’s instructions were eventually written down. What man was to do and how he was to do it was the focus of God’s instructions. God’s written instructions were written down by Moses for the people of Israel. These written instructions were the rules or law for what actions to do or not to do. These instructions are in the first five books of the Bible and are called “The Law.” These books give us the rules for interactions between man and God and man’s interactions with his fellow man.

Every human being is to live by the law, for the law is to be his judge. However, the Bible chronicles for us that man cannot live up to what “The Law” standard requires. Man in and of himself is unable to abide by the standards set by “The Law.” Because of this inability of mankind to meet this standard, God’s Plan was put into effect. The coming of the Messiah, the Sinless One, would be the answer to “The Law.” God’s plan was for the Messiah to bring a way for man to be able to meet the standard set by “The Law.” The apostle John gives us this thought: For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:17) So the New Testament introduces the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and His teachings about how to overcome man’s inability to live under “The Law.” Jesus was the “door” for man to overcome this inability. (For details read the doctrine of Christ.)

How Do We Know That What the Bible teaches about Man Is True?

We know by reason of logic. If A = B and B = C, then A = C. Logically, if God says He is the source of all truth, then what He says must be true. Let’s see if scripture bears this out.

Psalm 119:160 says “Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endures forever.” Again, John 1:17 says: For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” Let’s go back to Psalms again: For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures to all generations. (Ps. 100:5) And yet another says: For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. (Ps. 33:4) The foregoing verses each state a fact about God’s truth. If God says his word is truth, then we must believe that what is said about man’s beginning must be true. In Genesis, God does not say millions of years or even thousands of years, but only days. Hence, what we read in Genesis must be the truth of what God has given to mankind.

Further, let’s consider the following verse from chapter 2 of Genesis. “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” Two things are apparent from this verse. 1) They knew no shame even in their nakedness. 2) Shame is only a problem if one has done something wrong or in disobedience. Therefore, neither the man nor his wife had yet disobeyed God’s instructions. They were in a state of innocence and were without error against God’s instructions. However, we read on in Genesis and see that both of them became guilty of disobeying God’s instructions. Thus “shame” was introduced into the actions of man. The rest of the Bible tells us about the “shame” of man’s actions. Thus, the “shame” of the man and wife in the beginning has to be a major factor in man’s actions in today’s world.

THE ORIGIN OF MAN

Introduction to the Origin of Man

Eight Ways the Teaching of the Bible Contradicts the Theories of Evolution:

Segment One (3 parts)

 How Do We Know That Man Is Not Merely an Animal?

Segment Two (7 parts)

The Spirit of Man

Segment Three (1 part)

The Heart of Man

 Segment Four (2 parts)