Doctrinal sythesis of Angelology, Harmatiology, and Anthropology PDF

Preview

Summary

Systematic theology essay covering Angelology, Harmartiology, and Anthropology complete with citations and full notations of cited work and areas for further research...

Description

Doctrinal Synthesis of Angelology, Anthropology, and Hamartiology ST103 12/10/19 James Davis ID# 1006640

BRIEF STATEMENT ON THE DOCRTINE OF ANGELOLOGY, ANTHROPOLOGY, AND HAMARTIOLOGY At a non-descript time, most likely before the creation of the world, God created angels. (Job 38:7) Angels are innumerable (Heb. 12:22). They are divine, but not all powerful, servants of God (Heb. 1:14). Angels are non-reproductive beings and thus must be limited in their numbers. (Matt. 22:30) Angels at one point had the free will to choose whether or not to follow God. (Jud. 1:6) Angels are eternal creatures, incapable of death as we understand it. (Luke 20:36) Demons, on the other hand, are willfully rebellious fallen angels. (2 Pet. 2:4) Demonic beings incite humanity into sinfulness. (1 Chron. 21:1) Satan himself introduced original sin to humanity, compromising a previously perfect world. (Gen. 3:4-5) God created humanity out of dust as both a physical and spiritual being. (Gen. 2:1) Humanity is first among all earthly creation as God has created them in His image and given them dominion over the rest of creation. (Gen. 1:26, 29) Humanity was morally holy upon its creation (Gen. 1:31), but due to Satan’s introduction of sin into humanity, humanity was no longer aligned with God, but rather in open rebellion against Him. (Col. 1:21) This original sin was passed down from the original generation of man and infects and effects all of humanity. (Romans 5:12) DETAILED EXPOSITION ON ANGELOLOGY, ANTHROPOLOGY, AND HAMARTIOLOGY We begin with a focus on the angelic beings, their purpose, creation, and corruption. Angels were created by God.1 Angels were originally holy and untainted, but they were given a probationary period in which they were given the license to choose whether they keep that original state.2 This period is not a permanent choice offered to angels, but rather a distinct attribute of their creation.3 After this time-frame ends, angelic beings are fixed in their position and either remain holy servants of God or permanently fall away.4 I believe that the verses referring to these fallen demons as being permanently chained by their unrighteousness refers to their unavoidable and impending doom at the hands of God, not a literal imprisonment.5 I believe that the number of angels is innumerable.6 I believe that those angels who have chosen to remain holy are divine servants of God.7 Angels are immensely wise and powerful, but they do not contain within them certain divine characteristics such as omniscience or omnipresence.8 Though moral and rational beings like humanity, angels are not subjected to death in the same way that humanity is. They are, as the future saints of the church will be, simply existent in the presence of God.9 I believe that angels cannot add to their own number as they are created divinely by God to serve the purposes God has ordained for each one of them individually.10 I believe that scripture is literal when it says that humanity was created by God from the dirt and God breathed life into us.11 Humanity is set apart from the rest of creation because, unlike the rest of creation, we are made in the image of God.12 I believe that all humanity remains created in the Imago Dei despite any choice that they make to follow God or not.13 I believe that humanity is the only creation to be made of both spirit and flesh.14 I believe that humanity was created as a dichotomy of body and soul as opposed to a trichotomy of body, soul, and mind.15 Humanity, at the time of its creation, was morally good and wholly without sin.16 I believe humanity was created with the express purpose of bearing God’s image and ruling with dominion over the rest of the earth.17 I believe that we were created to live as relational beings both with God, the world around us, each other.18 I believe that the nature of man’s relationships,

whether with each other, God, or the world, was drastically changed upon the introduction of sin.19 I believe that the introduction of sin into the world was brought about by the evil of Satan 20 alone. I believe that man willingly chose to disobey God21 in the form of a literal historical Adam.22 I believe that Adam’s original sin is inherited by the rest of humanity.23 I believe that the consequences of sin polluting the world include total separation from God24 and death.25 I believe that as a result of this sin mankind is now totally depraved.26 I believe that by default, this depravity allows us no way of returning to God as it is no longer within our nature to be near God.27 I believe that original sin is the root that ties us to the common or “actual” sin.28 I believe that sin not only infects and effects humanity, but also the earth itself and all living creatures within it.29 I believe that due to our own depravity, and by it our inability to reconcile ourselves to God, a way must be made for us to overcome this sin that is outside of our own means.30I believe that God overcomes our depravity, redeems us from our sins, renews us to our original nature, and lifts the curse of death all through the death, resurrection, and personhood of His son, Jesus Christ.31 MINISTRY EMPHASIS: BIBLICAL COUNSELING The fields of Angelology, Hamartiology, and Anthropology are vital in the role of a Biblical Counselor. Upon first glance it may seem obvious that some of these studies apply very directly to the role of a counselor, they all have a role. Angelology for example, whilst not something directly related to my role as a future biblical counselor, remains valuable in my understanding of the way angels and demons can and cannot interact with humanity. When dealing with a patient who is showing signs of schizophrenia or dissociative identity disorder this skill becomes of great value as it can show whether these symptoms are mental or something that could in fact be spiritual in nature. Biblical Anthropology has a clearer purpose as it serves as a direct line of understanding to the human condition as a whole. Understanding the purposes for which we as humans were created is paramount in helping to build a healthy self-image in a client or redefining a client’s personal world view. Hamartiology has some direct parallels to every meeting I will hold with a client in the future. We are broken people because of original sin. We are broken people because, without Christ, we cannot choose to do anything besides sin. We are broken people because the world around us is in of itself sinful. These things matter when understanding and connecting with a person who is hurting from some sort of mental trauma. I do not believe that personal sin is what leads to mental anguish, but I acknowledge that at some point the sin in our life can lead us into situations which can cause or prolong mental trauma. My role as a counselor is to provide people with help as to how to receive and glean hope from sometimes quite meager circumstances. Many of the answers to this equation lie in the juxtaposition of the nature God created us in and the nature we now find ourselves in due to sin. We are not in the role we were created to be in and because of that we may often feel dissatisfied with our own understanding of our purpose and lives. Being able to remind, or in some cases teach, clients the purpose the have upon initial creation and redemption in Christ may be enough to solve some of the problems that they are facing However, it is not true that a simple bible lesson will solve the problem in most case. Things like personality disorder and other severe mental illness such as extreme anxiety or depression are not cured simply with a reminder of the truth of the Gospel. These things are extremely difficult for both patient and therapist to understand and deal with. It must be said that

an understanding of hamartiology and why evil exists in the world to begin with can be a great comfort to both patient and therapist. Though sin was indeed introduced through Adam’s choice to knowingly rebel against the command of God, it cannot be said that all consequences of our sin are brought on our own head by the sins we commit. Beyond this there is hope for the future when all things will be redeemed and God will literally wipe away every tear. This strikes a particular chord with me as I personally struggle deeply with anxiety and depression alike. I have no doubt that God has the power to remove this from me at any moment and there are seasons where I fervently pray daily for Him to remove this ailment from me. So far, he has not, but I am thankful for the truth that there is a day where all of the fear, anxiety, and deeply painful sadness I experience will no longer be in my life. My desire to be a therapist stems from this same hope; that one day, even if I am unable to help each of my clients to live a normal life, if they truly believe in Christ, they will be freed from the bondage of sin that so effects and distorts their mind. I cannot wait for that day of glory where I can see the people of this world functioning healthily in the roles that God has set before us; both the roles unique to the individual and those common to us all. BIBLICAL, EXEGETICAL, AND HISTORICAL NOTES aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

1 Colossians 1:16-17 assumes that all of the angels were created simultaneously by God. Angels are created with a specific purpose in mind just like the rest of God’s creations and just like the rest of creation angels had the agency to choose whether or not they were going to fulfill their God-inspired purpose. Chafer, Lewis Sperry. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1993. Vol. 2 (P. 11) 2 It is not up for debate that everything that God creates is created perfectly pure. What then must be possible for demons and Satan himself to exist is a period of time in which angels were given the choice to remain holy or to disobey and fall away from God. Hodge, Charles. Systematic Theology. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997. Vol. 1 (639) 3 Unlike humanity, angels were born into a world where no evil had ever existed. They reigned in the presence of holiness, and were not encumbered by evil. They still had to make a choice to remain in their holy state. Scripture makes it clear that several angels did not maintain this role (2 Pet. 2:4). Chafer, Lewis Sperry. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1993. Vol. 2 (29) 4 Much like humanity will one day be set in each individual decision of whether to have faith in Christ or not, it seems that the angels are already in a state of permanent decisiveness where they cannot stray any longer from their choice. 5 There is some debate about this. Many theologians believe that there are two separate groups of fallen angels, one that has been imprisoned by God for their sins and another group whom God allows to roam free and terrorize the earth. This seems in contrast to God’s consistent character that similar beings of any kind could commit the same atrocity and be given different immediate punishments. Though their eternal punishment will certainly be the same, passages like 2 Pet. 2:9, which refers to God’s holding of the unrighteous men and is taken metaphorically, seem to parallel the verbiage of Jude 1:6 which should then also be taken metaphorically. Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2013. (416) 6 Hebrews 12:22 7 In scripture we see angels act as messengers and intermediaries for God, ministers to the heirs of salvation, as well as worshippers of Him. Hodge, Charles. Systematic Theology. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997. Vol. 1 (639) 8 Angels, though divine in nature, are limited in many ways that God is not. Angels may work through deep influence of humanity, but they cannot exert control or power over a human being. Angels are quite wise, in part due to their constant communion with God, but they are not all knowing. (Matt. 24:36) Chafer, Lewis Sperry. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1993. Vol. 2 (P. 15) 9 Luke 20:35-36 gives us a glimpse at the life of the angelic being as it parallels the future life of the true Christian in heaven. Berkhof, L. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans publishing co., 1938. (144) 10 Angels are spirits and do not marry or procreate as humanity might, but rather, as created spiritual beings, they seek to serve the living God in all that they do. Berkhof, L. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans publishing co., 1938. (145) 11 Genesis 2:7 12 It is of importance to note the distinction between being created in God’s image as opposed to being created in His likeness. Likeness implies that to the fullest extent we are made like God. Clearly this is not the case. We are quite limited in all things whereas God remains limitless for all time. What then do we mean when we say we are created in God’s image, the Imago Dei? We mean that we have been given rational thought and free will in a way no other created beings have been given. In this way we are reflections of God. Schaff, Philip, and Henry Wace, eds. St. Hilary of Poitiers, John of Damascus. Vol. 9. A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, Second Series. New York: Christian Literature Company, 1899. (30) 13 Every individual person is created in the image of God. This is seemingly backed up in passages such as Gen. 9, 1 Cor. 11, and James 3. However, that image must be restored to its glory. Non-believers are not restored imagers of God, but rather distorted reflections of what they were created to be. Sin taints everything, and though the image of God cannot be taken away from anyone, that image can be distorted. This is spoken about in passages such as 2 Cor. 3:18. We are being transformed into his image, but have already been created in his image. This implies that something has happened to the image we were originally given to distort it. It is safe to assume that this distortion is caused by sin. 14 “Yet the human, to be sure, as a part of the physical creation and the animal kingdom, has the same needs as do the other members of those groups. Our physical welfare is important. Since it is of concern to God, it should be of concern to us as well. We are also unified beings; thus pain or hunger affects our ability to focus on the spiritual life. And we are social beings, placed within society to function in relationships.” Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2013. (436)

15 The trichotomy argument that the body is the host of all material life, the soul the principle of what it means to be human, and the mind the source of our rational life is incorrect and in direct opposition to the creation story. Creation is listed as the creation as a body created and the soul breathed in by God (Gen. 2). There are some that argue that there is other scripture that refutes this belief such as when Paul, in his letter to the church in Thessalonica prays for “your whole spirit, soul, and body to be preserved…” (Thess. 5:23). However, this claim is not an accurate argument. Verses such as Luke 1:46-47 in which the soul and spirit are both listed separately without different definitions show that often this is a way of speaking as opposed to a Hodge, Charles. Systematic Theology. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997. Vol. 2 (47) 16 As previously stated in our discussion of angels, God cannot create something that is sinful. That is in opposition to his nature in its totality and thus is outside of what is possible for God. “He was by nature endowed with that original righteousness which is the crowning glory of the image of God, and consequently lived in a state of positive holiness.” Berkhof, L. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans publishing co., 1938. (209) 17 Despite our eventual fall from grace into sin via Satan’s introduction of evil into God’s perfect creation, we were originally given a perfect calling and role in God’s earthly creation. Our role was to steward God’s earthly creation as a servant over his master’s household. In this role we were to reflect God’s love for us to His creation and care for this world. 18 Gen. 2:18 dictates that it is not good for man to be alone. This of course is in reference to the creation of man’s partner, but it also sets the tone considerably well for the relational aspect created within mankind. We don’t just seek relationship, but we deeply desire it as well. These relationships are both horizontal (between humankind) and vertical (applying to a relationship with God). 19 The fall of humanity into sin, brought about an inability for humanity to live without sinning and brought physical and spiritual separation between mankind and God. The role for humanity was shaken to its core without the presence of God and mankind began to devolve farther and farther away from their true purpose and nature. Chafer, Lewis Sperry. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1993. Vol.2 (P. 251) 20 Evil was not within man, having been created fully by a perfect God, but the opportunity to interact with evil had already risen due to the angelic decision of Satan and other former angelic beings like him to fall away from the truth and glory of God. By this we can understand how evil was introduced into the world. Satan and the now demonic spirits, having chosen evil over the truth of God, introduced sin and evil to mankind who willingly chose to partake of it. Berkhof, L. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans publishing co., 1938. (p. 236) 21 The Adam story of both creation and fall is a literal story shared to show how humanity wound up in their current state despite their morally good creation. Adam, after being introduced to evil initially by Satan as evil did not exist in him initially, succumbed to temptation with full knowledge and of his disobedience and agency over his decision. Strong, Augustus Hopkins. Systematic Theology. Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, 1907. (p. 584) 22It is vital to the theological poignancy of hamartiology that Adam be a real historical figure and not an allegorical character invented. Sin has to have entered the world at some point and it cannot make sense for this to have been through means of God on His own, but rather by the willing decision of one of the earth’s inhabitants. Strong, Augustus Hopkins. Systematic Theology. Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, 1907. (p. 582) 23 Rom. 5:19 “Through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners.” The idea of hereditary sin has been understood throughout scripture. It is because of Adam’s initial original sin that we are born as the depraved creatures that we now understand ourselves to be. Strong, Augustus Hopkins. Systematic Theology. Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, 1907. (p. 593) 24 Since God is sinless in His essence, he can abide with neither our sinful spirit nor our sinful flesh. We have chosen to totally separate ourselves from Him by choosing to sin against Him. This is not a matter of limited ability for God, but rather due to His perfect nature. Hodge, Charles. Systematic Theology. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997. Vol. 2 (p. 261) 25 This death is both a physical and spiritual death. Man became a dying creature when he understood the truth of good and evil. More important than this however, is the spiritual death that came about as a result of this initial sin. Mankind ceased to be morally like God and blinded mankind to absolute truth. Strong, Augustus Hopkins. Systematic Theology. Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, 1907. (p. 590-591) 26 It is important to note what exactly we mean by totally depraved and perhaps that is easily said by first listing what we do not mean. Total depravity does not mean that each man is as purely evil as he possibly can be, that mankind cannot distinguish between good and evil, nor that mankind does not admire virtuous activity, but rather we mean that the corruption of sin has spread throughout every aspect of man’s nature and that no positive spiritual activity is possible. Berkhof, L. Systematic Theol...