ANTHROPOLOGY
A. MANX PSYCHOLOGICAL C ONSTITUTION
I. THE BACKGROUND OF THE FALL
Before one can understand the fall of man, two other subjects, the law of God and the nature of sin, must be considered. We need to know about the law of God in order to understand the transgression of it, which was sin; and we need to know about the nature of sin in order to understand its origin in Adam and Eve.
A. THE LAW OF GOD
Speaking generally, law is an expression of will enforced by power; it implies a lawgiver, a subject, an expression of will, and power enforcing that will, The terms “laws of nature,” “1aws of the mind,” and so forth, are contradic- tions when used to denote a mode of action or an order of sequence behind which there is conceived to be no ordering will and enforcing power.
“Physics derives the term ‘law’ from jurisprudence, instead of jurisprudence deriving it from physics.“1 Some have advocated that because the term
“law” is so suggestive of a giver of law, we ought to drop it and speak of a
“method” of action, or an order of sequence. But this is taking the position of agnosticism. Law is not an efficient operative cause; it presupposes a lawgiver, and is only the mode according to which the lawgiver proceeds.
1. The meaning of the law
of
God. The law of God, in particular, is the expression of his will enforced by his power. It has two forms: elemental law‘Strong, Systematic Theology, p. 533.
168
The Fall of Man: Background and Problems 169 and positive enactment. Elemental law is law inwrought into elements, sub- stances, and forces of rational and irrational creatures. It is of two types:
natural or physical, and moral. Natural law relates to the material universe.
It is not absolutely necessary; some other order is conceivable. Nor is natural law an end in itself; it exists for the sake of the moral order. Therefore, the physical order has only a relative constancy; God sometimes supplements it by miracles. Moral law relates to the constitution of rational and free beings.
It implies a lawgiver, a free moral subject, power to enforce the command, obligation on the part of the subject to obey, and sanctions for disobedience.
This law is an expression of God’s moral nature and intimates that complete conformity to that holy nature is the normal condition of man (Matt. 5 :48 ; 1 Pet. 1:16).
From this, it is clear that the law of God is not something arbitrary, since it springs from his nature; that it is not temporary, devised to meet an exi- gency; that it is not merely negative but also positive, demanding positive conformity to God; that it is not partial, addressed to but one part of man’s being, but to body and soul alike; that it is not outwardly published, but that positive enactment is only the expression of this unwritten law of being; that it is not limited to consciousness of it, but exists whether we recognize it or not; and that it is not confined to any locality or class of people, but includes all moral creatures.2
Positive enactment is the expression of God’s will in published ordinances.
These consist of his definitely moral precepts, such as the Decalogue (Exod.
20:1-V). In the New Testament all but the fourth commandment are re- peated and sanctioned. These ordinances consist also of the ceremonial legis- lation. Such are the offerings (Lev. l-7), the laws of the priesthood (Lev.
g-10), and the laws of purity (Lev. 11-15). These are temporary, but only God can say how long they are binding. The period of time in which a law is in force varies. Some laws are rooted in God’s essential nature, and they are eternal (Matt. 22:3740; 1 John 5:21). Others are founded upon the perma- nent relations of men to each other in their present state of existence (Rom.
13 :9; Gal. 5:14). Others have their foundation in certain temporal relations of men (Eph. 6:l) or conditions of society (Eph. 6:5). And others are positive laws, deriving their authority from the explicit commands of God. The ceremonial laws of sacrifice, circumcision, etc. are of this nature.
2. The purpose of the law of God. Negatively, the law was not given as a means whereby man might be saved. Paul observes, “If a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law” (Gal. 3:21). It could not make alive because it was weak The Scriptures that promise life for keeping
“through the flesh” (Rom. 8:3)
2For a fuller discussion see StrongI Systematic Theology, pp. 536-542.
170 Anthropology
the law (Lev. 18:5; Neh. 9:29; Ezek. 18:5-g; Matt. 19:17; Rom. 7:lO;
10: 5; Gal. 3: 12) speak ideally and hypothetically, as if man had no carnal nature and so were able to do God’s whole will. Since, however, man is hopelessly enslaved to self, he cannot keep God’s law (Rom. 8: 7), and, consequently, neither life nor righteousness is possible by the law.
Positively, it was given to intensify man’s knowledge of sin, to reveal the holiness of God, and to lead the sinner to Christ. Man knows that he is a sinner by the testimony of conscience, but by the published law of God he has an intensified “knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3: 19f. ; 7: 7). Sin now takes on the form of transgression (Rom. 5:13; 7:13). Paul says, “I would not have come to know sin except through the Law” (Rom. 7:7). He does not mean that he had not known sin in any sense, but that he had not known it as exceedingly sinful. The law was also given to reveal the holiness of God (Rom. 7:12). The nature of the commandments shows this, but more par- ticularly, the ceremonies and rituals, the tabernacle with its court, holy place, and holy of holies, and the mediation of the priesthood were intended to show the holiness of God. Approach to him was possible only on certain conditions, to certain men, and on certain occasions. The ceremonial law sets forth visibly the holiness of God. And, finally, the law was given to lead men to Christ. Christ was the end of the law for righteousness (Rom. 10:4), but he is also its aim. Paul calls the law “our tutor to lead us to Christ” (Gal.
3 : 24). “The Greek paidagiigos was not a schoolmaster, but was a slave who had charge of children from the age of seven to about eighteen. He trained the child in general deportment, took him to school each day, saw that he dressed properly, and was in almost total charge of the management of the boy. “3 The law served in like fashion to prepare those under it for the reception of Christ. This it did by revealing God’s holiness and man’s sinful- ness, and by pointing to the cross of Christ, through its offerings, priest- hood, and tabernacle, as the only way of salvation and access to God.
3. The believer’s relation to the law of God. There seems to be a distinct difference in the believer’s relation to the law during the present age as compared with the past. The Scriptures teach that in the death of Christ the believer is delivered not only from the curse of the law (Gal. 3: 13), that is, the penalty imposed upon him by the law, but from the law itself (Rom. 7:4;
Eph. 2: 14f. ; Col. 2: 14). It was at Calvary that Christ became the end of the law for righteousness (Rom. 10:4). That this includes the moral law as well as the ceremonial law is evident from 2 Car. 3:7-11. It is that which was
“engraved on stones,” that is, the Ten Commandments, that passed away.
As a result, we are told that the believer is not “under law, but under grace”
(Kom. 6:14; 7:6; Gal. 4:30; 5:18), and he is exhorted, “Keep standing firm
"Kent, The Freedom of God’s Sons, p. 105.
The Full of Man: Background and Problems 171 and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:l). From all of this, it is very clear that Paul does not distinguish between the ceremonial and the moral portion of the Old Testament law.
The believer has been made free from the law, but liberty does not mean license. To offset this danger of antinomianism, the Scriptures teach that we have not only been delivered from the law, but also “joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God” (Rom.
7: 4). We are thus not “without the law of God but under the law of Christ”
(1 Cor. 9: 21; cf. Gal. 6: 2). Freedom from law should not result in license, but love (Gal. 5: 13; cf. 1 Pet. 2:16). The believer is, consequently, to keep his eyes on Christ as his example and teacher, and by the Holy Spirit to fulfill his law (Rom. 8:4; Gal. 5: 18). This does not mean that the precepts of the Decalogue which are grounded in the character of God have no authority today. As a matter of fact, careful investigation reveals that every com- mandment of the Decalogue, except the fourth, is reaffirmed in the New Testament. They are repeated for our instruction as to what the will of the Lord is, but not as precepts that we are to endeavor to keep in order to become righteous. This would be useless, for, Paul says, “By the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight” (Rom. 3:20). The believer of this age has received the adoption of sons, and with that adoption the mind of the Spirit (2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Gal. 4:5f.; Eph. 1:14). By him we have been delivered from the carnal nature (Rom. 8:2), by him we are to keep putting to death the deeds of the body (Rom. 8:13), and by him we shall produce the
“fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22f.; cf. Eph. 5:9).
B. THE NATURE OF SIN
Some theologians understand sin as “lack of conformity to the moral law of God, either in act, disposition, or state, “4 whereas others define it as “any- thing in the creature which does not express, or which is contrary to, the holv character of the Creator. “5 No doubt both of these are correct, for moral_ law’is a reflection of God’s character. That sin is transgression of law is clear in Scripture (Rom. 7:7-13; Gal. 3:10, 12; James 2:8-12; 1 John 3:4), and\ that it ielates to God’s character is also evident. When Isaiah saw God in his holiness, he recognized his own sinfulness (Isa. 6:1-6; cf. Job 42:5f. ; Luke 5 : 8 ; Rev. 1: 17). God is holy and we are to conform to his holiness ; anything short of this is sin (Lev. 19:2; 1 Pet. 1:15f.). In the definition of sin several ideas are involved.
1. Sin is a specific type of evil. There are two totally different kinds of evil:
physical and moral. Floods, earthquakes, droughts, wild animals, and the
‘Herkhof, Systematic Theology, p. 233.
‘Buswell, A Systematic Theology of the Christian Religion, I, p. 264.
172 Anthropology
like, are physical evils, not moral evils or sin. It is in this sense that it can be said that God creates evil or calamities (Isa. 45: 7; cf. 54: 16). Further, the evil of the mentally incompetent cannot be considered sin. Sin is a moral evil.
Since man is a rational creature, he knows that when he does what he ought not to do, or omits to do what he ought to do, or is what he ought not to be, or is not what he ought to be, he is chargeable with sin. He becomes both guilty and polluted.
2. Sin is u violation of the law of God. Sin is want of conformity to, or transgression of, the law of God. Since we are moral and rational creatures, we are of necessity subject to the law of right. The only question is, what that law may be. Hodge points out that it is not (1) our reason, for then every man is a law unto himself and then there can be no sense of guilt; (2) the moral order of the universe, for this is but an abstraction and can neither impose obligation nor inflict penalty; (3) regard for the happiness of the universe, for it is manifest that happiness is not necessarily synonymous with goodness; (4) our own happiness, for such a view makes expediency the rule of right and wrong; but (5) that it is subjection to the rule of a rational being, God, who is infinite, eternal, and immutable in his perfections.6 The law of God is summarized in the words of Jesus, ” ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. And a second is like it,
‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 22:3740).
Both the Old and New Testaments use various terms for sin and sinning.
Some of these are: sin (Gen. 18:20; Rom. 3:23), disobedience (Rom. 5:19), iniquity (Lev. 26:40), lawlessness (Titus 2:14), transgression (Exod. 23:21;
1 Tim. 2:14), trespass (Eph. 2:1), ignorance (Heb. 9:7), godlessness (1 Pet.
4:18), wickedness (Prov. 11:31), unbelief (Rom. ll:20), unrighteousness (1 John 1:9), unjustness (Deut. 25:16), and unholiness (1 Tim. 1:9).
Several specific clarifications concerning the relation between the law and sin must be noted. (1) Failure to do what the law enjoins is as much sin as doing what it forbids. There are sins of omission as well as of commission (James 4:17; cf. Rom. 14:23). (2) To fail in one point is to be guilty of the whole (Gal. 3: 10; James 2: 10). One needs to break but one of God’s com- mandments to be guilty in his sight. (3) Ignorance of a law does not excuse a man. “That slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, shall receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of flogging, will receive but few. And from everyone who has been given much shall much be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more” (Luke 12:47f.).
‘)Hodgc, Systc~mutic Ttzrolo~y, II, pp. 182f
The Fall of Man: Background and Problems 173 Ignorance of the law lessens the penalty as to degree, but not as to duration.
(4) Ability to keep the law is not essential to make the non-fulfillment sin.
Man’s inability to fulfill the law is due to his own part in the sin of Adam, and is not an original condition. Since the law of God expresses the holiness of God as the only standard for the creature, ability to obey cannot be the measure of obligation or the test of sin. (5) The feeling of guilt is not necessary to the fact of sin. Man’s moral standard may be so low and his conscience may have been so often sinned against, that he has practically no sense of sin left. This, however, does not remove the fact of sin.
3. Sin is a principle or nature as well us an act. Want of conformity to the law of God embraces want in nature as well as in conduct. Acts of sin spring from a principle or nature that is sinful. A corrupt tree can only bring forth evil fruit (Matt. 7:17f.). “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders” (Matt. 15 : 19). Back of murder lies fierce hatred, back of adultery lies sinful lust (Matt. 5:21f., 27f. ; cf. James 1: 14f.). Scripture distinguishes between sin and sins, the one the nature, the other the expression of that nature. Sin is present in everyone as a nature before it expresses itself in deeds. Paul wrote, “Sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. And I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive, and I died” (Rom. 7:8f.). Paul also affirmed, “Sin. . . indwells me” (v. 17), and he represented sin as reigning in the unsaved (Rom. 6:12-14). John said, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1: 8). The Old Testament regulation concerning sins of igno- rance, or omission, and concerning general sinfulness indicates that sin is not limited to acts, but includes also the conditions from which the acts arise / Ltv. 5:2-6).
The opinion of mankind in general concurs with this view. Men univer- sally attribute both vice and virtue to dispositions and states, as well as to c.onscious and deliberate acts. Thus they speak of a “bad temper,” and an
“evil disposition. ” Indeed, outward acts are condemned only when they are regarded as originating in evil dispositions. Criminal law is more concerned Ql130ut the motive than about the act in the crime. How this evil bent origi- nated does not matter; the presence of it is condemned, whether inherited i ram our ancestors or developed in experience. Habitual disregard for a law
!nay so deaden the voice of conscience as to make it seem altogether hushed, i;llt that only arouses greater resentment against the man who sins with rl;lpugnity. Christian consciousness also testifies to the fact that sin is a
;)I-inciple as well as an act. The spiritually enlightened Christian regards his
<!r.viations from the law and character of God as due to a depravity within i~lm and repents for it more deeply than for his acts of sin.
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4. Sin includes pollution as well as guilt. Insofar as sin is a transgression of the law, it is guilt; insofar as it is a principle, it is pollution. The Bible clearly testifies to sin’s pollution. “The whole head is sick, and the whole heart is faint” (Isa. 1:5) ; “the heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9); “the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil” (Luke 6:45); “who will set me free from the body of this death?” (Rom. 7:24); “the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit” (Eph. 4:22). These and other Scriptures form the basis for the teaching that we need to be cleansed.
“Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin” (Ps.
51:2); “purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Ps. 51:7) ; “you are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you” (John 15:3) ; “that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word’ (Eph. 5:26) ;
“and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
This pollution shows itself in a darkened understanding (Rom. 1:31;
1 Cor. 2:14; Eph. 4:18), evil and futile imaginations (Gen. 6:5; Rom. 1:21), degrading passions (Rom. 1:26f.), unwholesome speech (Eph. 4:29), a de- filed mind and conscience (Titus 1:15), and an enslaved and perverted will (Rom. 7:18f.). These are symptoms of which the corrupt nature is the source. This lack of ability to please God is also spoken of as “death.” Men are said to be “dead in . . . trespasses and sin” (Eph. 2:l; cf. v. 5; Col. 2:13);
that is, they are totally destitute of spiritual life.
That man is totally depraved does not mean that every man is as thoroughly corrupt as he can become, nor that he has no conscience or innate ability to distinguish between good and evil, nor that unregenerate man can have no admirable virtues of character such as kindness, nor that man is unable to see and appreciate virtue in others, nor that every man indulges in every form of sinfulness. It does mean that every person is born depraved, that depravity extends to every part of man, that unregenerate man has no spiritual good which would commend him to God, and that he is completely unable of his own strength to change his situation.
5. Sin is essentially selfishness. It is difficult to determine what the essen- tial principle of sin is. What makes man sin? Is it pride, unbelief, disobedi- ence, or selfishness? Scripture teaches that the essence of godliness is love of God; is not the essence of sin the love of self? “Each of us has turned to his own way” (Isa. 53:6). There is, we grant, a proper love of self. It constitutes the basis of self-respect, self-preservation, self-improvement, and of a proper regard for others. None of these is inherently sinful. What we do mean is such an exaggerated love of self as puts self-interests ahead of God’s inter- ests.
That selfishness is the essence of sin is evident also from the fact that all the forms of sin can be traced to selfishness as their source. Thus man’s
The Fall of Man: Background and Problems 175 natural appetites, his sensuality, selfish ambitions, and selfish affections are rooted in his selfishness. Even an idolatrous affection for others may be due to the feeling that they are in some sense a part of ourselves, and so regard for them may be only an indirect love of self. Jesus exemplified true unself- ishness. He said, “I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 5 : 30). Paul regarded love as “the fulfillment of the law” (Rom.
13 : 10). He said that Christ “died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themse ves,1 but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf”
(2 Cor. 5: 15), and he represents people in the last days as being “lovers of self” (2 Tim. 3:2). These and other Scriptures represent selfishness as the essence of sin, the principle from which all else springs.