On Humanity: Where Do We Come From?
Introduction
"What is a man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"
What is a human?
This is not a philosophical question but rather a spiritual inquiry. Everyone has to answer this simple yet profound question. Some may evade the question or simply ignores it all together. But no one can deny their existence here on earth and their own life's experience. Some try to make best out of it without any religious affiliations or adherence; others trying to live according to God's commandments. In order to answer the question, "What is a human?" We need to go back to the source.
No other source than the Bible clearly points to the beginning of humankind. Genesis account of creation of the world and human is found in the chapter 1 and 2. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament mention about an origin of humanity. In the New Testament it is found in the gospel of Luke 3: 23- 37. Luke starts out with Jesus Christ genealogy and ends with the son of Adam, the son of God. According to Bible, human were created in the image of God (Gen. 1: 26). We also find the reference to human as the God's image, in the letter of James 3:9, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.”(NIV) also in the 2 Corinthians 4:4 we find Christ as the image of God. It reads, “The God of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”(NIV) There are further references in the Colossians 1:15 and Hebrews 1:3. It shows that humankind is the greatest creature of God’s work.
Deficiency of Theory of Evolution
Our culture is heavily influenced by a theory of evolution. It is here to stay and believers have to deal with it. We know that God did not create human being from a theory of evolutionary process, but from the power of His creative actions He created them. Evolutionists insist that the beginning of humankind is from an animal (apelike) evolution. “This genetic similarity made it hard to figure out exactly how these two primates are related, but recent genetic studies have strongly suggested that chimpanzees and humans are each other’s closest living relative.”(Human evolution. www. evolution.berkeley.edu) It took the evolutionary processes many years to come to become a human. “Human evolution is the lengthy process of change by which people originated from apelike ancestors. Scientific evidence shows that the physical and behavioral traits shared by all people originated from apelike ancestors and evolved over a period of approximately six million years.” (Human evolution. www. humanorigins.sl.edu) Therefore, the evolutionist concludes that the humankind came from the species of monkey or apelike. However, these kinds of answer do not satisfy our curiosity. But we have to respect the works that is still going on with the subject. Plantinga notes, “Many Christians today are convinced that the evolution of organic life is a compelling scientific model, and that this model does not compromise the non-negotiable of creation doctrine- that God is the Creator (Designer and Sustainer) of life who providentially superintends an evolutionary process as a means of creation, and that human beings are created in the divine image, even if they also the product of evolution. (Plantinga, p. 163)
Humans are created by God's Image
Physiologically speaking, humankind consists of a living organism and cells. And there are more than 25 trillion red cells that transport oxygen from the lungs to the tissues and there are more another cells, which contains about 75 trillion cells in our body. (Guyton, p. 2) And top of those cells are alive and function independently according to its purposes. They also interact seamlessly and maintain a harmonious balance. This applies even when we are not active; when we sleep our mouth, eyes, hands and feet put into a rest mode, however, the heart does not rest for a moment. Involuntary muscles that do its functions regardless of what we think or do regulate the heart. It will keep beating all day and night throughout our entire life.
The Bible talks about how God created man from the dust of the earth (Gen. 2: 4-7). And there are two creation accounts in the Bible: Genesis 1: 26-27, which mention about purpose of creation and how to care for the creation; Genesis 2: 7 shows how the man and woman created. The latter account describes how a man and a woman were created from the dust of the ground and God breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life. And the man became a living being. That is the man became the spiritual being.
So there is a clear distinction in regarding the creation of the body and the soul. The body was formed out of the dust of the ground. God used the material that was already created in the first place. However, the creation of the soul is different. There was neither pre-existence materials nor elements. The creation of the soul was a new creation that came directly from God. God “breathed into his (man’s) nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Gen. 2: 7, NIV) Thus human is made up with two elements: the body and the breath or spirit of life. Both are the God’s creation and yet the breath is came directly from God Himself.
God created man and woman and gave them life. Furthermore, God gave them personality, intellect, feelings and through it God communicate with a man and a woman. And we are Adam's offspring and have most of their characters and traits, such as having curiosity and tendency to rebel against the Creator God. After the fall of Adam and Eve, we inherited their rebelliousness. We became an enemy of God and needed a mediator and the Savior.
We are God’s greatest works. Unlike the other creatures that God had created, we are very different. We were created in God’s image. But what does it mean that were created in God’s image? Mainly, we were created to represent God in His creation, such as preserve, be fruitful and replenish and subdue the earth (Gen. 1: 28). It is called a cultural mandate. This is some of the meanings of being created in God’s image.
Conclusion
"What is a human?" Human is a masterpiece, who is created by God. God created them in His image with His purpose and there is always a room to receive God in each of us. Only if we are humble enough to receive him. God loves us and wants us to be happy with Him and with His creations. We, as children of God, have a mandate to fulfill by being active in the world, where God has put on us.
Scriptural Reference:
Old Testament
Gen. 1:26-27
Gen. 2:7
Ps. 90: 4-5
Isa. 43:7
New Testament
Matt. 10: 28
1 Cor. 10: 31
1Thess. 5: 23
Reference:
Berkhof, Louis. 1941. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids.
Erickson, Millard J. 1985. Christian Theology. Grand Rapids.
Guyton, Arthur G. 1986. Textbook of Medical Physiology. 7th Edition. Philadelphia.
McGrath, Alister E. 2011. Christian Theology: An Introduction. Oxford.
Plantinga, Richard J., Thomas R. Thompson, and Matthew D. Lundberg. 2010. An Introduction to Christian Theology. Cambridge.
Williamson, G. I. 1970. The Shorter Catechism: For Study Classes. Volume 1. Philipsburg, New Jersey: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company.
Internet:
www. evolution.berkeley.edu
www. humanorigins.sl.edu
"What is a man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"
What is a human?
This is not a philosophical question but rather a spiritual inquiry. Everyone has to answer this simple yet profound question. Some may evade the question or simply ignores it all together. But no one can deny their existence here on earth and their own life's experience. Some try to make best out of it without any religious affiliations or adherence; others trying to live according to God's commandments. In order to answer the question, "What is a human?" We need to go back to the source.
No other source than the Bible clearly points to the beginning of humankind. Genesis account of creation of the world and human is found in the chapter 1 and 2. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament mention about an origin of humanity. In the New Testament it is found in the gospel of Luke 3: 23- 37. Luke starts out with Jesus Christ genealogy and ends with the son of Adam, the son of God. According to Bible, human were created in the image of God (Gen. 1: 26). We also find the reference to human as the God's image, in the letter of James 3:9, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.”(NIV) also in the 2 Corinthians 4:4 we find Christ as the image of God. It reads, “The God of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”(NIV) There are further references in the Colossians 1:15 and Hebrews 1:3. It shows that humankind is the greatest creature of God’s work.
Deficiency of Theory of Evolution
Our culture is heavily influenced by a theory of evolution. It is here to stay and believers have to deal with it. We know that God did not create human being from a theory of evolutionary process, but from the power of His creative actions He created them. Evolutionists insist that the beginning of humankind is from an animal (apelike) evolution. “This genetic similarity made it hard to figure out exactly how these two primates are related, but recent genetic studies have strongly suggested that chimpanzees and humans are each other’s closest living relative.”(Human evolution. www. evolution.berkeley.edu) It took the evolutionary processes many years to come to become a human. “Human evolution is the lengthy process of change by which people originated from apelike ancestors. Scientific evidence shows that the physical and behavioral traits shared by all people originated from apelike ancestors and evolved over a period of approximately six million years.” (Human evolution. www. humanorigins.sl.edu) Therefore, the evolutionist concludes that the humankind came from the species of monkey or apelike. However, these kinds of answer do not satisfy our curiosity. But we have to respect the works that is still going on with the subject. Plantinga notes, “Many Christians today are convinced that the evolution of organic life is a compelling scientific model, and that this model does not compromise the non-negotiable of creation doctrine- that God is the Creator (Designer and Sustainer) of life who providentially superintends an evolutionary process as a means of creation, and that human beings are created in the divine image, even if they also the product of evolution. (Plantinga, p. 163)
Humans are created by God's Image
Physiologically speaking, humankind consists of a living organism and cells. And there are more than 25 trillion red cells that transport oxygen from the lungs to the tissues and there are more another cells, which contains about 75 trillion cells in our body. (Guyton, p. 2) And top of those cells are alive and function independently according to its purposes. They also interact seamlessly and maintain a harmonious balance. This applies even when we are not active; when we sleep our mouth, eyes, hands and feet put into a rest mode, however, the heart does not rest for a moment. Involuntary muscles that do its functions regardless of what we think or do regulate the heart. It will keep beating all day and night throughout our entire life.
The Bible talks about how God created man from the dust of the earth (Gen. 2: 4-7). And there are two creation accounts in the Bible: Genesis 1: 26-27, which mention about purpose of creation and how to care for the creation; Genesis 2: 7 shows how the man and woman created. The latter account describes how a man and a woman were created from the dust of the ground and God breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life. And the man became a living being. That is the man became the spiritual being.
So there is a clear distinction in regarding the creation of the body and the soul. The body was formed out of the dust of the ground. God used the material that was already created in the first place. However, the creation of the soul is different. There was neither pre-existence materials nor elements. The creation of the soul was a new creation that came directly from God. God “breathed into his (man’s) nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Gen. 2: 7, NIV) Thus human is made up with two elements: the body and the breath or spirit of life. Both are the God’s creation and yet the breath is came directly from God Himself.
God created man and woman and gave them life. Furthermore, God gave them personality, intellect, feelings and through it God communicate with a man and a woman. And we are Adam's offspring and have most of their characters and traits, such as having curiosity and tendency to rebel against the Creator God. After the fall of Adam and Eve, we inherited their rebelliousness. We became an enemy of God and needed a mediator and the Savior.
We are God’s greatest works. Unlike the other creatures that God had created, we are very different. We were created in God’s image. But what does it mean that were created in God’s image? Mainly, we were created to represent God in His creation, such as preserve, be fruitful and replenish and subdue the earth (Gen. 1: 28). It is called a cultural mandate. This is some of the meanings of being created in God’s image.
Conclusion
"What is a human?" Human is a masterpiece, who is created by God. God created them in His image with His purpose and there is always a room to receive God in each of us. Only if we are humble enough to receive him. God loves us and wants us to be happy with Him and with His creations. We, as children of God, have a mandate to fulfill by being active in the world, where God has put on us.
Scriptural Reference:
Old Testament
Gen. 1:26-27
Gen. 2:7
Ps. 90: 4-5
Isa. 43:7
New Testament
Matt. 10: 28
1 Cor. 10: 31
1Thess. 5: 23
Reference:
Berkhof, Louis. 1941. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids.
Erickson, Millard J. 1985. Christian Theology. Grand Rapids.
Guyton, Arthur G. 1986. Textbook of Medical Physiology. 7th Edition. Philadelphia.
McGrath, Alister E. 2011. Christian Theology: An Introduction. Oxford.
Plantinga, Richard J., Thomas R. Thompson, and Matthew D. Lundberg. 2010. An Introduction to Christian Theology. Cambridge.
Williamson, G. I. 1970. The Shorter Catechism: For Study Classes. Volume 1. Philipsburg, New Jersey: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company.
Internet:
www. evolution.berkeley.edu
www. humanorigins.sl.edu