5. Anthropology & Hamartiology: Man and Sin

The term “anthropology” comes from two Greek words, namely, anthropos meaning “man” and logos meaning “word, matter, or thing.” We use the word “anthropology” to refer to the study of man and a Biblical anthropology is the study of man as understood primarily from Scripture. Thus it often involves discussion of the particular creation of man, man in the “image of God,” the constitutional nature of man, and man after the fall. “Hamartiology,” on the other hand, comes from two Greek terms as well, namely, hamartia meaning “sin” and logos. Thus it concerns the biblical doctrine of sin including its origin, nature, transmission, effects, and judgment.

IA. The Creation of Man

1B. The Origin of Man—Genesis 1:26

2B. The Place of Man in Creation—The Imago Dei

3B. Man’s Special Relationship to God

4B. Man’s Special Role in Creation

5B. Man’s Instantaneous Creation (Material/Immaterial)—Genesis 2:7

IIA. Man in the Image of God

1B. The “Image of God” and the “Likeness of God”

1C. The Image of God—Genesis 1:26

2C. The Likeness of God—Genesis 1:26

2B. Various Conceptions of the Image of God

1C. Substantive Views

2C. Functional Views

3B. Summary

IIIA. The Constitutional Nature of Man

1B. Defintion and Importance

2B. The Monist View

1C. Statement and Support

2C. Critique

3B. The Dichotomous View

1C. Statement and Support

2C. Critique

4B. The Trichotomous View

1C. Statement and Support

2C. Critique

5B. Summary

1C. Composite Being

2C. Unified Being

IVA. The Fall of Man and the Image of God

1B. God’s Command

1C. The Command Proper—Genesis 2:15-17a

2C. The Warning—Genesis 2:17b

2B. The First Couple’s Disobedience—Genesis 3:1-6

1C. The Serpent’s Deceitful Temptations

2C. The Woman’s Reasonings and Disobedience

3C. The Man’s Passivity and Disobedience

3B. The Immediate Result

1C. The Experience of Nakedness and Shame—Genesis 3:7

2C. The Desire to Hide from God—Genesis 3:8

4B. God Seeking and Judging

1C. God Seeks and Questions Man—Genesis 3:9-13

2C. God Judges the Serpent—Genesis 3:14-15

3C. God Judges the Woman—Genesis 3:16

4C. God Judges the Man—Genesis 3:17-20

5C. God Provides for Man’s Nakedness—Genesis 3:21

6C. God Banishes Man from the Garden—Genesis 3:22-24

7C. The Relationship of Genesis 3 to 4 and 5

5B. The Persistence of the Image of God after the Fall

1C. Genesis 9:6-7

2C. James 3:9

6B. The Renewal of the Image of God after the Fall

1C. Romans 8:29

2C. 1 Corinthians 15:49

3C. 2 Corinthians 4:4

4C. Colossians 1:15

5C. Colossians 3:10

VA. The Doctrine of Sin

A brief review of the fall of man leads us naturally into a discussion of the essential nature of sin, as well as its origin, transmission, effects, and punishment.

1B. Defining Sin

1C. Inadequate Views of Sin

2C. The Heinous Nature of Sin

3C. Some Biblical Terms for Sin

1D. chata: “To Miss the Mark”—Exod 20:20; 522x

2D. ra: “Evil or Ruin”—Gen 38:7; 444x

3D. taah: “Going Astray”—Num 15:22

4D. hamartano: “To Miss the Mark”—Rom 5:12; more than 225x

5D. kakos: “disease” or “moral filth”

6D. poneros: “moral evil”—Heb 3:12

7D. anomos: “lawlessness”—1 John 3:4

2B. The Origin of Sin

1C. In the Angelic Realm

1D. Genesis 3; 2 Corinthians 11:3

2D. The Interpretation of Isa 14:12-15 and Ezek 28:12-19

2C. In the Human Family: Through Adam

1D. Romans 5:12

2D. Acts 17:26

3B. The Transmission of Sin throughout the Entire Human Family

1C. The Imputation of Adam’s Guilt to the Race

1D. Specific Connection between Adam and the Race in Romans 5:12-21

1E. The Adam-Christ Typology of Romans 5:12-21

2E. The Seminal View and Hebrews 7:10

3E. The Federal View

2D. Problems with the Doctrine

3D. Summary

2C. Inheriting a Sinful Nature Because of Adam’s Sin

1D. Psalm 51:5

2D. Ephesians 2:3

3D. The Meaning of “Total Depravity”

3C. Summary and Application

VIA. The Christian and Sin

1B. The Nature of the Christian’s Sin

2B. The Christian’s Sin and the Doctrine of Justification

1C. Romans 4:7-8; Ephesians 4:32

2C. Romans 5:1

3B. The Christian’s Sin and the Witness of the Church

1C. 1 Corinthians 6:1-8

2C. Titus 2:5, 8

4B. The Christian’s Sin and God’s Chastening

1C. Hebrews 12:1-13

2C. 1 Corinthians 11:30

3C. 1 John 1:9

5B. The Christian’s Sin and Church Discipline

1C. Hebrews 3:12-13

2C. Matthew 18:15-20

3C. 1 Corinthians 5:1-8

VIIA. The Punishment for Sin

1B. God’s Primary Purpose in Punishing Sin

1C. Romans 3:21-26

2C. Romans 9:19-23

2B. Punishments for Sin

1C. Spiritual Death—Genesis 3

2C. Physical Death—Hebrews 9:27

3C. Eternal or Second Death—Matthew 25:41, 46; Revelation 20:14-15