Hello Dick,
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I wrote: I think it is just as easy for us to explain that the creating of
man in God's image involved giving highly evolved primates moral consciences,
minds that were able to understand spiritual things, and most importantly,
eternal spirits.
You responded: Moral conscience, I don't think so. We learn our moral system
from our culture.
I think the apostle Paul would disagree with you. In his letter to the
Romans, chapter 2 verses 14 and 15 he wrote, "When Gentiles, who do not have
the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for
themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the
requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also
bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them."
You continued: Eternal spirit? Why waste an immortal soul on a creature
without giving him a means to redeem it?
This one really threw me for a loop. I thought I had heard you imply such a
thing before, but I brushed it off. Are you saying that you believe that all
men prior to Adam, and all men since Adam who have not been exposed to God's
provisions for their salvation, have not possessed eternal souls? Are you
saying that people are only given eternal souls after they are exposed to a
knowledge of salvation? I'll hold off commenting on the theological problems
with such a position until I make sure exactly what you are saying.
I wrote: I tell people that Gen.1:26,27 describes God's creation of the human
race prior to His creation of Adam and Eve. When I do I point out to them
that Gen. 1:26,27 does not tell us exactly how God then made man. Gen. 2:7
tells us that God made Adam from the dust of the ground. However, Gen:1:26,27
does not tell us what materials God used to make the preadamic human race.
You responded: No, but people seem to denote a difference between creation
and
evolution. The word bara means God-originated creation.
In Gen. 1:26, 27 two different Hebrew words are used to describe God's
bringing the "man" there spoken of into existence. In verse 26 the Hebrew
word "asa" is used. Asa is translated into English in verse 26 as "make," not
as "create." Hebrew lexicons tell us why. They inform us that "asa" primarily
connotes "the fashioning of" preexisting materials. They also tell us that
"asa" does not connote "the absolute newness of the object" that has been
made, as does the Hebrew verb "bara" which is used in verse 27 to also
describe God's bringing the "man" there spoken of into existence. (See
"Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament" by Harris, Archer & Waltke, 1980,
Vol.2, pg. 701.)
These things being so, I think it is reasonable to conclude that Gen. 1:26,27
is telling us that God "fashioned" the race of men He then made out of
preexisting life forms. But that He then added something to those preexisting
life forms which made them an "absolutely new" creation. As I have said
before, I believe that "something" was moral consciences, minds that were
able to understand spiritual things, and eternal spirits.
I will continue to hold that belief until I see that your way of
understanding these matters is more in harmony with the scriptures than the
way I presently understand them. As it is, your position's apparent limited
distribution of eternal souls has me wondering about its scriptural
viability.
I'm looking forward to your response.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
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