Bible Study (Anthropology)

By Bishop Elijah H. Hankerson III, BA, MA, DD

I.                 GOLDEN TEXT.

1 Timothy 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

LESSON NOTES:

       I.            WHAT DOES ANTHROPOLOGY MEAN? Anthropology comes from the Greek word "Anthropos" meaning man. Our teaching with the doctrine of man is based only on what the Bible says respecting man and the relation in which he stands to God. When we say “man,” we are referring to all humanity based on the Scriptures.

Genesis 5:2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

II.            WHAT IS THEOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY? Theological Anthropology relies on Scripture as its only source, records God's dealings with the human race and the redemption God seeks to provide for man. It tells us man's origin, nature, destiny; and that all of this comes from God. 

A. HUMANS ARE NOT JUST ANIMALS; HUMANS HAVE BEEN CREATED IN THE LIKENESS OF GOD HIMSELF.

Genesis 1:26-27 26And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

B. YES, THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT TREATING ANIMALS HUMANE.

Proverbs 12:10 The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

C. BUT, GOD PUT HUMANS OVER ANIMALS.

Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Genesis 2:19-20 19And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 20And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

a.    AND, GOD HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE LOVES HUMANITY; THIS IS EVEN INTRIGUING TO ANGELS.

Psalm 8:3-8 3When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 6Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: 7All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; 8The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

1 Peter 1:11-12 11Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 12Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

III.            FIVE POINTS OF THEOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY. There are five points of interest which highlight this doctrine: Man's Origin; Man's Being; Man's Original State; Immortality of Man; and the Origin of Man's Soul.

A.                THE ORIGIN OF MAN AND THE UNITY OF THE RACES.

1.   THE WHOLE HUMAN RACE DESCENDED FROM A SINGLE PAIR: ADAM AND EVE. 

Genesis 3:20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

a.       THERE IS SOME SPECULATION OVER WHETHER THE EARTH WAS POPULATED BEFORE; BUT THE BIBLE IS SILENT ON THAT.

Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Genesis 4:16-17 16And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. 17And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

2.               ADAM AND EVE WERE REGARDED AS THE ZENITH OF THE SYSTEM OF LIVING THINGS. (GEN. 1:27).

3.   GOD COMMANDED THEM TO BE FRUITFUL MULTIPLY, AND REPLENISH THE EARTH (GEN. 1:28).

a.      THE RACE OF MANKIND IS ONE AND IS DERIVED FROM AN UNBROKEN GENETIC RELATION WITH ADAM AND EVE. “And God made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth." (Acts 17:26).

b.                  UNITY OF THE HUMAN RACE. Therefore, the human race constitutes a specific unity in which all people share the same human nature, the same guilt derived from the first transgression, and the provisions for the salvation of the human race in Christ.

Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Romans 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

1 Corinthians 15:21-22 21For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

B.     MAN'S BEING OR HIS NATURE. We regard man as being tripartite, that is to say, the components of man's being consists of Body, Soul and Spirit, as opposed to the bipartite view, Body and Soul.

1.      THE HUMAN BODY. The body (Soma) is the means whereby moral values inherent in the soul may have expression. The body communicates with the material world through the five senses of sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch. Paul declared, "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection..." (I Corinthians 9:27).

a.                   THE BODY WILL BE TRANSFORMED AT THE RESURRECTION.

1 Corinthians 15:50-54 50Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

2. THE HUMAN SOUL. The Soul (Psyche) is the manifestation of the immaterial part of man towards the world. It is the seat of our emotions, feelings, love, sorrow, sympathy.

Genesis 42:21 And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

Deuteronomy 12:15 Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart.

Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

a.                   THE SOUL IS BEING TRANSFORMED. 

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

2 Corinthians 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

Ephesians 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

3. THE HUMAN SPIRIT. The Spirit (Pneuma), or who we are, receives impressions of outward and material things through the Soul. Man can only approach God through the spirit. Within the spirit, there is the mind, the source of knowledge and intelligence (Cor. 2:11). God is a Spirit and man can only approach him properly in Spirit. (St. John 4:24).

1 Corinthians 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

a.                   THE SPIRIT IS TRANSFORMED WHEN WE ARE BORN AGAIN.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

1 John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

4. The following scriptures support a tripartite position: Gen 2:7 - And the Lord formed man of the dust of the ground (Body); and breathed into the nostrils the breath of life (Spirit); and man became a living soul (Soul). I Thess. 5:23 - And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole Spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Heb. 4:12 - The word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of "Soul" and "Spirit" and of the "Joints and Marrow" (Body), and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

A.                MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE - According to scripture, man was created by a definite act of God (Gen. 1:26), out of the dust of the ground, a living soul (Gen 2:7). Man was to live at peace with himself and his environment in a holy and blessed position. His image was after the likeness of God (Gen. 1:26. 27; 9:6); a rational moral and spiritual nature, which distinguishes him from the animal and every other creature.

Genesis 9:6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

1 Corinthians 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

C.     IMMORTALITY - A continued existence of both the righteous (read 1 Corinthians 15) and the wicked (; II Cor. 5:10) is clearly taught.

Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

John 5:25-29 25Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 26For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. 28Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Luke 20:35-36 35But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: 36Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.

John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Matthew 11:21-24 21Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. 23And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.

Matthew 12:41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

Romans 2:5-11 5But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11For there is no respect of persons with God.

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

D.    THREE THEORIES ON THE ORIGIN OF MAN’S SOUL.

1.      CREATIONISM (God implants the soul in each new human being at or a short time prior to birth).

3.                   TRADUCIANISM. (souls of men are propagated along with the bodies by generation and are transmitted to the children by the parents).

4.                   PRE-EXISTENTIANISM (souls existed in a previous state and that certain occurrences in that former state account for the condition in which those souls are found.) 

5.                  CONCLUSION. The Scriptures do not give us any clear support for any of the above theories. However, out of all three, creationism is favored and deserves preference.

V.            PRAYER FOR SALVATION. As we close, if you have not received this Jesus pray this simple prayer:

"Father, I know that I have sinned against You. Please forgive me. Wash me clean. I promise to trust in Jesus, Your Son. I believe that He died for me—He took my sin upon Himself when He died on the cross. I believe that He was raised from the dead. I surrender my life to Jesus today.

"Thank You, Father, for Your gift of forgiveness and eternal life. Please help me to live for you. In Jesus' name, Amen."