The topic for this discussion is the doctrine of creation. The thesis for this paper is that the doctrine of creation is an important aspect to the life of Christian as it explains how a human being comes into existence and dispels misconceptions on how human being come into existence.
Annotated bibliography
The work, Theological anthropology: A guide for the perplexed. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2010 explains what it means to be created in God Image. The work explains the issues that surround the creation of human being in the image of God. The author includes case studies in offering explanations on the issues that are intriguing to Christians. On the other hand, Hume, David, Philosophical Essays Concerning Human Understanding: By the Author of the Essays Moral and Political. A. Millar, 1748 is a book that discusses the distinction between impression and ideas. The book, White, Andrew Dickson, “A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology (Vol. 2)" (1896) discusses the aspect of creation on the basis of Christian and scientific view. His work considers the Darwin assertions on the evolution of man and the views by the atheist community. He was a religious and theologies who sought to understand the relevance of biblical teaching to the Christian. The writing of Kolb, Robert Martin Luther: Confessor of the faith. Oxford University Press, 2009 explores the doctrine of creation as expressed by Martin Luther. His definition of God and how a human being is to relate to him; a human being is created in the image of God and He expresses his mercy by forgiving the human race after sinning.
Final Draft
Introduction
The doctrine of creation has many different sides to it. In this paper, I will discuss the scientific and what it says about our origins from a scientific standpoint. Then I will look at what the doctrine of creation says from a theological standpoint and who God is as creator. Then I will say what creation and God says about us in creation.
The scientists do not believe in the account of creation. The laws of creation cannot be learned through prior thinking. Charles Darwin rejected the notion of biblical creation; instead, he formulated evolution theory in which he explained how people came into existence. White (1874) asserts that there has been a conflict between religion and science because the two give the account of the same thing but on different perceptions[1]. The evolution theory as advanced by Darwin states that human being evolved from apes. Hume (1748) also asserts that human beings can trace their origin to chimpanzees.[2]
He explained that the first organisms arose through spontaneous generation while all other organisms evolved from them. In his attempt to prove his point, Darwin avers that human being ancestors were the monkey and traced their origin in Africa. Neanderthal fossils were compared to Chimpanzees that were closely related to human. The assertion that human being evolved from apes and was not created raised the question of how human being separated from other species of ape. Various fossils related to human beings such as Australopithecus Afarensis and Homo floresinsis has been cited by scientist as proof of the evolution of human being.
The biblical perspective of creation is captured in Genesis Chapter 1 and 2 on accounts of creation. The two accounts details how God created human being on the sixth day. The human being was created in the image of God. The creationism is believed that the creation story is told in the book of Genesis. The book of Genesis indicates that human being come into existence as a result of a special act of creation, from dust. The two accounts of creation are conflicting on how the earth was created and the sequence of creation. The first account of creation as told in the book of Genesis 1 indicates that creation took place in six days and that creation was make and female in the image of God. The second account of creation contradicts the explanations offered in the first account, according to Genesis 2God created human being before creating other things, animals, plants and so on. Adam is created from clay and God makes him sleep and extract a lib from him and make Eve with whom they go sons Cain and Abel. They later got other children that saw the increase in population. There are different accounts on how the human being is in the image of God, some view it in the form of powers the human being has over nature, while others view it in the manner in which the human being act. Adopting the relational interpretation as a manner of indicating the relationship indicates that human is just like God due to their special relations.[3]
In the book of John 1:1, the bible says in the beginning God there was Word and the Word was God. This indicates that the human being as created by God is in his own image.
The Bible gives the account of what God says about us in relations to creation. In the book of Genesis 1:26, God says let us make man in our own image, therefore, means that human being is made in the likeness of God and is made to resemble him. This is also seen from the way the human being is presented throughout the Bible. Everything is made for the benefit of man and for the man to rule. Man and women are created equally by God and they are created for them to live in harmony. God saw it better to create Eve as a companion to Adam and it is this kind of relationship that is advocated in the book of 1 Corinthians 11:1 and 1 Timothy 2. However, when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, the sin reduced the relationship human had with God, therefore, death was introduced. God being merciful decides to forgive men and send his son Jesus to save them from sins.
The doctrine of creation is significant and important in the life of Christian as it teaches them that they were created by God in his own image. Creation is fundamental to the Christian faith. In Psalms 8:3-5 the bible states that God made a man a little lower than angels meaning that human is an important creature, that is why Genesis 9:5-6 God forbid the killing of another man. Cursing another man is also forbidden in James 3:9-10. Just like creation was through the word of God salvation is revealed by the word of God, in Hebrew 4:12, it is written that the word of God is active and powerful and is like a two-edged sword. From the story of creation, Christian learns that God is the source of external and spiritual life. After the commission of sin by Adam and Eve, God brought physical and spiritual death. However, in Romans 6:4 provides that after baptism we walk in newness of life. God gave his son Jesus as the eternal giver of life as depicted in John 6:63, 68 where it is written the word of Jesus is spirit and life, they give eternal life.
The misconception that man evolved from monkey contradicts the doctrine of creation because if that was the case, people would still be evolving. It is also impossible to add new information to DNA, therefore it is impossible to shuffle, delete, duplicate or mutate information. Martin Luther King is a theologian whose teaching of the doctrine of creation is extensive. His description is not on what happened in the beginning but explores creation as the principal and permanent feature of actions of God.[4]
He understands that the response of human being gift to lie in the gratitude of the creature towards the creator.
In conclusion, the doctrine of creation is an important doctrine in the faith of Christian. Although the doctrine creation has been disputed by scientists like Charles Darwin who postulated the evolution theory, the doctrine is an important one in the life of Christians. As pointed out by Luther King, God is merciful and this mercy is traced to the creation story. The creation story demonstrates the position of man and the power of God. God created the world through words of mouth and his salvation will be achieved through his word.
Bibliography
Cortez, Marc. Theological anthropology: A guide for the perplexed. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2010.
Hume, David. Philosophical Essays Concerning Human Understanding: By the Author of the Essays Moral and Political. A. Millar, 1748.
Kolb, Robert. Martin Luther: Confessor of the faith. Oxford University Press, 2009.
White, Andrew Dickson. "A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology (Vol. 2)." (1896).
[1] White, Andrew Dickson. "A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology (Vol. 2)." (1896).
[2] Hume, David. Philosophical Essays Concerning Human Understanding: By the Author of the Essays Moral and Political. A. Millar, 1748.
[3] Cortez, Marc. Theological anthropology: A guide for the perplexed. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2010.
[4] Kolb, Robert. Martin Luther: Confessor of the faith. Oxford University Press, 2009.
