Doctrinal Statement on Anthropolgy

I believe that God created man in His own image. Man was created one the sixth literal day of the creation week by the direct act of God (Genesis 1:27). Man is made in the image of God, but humanity is distinct from God (MHT 317). On the flip side, man is not an animal. Man was given the responsibility of dominion over the animals (Genesis 1:26, 28) (NBD 722). God also gave man a soul (Genesis 2:7) and I believe that God supernaturally gives each person a soul at the moment of conception in the womb of his or her mother (STV2 81).  With all of this taken into account, I believe that the highest duty of man is to bring joy to God.

I believe that Man has a sin nature. While sin originated with Lucifer, sin entered into the human race through Adam and Eve. “If Adam was not a real creature who brought sin into the human race at one point in history, then there is no point to Jesus ‘redeeming humanity at another point in history” (MHT 319). The historicity of this event is essential if an analogy is to be seen in Romans 5:12-21. Because of this sin, all humanity is now subject to death. I believe that man is formed in sin and we are guilty before God because of Adams sin. We were not present in Adam when he sinned, but Adam represented the human race when he sinned (Federal view of sin’s imputation) (Romans 5:12) (MHT 324).

I believe that the composition of man is a Dichotomy. There is no controversy over the fact that man is made up of a physical body, but controversy does come in over the rest of man’s composition.  1 Corinthians 14:14 is a common proof text for Trichotomy and John 13:21 is a common proof text for Dichotomy. I personally hold to Dichotomy because I believe that a human’s soul and spirit are interchangeable terms and not two separate entities. This belief is not a fundamental to the faith and there are no grounds for separation over this viewpoint.