Understanding the Biblical World View

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The 4 Basic Questions of Life

Where am I?What is the nature of the universe/world?

Who am I?What is my nature/task/purpose as a

human?

What’s wrong?What is evil?

What is the remedy?How do I find salvation and overcome evil?

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Last time: Creation

The doctrine of Creation answers:Where am I?

God’s good creation which is meant to be developed and preserved

Who am I? God’s culture-forming image bearer

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This time: The Fall and Redemption

The doctrine of the Fall answers:What’s wrong?

The doctrine of Redemption answers:What’s the remedy?

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The Fall: What’s wrong?

How does the biblical worldview answer this question?

Where do we start?

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Humans and the Fall

Gen 3:1-13: the Fall of HumanityWhat was the Fall?What were the consequences?

Gen 3:14-24Romans 8:19-23

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What is sin?

The choice: worship God or idolsRemember:

The image of God means humanity is to rule and to reflect God.

What is Sin?Sin = disobedience = failing to be

the image of God

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What is sin?

How do we know there really is a creator God?Rom 1:18-32

What is at the core of humans? God = CreatorHumans = creatureHumans have a need to worship

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What is idolatry?

Idolatry Idolatry = worshipping the creature

rather than the Creator.Rom 1:21-25

Idol = a false image of GodHumanity = the true image of God

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Image and idolatry

The image of God idea is only mentioned in 4 times in the HB:Gen 1:26-27Gen 5:1Gen 9:6

After that, idolatry enters the pictureThe term image: humans and idols

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Image and idolatry

An idol Idol = a symbolic image designed to

mediate and manifest the god’s glory and rule

What is humanity’s role as image of God?

So, what’s wrong with idolatry? It is false worship It is false imaging

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What does God require?

The Ten Commandments: Exod 20:1-5No other godsNo idols

What are the consequences of disobedience?Gen 3:14-18Deuteronomy 30:15-20Rom 6:22-25

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The sacred/secular split

What is the sacred/secular split? What is the biblical view?

Is God interested in the “secular”? Isaiah 28:24-29Exodus 31:1-5

Are there sacred versus secular jobs/skills?

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What’s wrong?

What is the biblical answer to what’s wrong with the world?

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Redemption: What’s the solution?

How does the biblical worldview answer this question?

Where do we start?

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Why redemption?

What is the problem? Gen 6:5

What is the solution? Gen 3:15: the hope of redemption

Who is the offspring? The descendants of Adam and EveJesus

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The History of Redemption

A covenantal historyThe original covenant = with

creationThe Noahic covenantThe Abrahamic covenant

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The Noahic Covenant

Gen 6:5-15The problem: the world abounds

with sinThe punishment: the floodThe hope: Noah

Gen 6:15-20Gen 9:1-17

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The Abrahamic Covenant

Gen 12:1-9 Gen 13:14-17 Gen 15:1-21 Gen 17:1-21 The new holy people The family, the land, and the people of

Jesus The preparation for Jesus

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The New Covenant

Jeremiah 31:31-341 Corinthians 11:25Hebrews 8:6-13Hebrews 9:15

The Gospels: The kingdom of God The Messianic kingdom

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The Kingdom of God: universal re-creation

Themes:All creation will be redeemedRedemption is redoing something

(reconciling, buying back from slavery, etc.)

Mark 1:14-20 Luke 4:16-21 Rom 8:19-23 Acts 3:21 Rev 21:1

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The activity of Jesus

Binding the strong manMark 3:20-30

Inaugurating the kingdomRenewing the image of God

Rom 5:12-19 Col 1:152 Cor 4:4-6Eph 4:13

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The activity of the Holy Spirit Pentecost

Acts 2:15-21 Renew us:

Rom 12:1 Eph 4:24

Guarantee our future inheritance 2 Cor 1:22 Eph 1:13

Instruct and guide us 2 Tim 3:16-18 Heb 4:12 2 Cor 3:8-9

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The benefit of the communityThe body of Christ = the Church

1 Cor 12:7-31Christianity is not individualistic

Human culture-forming is communalMinisters of reconciliation

Work in the fallen worldBring repentance, forgiveness,

healing, and renewalChange cultural patterns

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Sacred and Secular: No division The elements of life:

Physical, emotional, biological, intellectual, political, aesthetic, economic, ethical, devotional, etc.

Redemption = the restoration of our obedience to the

will of God= our re-creation

Remember: all things in creation are good; nothing is intrinsically evil as a creature

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Back to the questions:

What is wrong?

What is the remedy?

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Next Week

Chapters 6-9: Dualism