Mister Richardson’s
Bible Doctrine Class

Chapter 11: The Creation of Man

Then God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
- Genesis 1:26-27
A. Man Used to Refer to the Human Race
B. Why the Creation of Man?
  1. For God’s glory.
  2. What is our purpose? - John 10:10; Psalm 16:11, 73:25,26.
C. Man made in the Image of God
  1. Meaning of the image of God - Genesis 1:26.
  2. God’s image in man is distorted by man's fall into sin - Ecclesiastes 7:29.
  3. Christ progressively recovers God’s image in man - Colossians 3:10.
  4. Complete restoration at Christ’s return - 1 Corinthians 15; 1 John 3:2.
  5. Specific aspects of being made in God’s image:
  6. Our dignity as bearers of God’s image.
D. The Essential Nature of Man
  1. Trichotomy, Dichotomy, and Monism.
  2. Biblical view:
  3. Benefits of dichotomy view - The body is not evil or unimportant.
Verses quoted in Chapter 11

TERMS
Dichotomy, image of God, likeness, monism, soul, spirit, trichotomy.

REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What does it mean to be made in the image of God?
2. What effect did the fall of mankind have on our being made in God's image? What is God's remedy for this?
3. Does there appear to be any difference between Scripture's use of the word spirit and its use of the word soul? Explain.
4. List two Bible verses that are used to support the trichotomist view of man and give the dichotomist response to them.

PERSONAL APPLICATION QUESTION
1. How should an understanding of the image of God determine the way you think and act toward people who are different racially, or those with mental or physical handicaps, or those who are unattractive, or even those of different religions or nationalities?

ARTICLES
Origin of Man - Charles Hodge
Nature of Man - Charles Hodge
Unity of Man - Charles Hodge

RECOMMENDED READING
Evangelical Feminism: A New Path to Liberalism? - Wayne Grudem

WESTMINSTER SHORTER CATECHISM
Q1: What is the chief end of man?
A1: Man’s chief end to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

Q10: How did God create man?
A10: God created man male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.

Q12: What special act of providence did God exercise toward man in the estate wherein he was created?
A12: When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of perfect obedience;1 forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon the pain of death.

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