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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Distiction in "will" not "rationality" | Gen 3:1 | DocTrinsograce | 154156 | ||
Dear Bob, Thank you for your encouragement. Citing Genesis 1:26, you wrote, "That says that there was something _different_ that was going to happen, doesn't it? Or would you suggest that it is just differences of 'degree' rather than some difference of 'kind?'" You are correct in deeming the creation of man as distinct, unique, and unprecedented in respect to the rest of creation. You are also correct in demonstrating this fact from this particular passage in Scripture. I also agree that the question is important, blessing those who carefully deliberate it from the Word of God. Finally, I do not think that the answer lies entirely in kind or degree. God has created an exquisitely complex universe. Indeed, we are discovering that the complexity is mind-boggling at macroscopically, microscopically, and everything in between. Of course, this is only the natural universe. We know very little of the supernatural world, certainly very few of its details. Beyond these things, we know nothing. However, we do know that making galaxies and butterflies is peanuts compared to the redemption of fallen man! The inescapable conclusion is that God Himself it thoroughly complex. Indeed, we would barely know anything of Him had He not graciously revealed Himself through His Word. God has to approach us on a level we can understand. John Calvin described Scripture as an example of divine accommodation to weak and puny humans. He asserted that God uses baby-talk to us. :-) Humans have a penchant for simple answers. Some of the statements of Scripture are deceptively simple. However, the details or mechanics behind those statements are either entirely mysterious or, more likely, utterly inscrutable (Deuteronomy 29:29). Christ explains this sort of thing in John chapter 3 as He describes the second birth to Nicodemus. Humans spent quite a little time trying to fit the platonic solids into the orbits of the planets. Although they thought the explanation was straightforward and elegant, the truth ended up being a lot more complex. Now all that said, there are some "simple" distinctions between man and beast: no beast sins, no beast can repent, no beast can pray, no beast can be redeemed, no beast lives forever, no beast is the temple of the Holy Spirit. I guess what I'm saying is that unless the Scripture gives a clear, definitive answer, the answer is probably either beyond our ability to understand or God has chosen not to reveal it to us. Perhaps one day believers will ferret out the answers, but that seems unlikely to me. I love Jonathan Edwards, but he tended to push pretty hard for answers. John Calvin would often say something along the lines of "...beyond this the Scripture is silent, therefore I can say no more." I'm sorry I can't shed much more light on this question... and thanks for not going to sleep! :-) In Him, Doc |
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2 | Distiction in "will" not "rationality" | Gen 3:1 | RWC | 154312 | ||
Good day! My apologies that it has taken so long to reply. If I may sir, I would like to press you a little more for your thoughts here. Yes, you are right in saying, "Humans have a penchant for simple answers," and I am, no doubt, as guilty of that as anyone. I am not deliberately trying to _over_simplify this question (or my proposed answer), but perhaps that is, in effect, what I am doing. If that is so, please be patient with me. You wrote: "Finally, I do not think that the answer lies entirely in kind or degree." I would agree that there are (sometimes great!) differences of "degree" in many of the attributes that we share with the rest of the animal kingdom, including intellectual and affective (emotional) abilities. But the _only_ attribute that I have been able to come up with so far that seems to be distinctly different (that is, different in "kind") between us and the rest of the animal kingdom is that quality of volition (the ability to choose something other than that which is the strongest or greatest immediate desire). Is there anything else specifically that you can think of that: 1. would distinguish us from the rest of the animal kingdom and; 2. which would be part of that image of God that we were designed to reflect? You also wrote, "I guess what I'm saying is that unless the Scripture gives a clear, definitive answer, the answer is probably either beyond our ability to understand or God has chosen not to reveal it to us." Would you not agree that the Scriptures teach us that we are responsible (accountable) for our actions (and that animals are not) because we have at least some ability choose (that animals do not have)? I must say too that it seems to me that this thread has moved away from the question of animal intelligence (rationality) and migrated to the subject of the image of God. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to move this discussion to Ge. 1.26 Thank you again for your time and thought. Bob BTW: what are "platonic solids" and what do they have to do with the orbits of the planets? Sorry, but that paragraph was lost on me. |
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3 | Distiction in "will" not "rationality" | Gen 3:1 | DocTrinsograce | 154333 | ||
See post 154332. | ||||||