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NASB | Genesis 1:26 ¶ Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Genesis 1:26 ¶ Then God said, "Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]; and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over everything that creeps and crawls on the earth." [Ps 104:30; Heb 1:2; 11:3] |
Bible Question:
Did God Create Man Mortal? If God didn’t create man mortal, why did he make a tree that could impart immortality? Part One. 1. The Purpose of the Tree of Life. Some in the Forum believe man was created mortal based on the existence of the Tree of Life (Gen. 3:22), and what is taken as merely a passing reference to man’s death in the curse (Gen. 3:19). Based on these two things, they also believe that the death that God threatened for disobedience was spiritual only and not both physical and spiritual. They believe that God made the Tree to sustain man physically, while man’s obedience would sustain him spiritually. Makes sense, doesn’t it? But is it true? So, what was the purpose, rather, what was God’s purpose in creating the Tree of Life? He doesn’t say, does He? Some may say, “Well, God says, ‘he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever,’ doesn’t He?” Yes, He does, but is that a purpose statement, or is it simply stating what the tree could do? It is a statement of fact, not of purpose. The tree could impart immortality; therefore God put man out of the garden to prevent man from eating from it. Why? The reason God prevented man from becoming immortal was so that his curse would be fulfilled, so that curse of death would be completed or culminated. It should also be noted that if God had let man eat of the tree, man would have live forever in a fallen state. Now THAT would have been a nightmare! Again, God does not say WHY He made the Tree of Life. The whole purpose of the other thread on this subject was to try to answer that question. But to conclude that God MUST have made the Tree of Life because He made man mortal is not justified unless one can first prove from Scripture that man was in fact created mortal in the first place. What I’m saying is that the reasoning is backward. It starts with the supposed purpose of the tree, then reasons backward to postulate man’s mortality. Man’s mortality came as a RESULT of God’s curse for Adam’s sin, not as a result of being created that way, which I will write about more later. “(T)hrough one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men…” Rom. 5. Also, the Tree of Life mentioned in Revelation will not be for the purpose of sustaining man physically either, because according to 1Cor. 15 we will be resurrected with immortal bodies. 1 Cor. 15:42, 52-54 “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body… and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.” Revelation does say that “the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” Rev. 22:2 |
Bible Answer: Lionstrong First let me say your response is excellent, one of the best on this forum on any subject. I think some others need to rethink their opinion of you. Let me take this point by point. Your Point 1 Purpose of the Tree of Life Fact There is a Tree of Life. Theory 1. If man could eat of the Tree of Life and live forever, then wouldn’t we have to conclude the Tree of Life could remove the curse of sin, provided physical death was the curse? 2. Why did God make a Tree of Life and why do we see it again in Revelation and through all eternity? Could it be man in an immortal body needs it for life? 3. Does God do anything for no purpose? Fact God told Adam he would die, Adam understood that. Theory 1. Adam understood death because he had seen it. 2. When Eve ate of the tree she didn’t die physically, was Adam surprised or did he understand the death of the curse to be spiritual? Fact Adam and Eve eat of the tree of good and evil. They did not die physically but rather spiritually. Tree of life would have kept them alive physically. Theory 1. Curse of sin was strictly speaking of spiritual death and that is exactly what occurred. Physical death came about because they no longer had access to the tree of Life. Your point 2 Man’s mortality Fact Man is mortal Theory 1. Was man created this way? I can’t say for sure but I think yes. 2. Notice no where does it say man put on mortality, no where does it say man went through any kind of process. Fact For man to become immortal he has to be transformed. The bible uses the words “put on”, “changed’, “transformed”. However none of these words are used or implied in relation to man and mortality at the fall. All references you show under point 2 in reference to death could and do pertain to spiritual death, and since physical death did result it also can and should be included. That is not to say it is part of the curse but rather a result of the curse. Point Three Sin’s penalty At salvation what takes place? We become alive spiritually for eternity. We are still going to die physically but one day we will put on incorruptible. Hasn’t happened yet but will one day. 1 Cor. 15:53-54 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. [54] But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory. Jesus’ substitutionary work on the cross involves more than physically dying so we wouldn’t, since we still do. Jesus was a substitute for the sin offering, it was His blood poured out in a covenant between Father and Son, it was the perfect sacrifice, it was buying us for a price, it was becoming sin as the perfect scapegoat, it was giving himself for us, he was the Passover lamb. All of which speak of sin and spirituality rather than something tangible and physical. Your 1 Peter 3:18 reference rather than making your point confirms to me what I’m saying. Fact because of sin man died spiritual and also physically. Jesus provided a way for both of those to be reversed. I focus on the spiritual since that is eternal and to me far more meaningful than the temporal life here on earth. My spiritual well being is far more important to me than my physical well being. I think far too much emphasis in the church today is placed on the physical rather than the spiritual and to me that down plays what Christ did on the cross. Be Blessed my Brother Ed |