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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The Definition of World View

Provides a model of the world that determines our actions in the world

Provides a vision of lifeProvides a vision for life Determines our values

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Examining Differing World Views

The story of Anthony (pp 15 – 17)

Bathing Babies (pp 17 – 22)

Looking at Land (pp 25 – 30)

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What does Creation have to do with world view?

What is the role of the tenet of creation in the Bible?

Key passages on creationGenesis 1: created by the wordProverbs 8: created by wisdom

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Creation by the Word

Gen 1 God’s word is efficacious. The result of the promulgation is

pleasing.How many times does God say creation is

good?What is good about creation?

Creation responded appropriately.Creation is ordered and complex.

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Creation by the Word

Psalm 33:6-9Psalm 148:5-6

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Creation by Wisdom

Key QuestionsWho/what is Wisdom?When was Wisdom created?What is her role in creation?

Key PassagesProverbs 8 Job 28:25-27Proverbs 3:19-20

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How does creation distinguish God from other gods?

God is above creation, not part of it

God speaks creation into being God does not use sex to create

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What is the role of order in creation?

God ordered the unformed chaos (Gen 1)

God structured creation The order is stable and dependable The order is superintended by God Evaluate Deism

Deism = God spoke the world into existence and then left it to carry on . . .

Is this biblical?

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Where am I?

How would you answer this question based on the biblical world view?

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Who am I?

What does the Bible have to say on this subject?

Where should we look first?

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Humans and creation: In God’s Image

Gen 1:26-28: the image of God The wide sense = what distinguishes us

from animals and likens us to GodRational capacityMoral natureSpiritualityPersonhood

The narrow sense = the degree to which an individual conforms to the perfect character of God

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The Image of God: 2 key aspects

Our dominion over the earth

Our religious choice of serving God or idols

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Dominion over the earth

Gen 1: God’s roleGen 1:26-28: humanity’s role

DevelopPreserve

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Developing the earth

Culture: Rev 21:1-5Social interactionThe toledoth (generations):

Gen 2:4Historical/cultural development:

Gen 4:20-22

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Preserving the earth

Is exploitation biblical?Evaluation pantheism:

Should we revere nature? How should we understand

nature? Co-servants of God

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Who am I?

What have we learned about the biblical worldview on this question? We are creatures of God—co-servants

with the rest of creation.We are unique—we have been given

authority to develop and preserve.We are stewards: Matt 25:14-30

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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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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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Next Week

Chapters 3-5: The Fall and Redemption

Critical Thinking Paper #1: WM ch 5