Description
There are 4 responses Write a 75-100 word response to the peer comments .
Response 1.) Jayne
Christianity shares commonalities with three main views: (Myers and Noebel, 2015), young age creationism, progressive creationism, and theistic evolution. Theistic believe that God created the cosmos billions of years ago and used the natural process of evolution in his work.
Religious pluralism (Myers and Noebel, 2015) recognizes that religious diversity exists in a diverse society. Descriptive pluralism teaches that humankind should respect other competing religious beliefs to maintain harmony within our society. From a Christian viewpoint, the commonalities that clarify how Theists and Christians agree is that one God is the creator and that evolution (biology) gives a clear picture of the symbolism between biology and the natural process of humankind. For example, generations evolve mentally, and children grow out of childhood and generation sickness such as asthma, polo, etc.
Reference:
Myers, J., & Noebel, D. (2015). Understanding the Times: A Survey of Competing Worldviews. Summitt Ministries. ISBN: 978-1-4347-0958-5
Response 2.) Eric
In chapter 11 of Understanding the Times, Myers & Noebel (2015), the authors define theistic evolution as the belief that God created the cosmos many years ago and developed the process of evolution for diversity of life. Theistic evolution explains that God started everything and is compatible with the modern scientific understanding of how the universe was created. The Bible is one of the most reliable sources of knowledge about God than any other book. With that being said, scientific evolution is irrelevant to the Bible because it is simply not a science book. The creation story in Genesis 1 tells us that God created the heavens and the earth, not how God created it.
Myers, Jeff; Noebel, David A. Understanding the Times: A Survey of Competing Worldviews (p. 29). David C Cook. Kindle Edition.
Response 3.) Mary
There are several points of this scripture that standout to me. As God had “finished” creating the work that he had spoke into existence- He “rested”. God is faithful He positioned Himself to appreciate the qualities of His creation by taking the time to get the rest that His body was requiring and reviewing His finished product to see where He will focus His attention on next. Our foundation, spiritual and physical is rooted only in God as our soul identifies with His spirit. God spoke man in existence by forming him from the dust of the ground then breathed the breathe of life into his nostril. With the power of His voice, God created the heavens and the earth and everything that is in it. Our soul is eternal because it will survive death of the body as in philosophy, the soul is the essence of a human being and it is His workmanship. According to Meyers and Noebel (2015). “Christians see evidence of God everywhere; history, theology, philosophy, science, mathematics, and logic all point to the existence of a creator”. That creator possesses and holds the key to our soul.
Reference
Myers, J. & Noebel, D. (2015). Understanding the Times: A Survey of Competing Worldview. Summitt Ministries. ISBN: 978-1-4347-0958-5
Response 4.) Carter
Genesis 2:7 records “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (King James Version). Still, the English Standard Version has a different translation for Genesis 2:7 “then the Lord God formed the man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” (2001).
I have been contemplating this topic for some time now. The Hebrew word that is often translated “soul” (pronounced nephesh) has many different meanings throughout the Old Testament. Sometimes “nephesh” can be used for a person’s throat or for physical breath (Brotzman, 1988).
According to Pleijel (2019) “To speak, for example, of a soul, separated from human corporeality, would be to superimpose Hellenizing
conceptions on the biblical material. This is a consensus that, although questioned by some, has continued to prevail in Hebrew Bible scholarship to this date.” (p. 1).
In short, not all Christians believe in Mind/Body Dualism, and some scholars believe that the idea of mind/body dualism stems from a Greek influence on early Christians. I am unsure of what to believe, but the ultimate fate of the Christian is the resurrection. The Bible is clear on this account.
Bible gateway passage: Genesis 2:7 – King James Version. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%202%3A7&version=KJV (Links to an external site.)
Brotzman, E. R. (1988). Man and the meaning of nephesh. Bibliotheca Sacra, 145(580), 400409.
English Standard Version Bible. (2001). Crossway
Pleijel, R. (2019). To Be or to Have a nephesh?: Gen 2:7 and the Irresistible Tide of Monism. Zeitschrift Fu?r Die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft, 131(2), 194206. https://doi-org.wmcarey.idm.oclc.org/10.1515/zaw-2…
