But you have not so
learned Christ,
if indeed you have
heard Him,
as the truth is in
Jesus: that you
put off, concerning
your former
conduct, the old man
which grows
corrupt according to
the deceitful lusts,
and be renewed in the
spirit of your mind,
and that you put on
the new man which
was created according
to God, in true
righteousness and
holiness.
Ephesians 4:20–24
I begin
with the above Scripture to remind us that we are to learn Jesus Christ for in
Him is truth. We are to put off the ‘old man” and put on the “new man” which is
from and by God and in which dwells righteousness and holiness. Sin drove a
wedge between God and man for God is Holy, Just, and demands from His creation
the worship which is due Him as our creator. Man has this need even though some
would reject this need so that they can continue in their deceitful lusts, but
there is this sin that they must acknowledge and in their autonomous ways they
ignore this fact, or tacitly agree that sin exists but will not do anything
that will keep them from this antinomian life. There are those men who search
for answers about life, sin, the origin of the soul, and they seek a way back
to God only they have not learned Jesus Christ for they follow after
philosophies that suit their presuppositions as to who God is, why things
exist, especially man, and develop elaborate theologies to prove their point:
They have not learned Jesus Christ. I have given some information as to what
some have devised in regards to the origin of the soul: i.e., preexistence of
the soul, and Origen’s theology as to preexistence of the soul and
metempsychosis or an endless transmutation of the soul, a doctrine never
accepted by the Church. I speak of important question in regard to the origin
of the soul as to whether or not the soul is immediately created, or, whether
it is generated by the parents (Traducianism). When it is spoken of the soul
being immediately created there is a term used; Creationism, when we speak of
the soul being generated by parents we use the term; Traducianism, which I will
elaborate on so as to learn what the Bible says about these questions. The
Greek Church favored creationism as the true nature of the soul. The Latin
Church with Tertullian as a major theologian held to a theology of materialism,
that is by the use of the language of materialism the soul was as much begotten
as the body. Jerome (347 A.D.–420 A.D.) who was a Roman Christian priest,
confessor, and theologian as well as historian and who became a Doctor of the
Church opposed this doctrine that the soul was begotten when the physical body
was begotten and held to the doctrine of creationism. Augustine (354 A.D. –430 A.D.) was adverse to this
doctrine but in his argument with Pelagius of the propagation of sin he became
to favor the theory of Traduction, but could not fully receive this doctrine.
Creationism became subsequently the almost universally received doctrine of the
Latin Church. The Reformation of the Protestants adhered to the same doctrine.
During the seventeenth century the Lutheran Church adopted the theory of
Traduction even though earlier they favored creationism. Among many of the
Reformed theologians, Calvin, Beza, Turrettin, and others, were creationists.
In recent times German theologians are inclined to realism in any form, and in
some manner have become advocates of Traducianism, although this is not the
universal opinion of the German philosophers. We therefore must examine both
Traducianism, and Creationism so that we can see what is true according to
Scripture. This will be the thrust of the next blogs starting next week.
Until we
take the time to investigate these theories take the time to examine your own
opinion(s) about these theories. Take a look at your Church and even ask the
pastor questions on this matter so that you can understand what your Church’s
opinion and position is on this subject. Read your Bible, do word studies on
the soul which is a good way to know Scriptures. It is a good way to learn
Jesus Christ and the truth. The apostle Paul gave us much to ponder and it
would be good to record here what we need to learn: “And He Himself gave
some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and
teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and
of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed
to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of
men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth
in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the hear––Christ––….”
(Ephesians 4:11–15.
May Sunday, the Christian Sabbath,
Be A Day Of Rest
Richard L. Crumb
