Was Jesus Like Adam Before or After the Fall - Research Paper Example

In other words, Jesus was reached by sin but not contaminated. Outline Adam, Sin and Its Consequences to the World A. The Nature of Adam Before the fall According to Cairus, God created man in his own likeness, and gave man dominion over the earth. He created man to not only sing his praises, to manifest his glory and worship Him, but also to create a fellowship with Him. Man was created in God’s image, but was not a reflection of God, but was more like a painting – Cairus makes the example that the sun may reflect upon the water, and this is an image of the sun; a painting may also make an image of the sun.

One, the reflection upon the water, represents the sun itself making an image; the other consists of a creation of the sun on a canvas. The way that God made man was more like the painting then the reflection upon the water. So, like a van Gogh making a self-portrait, God essentially created a self-portrait when he created man. Moreover, only man was created in the image of God, according to Cairus, and this was shown by the fact that the land the creatures of the world, created before God, were pronounced “good,” while the creation of man was pronounced by God to be “very good.” . Cairus solves this conundrum by stating that the reason for this is God gave man “freedom” or free will.

This is what makes man autonomous and individual, as opposed to being merely a reflection and image of God. Adam was given this freedom, and, when he was created he was considered to be “innocent” - this means that he was not yet tempted by sin, therefore he was pure and without sin. Adam and Eve, who was created from Adam's rib, were God's helpers on earth, and were created to serve Him and enjoy a happy communion with Him in paradise.3 God created Adam and Eve as a pair, and He celebrated the first marriage.

God also stated that, as long as the first pair did not betray Him, that they could live in paradise for eternity and have dominion over all things.4 Fowler states that Adam and Eve, as the first representatives of humankind came to earth after a divine council, and the members of the Godhead chose to make mankind in the image of God. The dominion, coupled with the fact that man was created in God's image, meant that Adam and Eve were “crowned in God's glory and honor,” according to Fowler.

5 Since they were created by God, Fowler states that they were to be totally obedient to God, and pledge allegiance only to Him. For Him, Adam and Eve were to give unconditional love and obedience, unreserved praise and absolute gratitude. They were also commanded to hold no other divinity above God. This would include the person's self – the self must never come before God, and this was one of the commandments upon Adam.6 Essentially, Adam was to put nothing before God, and put nothing between himself and God, and must reject the temptation to equate the self with