Yes you have, but that doesn’t make you right. Gen 1:27 disagrees with your argument. (As well as 1 Cor 11:7)
I appreciate you actually engaging on this. Hopefully we can come to a mutual agreement.
Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Gen 1:27 is rather generic. I don't see how Gen 1:27 is actually contrary to what I said.
1Co 11:7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
As you're rightful acknowledging in other areas, there are degrees of depravity. There are levels to sin. Some sin is worse than others. Thus is true in many areas of theology.
Adam was certainly in some aspects, in the image of God. However, in many aspects He was not. That is why I said that Adam was not the final targeted work of Gen 1:27.
I've given several Scriptures as to why but I'll add a couple here because it "fits" well.
Jer 18:3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.
Jer 18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
Adam was peccable. Malleable. Changeable. Mutable.
You know why I know Adam wasn't the target, because Adam sinned. What God does... He does FOREVER... Nothing can be added to it. Nothing can be taken away. Those made in the likeness of Jesus Christ are targeted for immutability brother.
We are targeted for the things greater than how Adam was originally crafted.
1Co 15:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
1Co 15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
1Co 15:48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
1Co 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
If you will just abandon your traditional position and seek.... you will find. It doesn't matter how long you've believed your position. I say this with sincerity and not anything personal. Men that have taught certain things their entire lives to other men (like yourself) have a tendency to not want to embrace change. If they do, they have to admit they've taught others things that were wrong. I've been the same way myself.
Moses spent 40 years in the desert learning his inabilities and his weakness before he could ever embrace the strength God had prepared for him. Failure is a great teacher brother. One of the one worst things that can happen to a person in this life is to find endless success of his own efforts. It took Solomon a long time before he was prepared to write Ecclesiastes.
Failure isn't final with God. Failures leaves us weakened so as to embrace His Greatness.
And what does that prove? Are you saying they didn’t sin?
No. I'm saying they didn't sin after the likeness of Adam.
Rom 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
There is a reckoning of death upon the innocent that you're not accurately dealing with your belief. This shows that man isn't depraved in the manner you believe. We are peccable like Adam. We have choices to sin or not to sin. We will most definitely sin but it can be to a lesser or greater degree. It is never always the same. Abraham taught his faith to Isaac. Isaac to Jacob. The faithful having their work in humanity. Adam taught Seth. Seth taught others. Even when we are taught, it must ultimately become our own. Total depravity destroys these facts.
Which is why I'm with you on the ultimate sinfulness of all men but it is to a varying degree. When the Scriptures declare
"They have all gone out of the way", it is a witness to the absence of the faithful within humanity that brought this about. The flood. The death of Christ and ultimately the Return of Christ. Completion in this "threefold" construct we call life.
It is NOT a indication of being born total corrupted by sin in some supposed "image of fallen Adam".
That’s not what Paul says! Rom 7:For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
b 8But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.
9Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.
His awareness’s of his ability to sin came by the law, not what he saw in others.
I’ve never suggested anything different. In fact, the entire purpose of the law was demonstrate the sinfulness of sin.
Doug
Maybe I'm doing a poor judge of relating this. I probably am.....Example.....
"Thou shall not murder.....
What do you think you relate when you use these words?????
You're not only telling someone they shouldn't murder... but you're actually telling a peccable child that murder.... IS AN OPTION.
You're telling them it is a bad thing to do but you're ... ALSO..... telling the innocent ( those that know nothing of murder)........that they have an option of MURDER.
Same way when you tell someone tobacco is sin... you're giving peccable human beings the option to commit sin.
