1. Session 20: WCF Chapter VI - Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment Thereof, Sections 1&2

2. How I Prepare for Each Class
During the week:
Study upcoming Confession sections.
See how they are grouped – find their natural breaks.
Read various commentaries on the sections: - Hodge, Williamson, Van Dixhoorn, Pipa and Patterson.
Find interesting themes, structures and prevalent heresies.
Research Internet sites for additional input.
Assemble slides, including prooftext references.
Assemble accompanying notes.

3. How I Prepare for Each Class
Sunday morning:
Drink tea with caffeine.
Review slides and notes.
Make any needed revisions or additions.
Print notes and copy slides to laptop.
Pack another tea with caffeine to drink in class.
Take two headache pills with caffeine.

4. Genesis 3:13
2 Corinthians 11:3
Romans 11:32

5. CHAPTER VI - Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment thereof
1. Our first parents, being seduced by the subtlety and temptation of Satan, sinned, in eating the forbidden fruit. This their sin, God was pleased, according to His wise and holy counsel, to permit, having purposed to order it to His own glory.

6. Neo-orthodox Theology
Devised by Karl Barth in response to European rationalism.
Appeared to affirm Biblical accounts.
However, it affirmed the Bible only symbolically or mythically, not literally.
Thus, neo-orthodoxy held that Adam was not a literal person and did not sin on a particular, literal day in a literal Garden of Eden by eating a literal fruit of a tree called the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.”

7. Genesis 3:6-8
Ecclesiastes 7:29
Romans 3:23
Genesis 2:17
Ephesians 2:1
Titus 1:15
Genesis 6:5
Jeremiah 17:9
Romans 3:10-18

8. CHAPTER VI - Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment thereof
2. By this sin they fell from their original righteousness and communion, with God, and so became dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all the parts and faculties of soul and body.

9. “Total Depravity” Does not mean that fallen man:
became intellectually impaired (of low IQ)
lost enhanced powers of reason, emotion or will
had his faculties of human nature destroyed or blotted out
is so sinful in degree that nothing “human” remains and therefore becomes a “pure devil” rather than a man.

10. “Total Depravity”
Does mean that the whole of fallen human nature is perverted so as to become wholly contrary to God.
Refers to the extent of the damage rather than the degree.
God restrains evil in this world. However, unregenerate man will, over time, become totally evil in degree.

11. “Total Depravity” A totally depraved person:
replaces God with false idols.
serves the creature rather than the Creator (Romans 1:25).
makes himself or something in the created world his reference point.
has all thoughts proceeding from a starting point other than that of humble submission to the Word of God.
may be quite intelligent, but always thinking in sin.
may have a strong will, but one that is utterly unable to come to Christ.
may have strong human affections, but ones that are inevitably set upon the things of the world.

12. What is the meaning of the following statements?
“You cannot understand the cross of Christ without understanding the fall of man.”
“The rest of the Bible is just a footnote on Genesis 3:15.” (This verse states that after Adam and Eve fell, God said to the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring.”)

13. Understanding man’s fallen nature has practical implications for…
Civil Government – The establishment of checks and balances within the three branches of government (judicial, legislative, and administrative branches) was influenced by James Madison’s having been taught for years by the Presbyterian theologian, John Witherspoon, of man’s fallen nature.
Church Government - Rule by a group of elders recognizes the danger of putting one man in charge (I Peter 5:1-3).
Our presentation of the gospel.

14. Personal
Personal
Focus
Focus

15. How does our fallen state affect our presentation of the gospel?