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Rev. L. Starke Jones, Pastor,
Woodville Baptist Church
MAN, THE CROWN OF CREATION
One of the greatest debates in modem times has been over the origin of man. The various theories of evolution are theories and nothing more. They will remain only theories until the so-called "missing-link" between man and lower forms of life, such as the ape, has been found and proved. It has not been found, and in my judgement never will be. The popular view today is to accept Darwin's theory of the origin of the species. But among his contemporary responsible anthropologists that view was by no means universally accepted. And, while debate still goes on, I know of no conference of anthropologists which records the formal adoption of any evolutionary theory as to man's origin.
For those who believe the Bible the origin of man is quite simply stated in Genesis 1:27 and 2:7. "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him... And the Lord formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." The Southern Baptist convention in Kansas City in 1963 adopted "The Baptist Faith and Message" which has this to say about "Man":
"Man was created by the special act of God, in His own image, and is the crowning work of His creation. In the beginning man was innocent of sin and was endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice. By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. Through the temptation of Satan man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original innocence; whereby his posterity inherit a nature and an environment inclined toward sin, and as soon as they are capable of moral action become transgressors and are under condemnation. Only the grace of God can bring man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the creative purpose of God. The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore every man possesses dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love."
Regardless of how they arrive at it, both the Bible and science agree that man is the crown of creation.
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