Customer Reviews

Humanity & Sin (Swindoll Leadership Library)

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Bob Pyne has written a book that has covered the biblical witness concerning the areas of creation, sin, and the fall, and done so in a very assessable and highly readable way. I have to say that I really enjoyed reading this book. Though it's written in a readable manner, it contains heavy subjects which the Christian must consistently think and reflect upon.

The subject of creation, sin, and the fall might be the three areas which are least touched in Christian churches and seminaries. Some might say, "Well my church has taught on the fall from Gen. 3." One or two sermons about the fall in Genesis 3 are not only inadequate, but unbiblical. After the fall, the entire scripture is a commentary on the plight of man and the redemptive-historical work of God. Whether you read the Book of Ecclesiastes of the Epistle to the Romans, the Old Testament or New Testament, all of it is framed in light of the fall of creation and chaotic affects Adam's sin brought into all of creation. This was no "isolated event" like a Pelagian and Semi-Pelagian person would believe. This one sin brought utter chaos and endless catastrophe to the world. The Fall of humanity is either the strict context (such as Ecclesiastes or Romans) or at least a background (such as the Major, Minor Prophets) in which every biblical writer engages his audience. To merely give a sermon here or there about eating forbidden fruit has entirely missed the point. Thankfully, Dr. Pyne does a masterful job at capturing the biblical teaching.

Secondly, I really know of no church that has even attempted to teach thoroughly on a biblical doctrine of creation - the Imago Dei, the origin of man, the divine mandate, the eschatological purpose of man and creation (a uniquely Reformed view), the Kingdom of God, and the roles of men and women to one another on the earth. Without this focus, a large majority of scriptural truth is lost while the remaining scripture is left unconnected and fragmented. Dr. Pyne does a thorough job in engaging these areas through survey form (since that was the purpose of the series), but still argues convincingly for the importance of each area, with the exception of the eschatological purpose of Adam, an area restricted to Reformed (Federal) theology. I'm not sure Dr. Pyne would hold to this understanding as one of the essentials in Adam's purpose, but he certainly agrees with the main tenets of Reformed orthodoxy. This area is not an essential, but does help in the biblical interpretation of man's purpose in the original created order.

My final comment would be that Dr. Pyne seeks to make each reader aware of the desperate state that each of us, along with this world, is in. More than anything, Dr. Pyne communicates the gravity of Adam's sin and the effects it has had on individuals, humanity, and all of creation. This is where all Christian theology and Christian ministry must begin. The problem in most American churches is that ministers or lay workers attempt to tell people "the Answer" when most people don't even know the question. How can we fully embrace the Answer, who is a Person, God in flesh, the Lord Jesus Christ, without fully knowing the question, the problem, the disease we all have through our birth as a son or daughter of Adam? Without a proper focus on our purpose here through God's original creation, and without a truly biblical understanding of Adam's sin (which is our sin as well) and the irreversible effects it has taken on our human constitution, culture, and earth, we will never truly understanding the amazing grace that is offered freely through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Bob Pyne has given the Christian community a work that accurately engages these issues and helps frame the Christian mind from a proper biblical perspective. To God be all glory, honor, and praise.

Excellent treatment of man's purpose and destiny. Exegesis is excellent, and clear. Especially thought provoking is linking of Imagio Dei to glory. Implications of theology well thought out, and stimulating. A must read for theologians, pastors and laymen alike

or..the study of sin.

If you want thought-provoking answers to life's most probing questions from a biblical perspective, read this book.

I think this book is okay - not outstanding - not poor - just okay. At one point Pyne seems to be arguing a point I would disagree with... He states that one does does not need to 'naturally sin,' but that we are morally inclined to sin... I would argue from Scripture the opposite. Romans indicates that we all have an original sin nature imputed to us through Adam, therefore anything we do without faith is sin (Rom 14:23). Gandhi demonstrated that it is possible for man to live morally apart from faith, but Rom 14:23 clearly shows that apart from faith in God's revelation (i.e. Christ) then anything one does - however morally upright - is sin.

Overall the book is a good presentation of hamartiology, but Pyne's theology seems to be a little off in a couple of places in my humble opinion.