Selected Shorter Works of Herman Bavinck

Chapter 1

Genesis comes out in these details which are told us in the second

concerning the forming of man. The first chapter tells of the creation of heaven and earth and lets these lead up to the making of man. In this chapter man is the last creature called into existence by God's omnipotence.

Chapter 2

Genesis 1:26 and 28—had as its nearest purpose that man should fill,

subdue, and have dominion over the earth. Such dominion is not a constituent element of the image of God. Nor does it, as some have maintained, constitute the whole content of that image. Moreover, it absolutely is not a

Chapter 3

14. Deut. 2:30; Judges 15:19; Ezek. 3:14; Luke 23:46; Acts 7:59; 1

Cor. 2:11 and 5:3-4. The History and Development of the Doctrine of Predestiantion Herman Bavinck The Development of the Doctrine of Predestination among the Reformed (continued): the Controversy in regard to Infra- and

Chapter 4

3. A decree determining the eternal salvation of some on the

ground of foreseen faith, and the eternal punishment of others on the ground of foreseen unbelief. A totally different order was presented by Augustine. At times he makes reprobation a part of predestination, but even th

Chapter 5

2. A decree to elect some out of this corrupt mass unto eternal life,

and to allow others to remain in the perdition wherein they have involved themselves. Accordingly, both election and reprobation presuppose a fallen humanity, a “corrupt mass.” From this it appears that Augustine usually

Chapter 6

3. Finally, a decree determining the means whereby the end in

view will be realized. Augustine does not directly deduce a decree establishing the means unto perdition from the decree of reprobation as such. He does teach that even in regard to sin God proceeds in an active and posi

Chapter 7

1. A decree determining the purpose for which God would create

and govern all things, namely. the revelation of his virtues, esp. of his mercy and of his justice; respectively, in the eternal salvation of a definite number of men conceived as yet only as possibles, “creatable and fa

Chapter 8

4. Finally, a decree to manifest God's mercy in the elect by

providing a Mediator for them and by granting them the gifts of faith and perseverance, and to show God's justice in the reprobate by withholding saving grace from them and by giving them up unto sin. In this order of th

Chapter 9

C. The supralapsarian and infralapsarian interpretation of the

decree: (1) Points of agreement. Both agree: (a) That God is not the Author of sin (supra as well as infra). (b) That Scripture (not philosophy) is the only source of our knowledge of God's decree (supra as well as infra

Chapter 10

1. Supra is correct when it maintains that God's glory is

the final goal of all God's works, but the manner in which that goal will be realized is not thereby given; it is incorrect to say that in the eternal perdition of the reprobate God reveals his justice only and that in t

Chapter 11

2. According to supra the decree of predestination has

for its object possible men and a possible Redeemer; but just how are we to conceive of a decree concerning possible men whose actual future existence has not even been determined? 3. Supra makes the damnation of the rep

Chapter 12

5. Both are one-sided: supra emphasizing God's

sovereignty; Infra, God's righteousness, holiness, and mercy. (4) The author's conclusion in regard to the whole matter: “God's decree should not be exclusively described . . . as a straight line to indicate a relation m

Chapter 13

19. Isa. 43:3, 11; 45:15; Jer. 14:8; and Hos. 13:4.

20. 1 Tim. 1:11; 2:3; Titus 1:3; and 2:10. -- 120 of 204 -- 21. 2 Tim. 1:10; Tit. 1:4; 2:13; 3:6; 2 Peter 1:11; 2:20; and 3:18. 22. 2 Cor. 4:4; Col. 1:15; and Heb. 1:3.

Chapter 14

4. The Character of the Fall

The question concerning the origin, the age and the written record of the history of the Fall in Genesis 3 need not be discussed here. For in the first place, science can never reach to the oldest origins and the ultimat

Chapter 15

1. Meaning of Genesis 3:

That Genesis 3 gives us an account of the fall of man, of the loss of his primitive innocence and of the misery, particularly death, to which he has since been subjected, cannot reasonably be denied. The opinion of the O

Chapter 16

Genesis 3 is not in the least meant to relate to us how man obtained

the idea of his nakedness and sexual passions, and from a state of childlike innocence changed in this respect to manlike maturity (Eerdman's De Beteekenis van het Paradijsverhaal, Theologisch Tijdschrift, 1905, 485-511)

Chapter 17

2. Genesis 3 in the Old and the New Testaments:

It is indeed remarkable how very seldom the Old Testament refers to this history of the Fall. This is not a sufficient reason for pronouncing it of later origin, for the same peculiarity presents itself at the time when,

Chapter 18

Genesis 3 relates to us. Sin, for example, is common to all men (1

Kings 8:46; Psalms 14:3; 130:3; 143:2), and to every man from his conception (Genesis 6:5; 8:21; Job 14:4; Psalms 51:7). It arouses God's anger and deserves all kinds of punishment, not only of an ethical but of a physic

Chapter 19

Leviticus 26:14 f; Deuteronomy 28:15; Psalms 90:7, etc.); the whole

of Scripture proceeds from the thought that sin and death are connected in the closest degree, as are also obedience and life. In the new heaven and new earth all suffering ceases with sin (Revelation 21:4). Therefore re

Chapter 20

3. The Fall and the Theory of Evolution:

Tradition does little toward the confirmation and elucidation of the Biblical narrative of the Fall. The study of mythology is still too little advanced to determine the ideal or historical value which may be contained i

Chapter 21

4. The Character of the Fall:

What the condition and history of the human race could hardly lead us to imagine, holy Scripture relates to us as a tragic fact in its first pages. The first man was created by God after His own image, not therefore in b

Chapter 22

1. Conception of Sin and Death:

According to Genesis 2:17, God gave to man, created in His own image, the command not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and added thereto the warning, "in the day that thou eatest -- 130 of 204 -- there

Chapter 23

2. The Meaning of Death:

This is decidedly expressed in Scripture much more so even than among ourselves. For we are influenced always more or less by the Greek, Platonic idea, that the body dies, yet the soul is immortal. Such an idea is utterl

Chapter 24

Deuteronomy 22:21; Judges 16:30; Job 36:14; Psalms 78:50), and of

defilement by coming in contact with a dead body (Leviticus 19:28; 21:11; 22:4; Numbers 5:2; 6:6; 9:6; 19:10 ff; Deuteronomy 14:1; Haggai 2:13). This death of man is not annihilation, however, but a deprivation of all th

Chapter 25

3. Light in the Darkness:

The dread of death was felt much more deeply therefore by the Israelites than by ourselves. Death to them was separation from all that they loved, from God, from His service, from His law, from His people, from His land,

Chapter 26

4. Spiritual Significance:

This revelation by degrees rejects the old contrast between life on earth and the disconsolate existence after death, in the dark place of Sheol, and puts another in its place. The physical contrast between life and deat

Chapter 27

Deuteronomy 30:20); His word is life (Deuteronomy 8:3; 32:47).

Life is still for the most part understood to mean length of days (Proverbs 2:18; 3:16; 10:30; Isaiah 65:20). Nevertheless it is remarkable that Prov often mentions death and Sheol in connection with the godless (Isaiah

Chapter 28

5. Death in Non-Christian Religions and in Science:

This view of Scripture upon death goes much deeper than that which is found in other religions, but it nevertheless receives support from the unanimous witness of humanity with regard to its unnaturalness and dread. The

Chapter 29

15. John 1:1; 20:8; Rom. 9:5; and Heb. 1:8-9.

16. 1 Cor. 13:14; 1 Peter 1:2; 1 John 5:4-6; and Rev. 1:4-6. -- 166 of 204 -- The Greatness of God by Herman Bavinck On the very first page of the Bible the absolute transcendence of God above His creatures comes to ou