Henry listened as his teacher explained that man knew God before his fall in Paradise but lost this knowledge and became ignorant of Him after the fall.
After thinking about this, Henry asked, "Is fallen man ignorant of God? Doesn't everyone have a knowledge of God from creation and his conscience?"
"Yes," his teacher answered, "all people know that there is a God. But the knowledge man had before the fall was a personal knowledge of who God was. Adam personally knew God, loved Him, and lived in communion with Him. It is this personal, intimate knowledge of God that man has lost in the fall. Fallen man knows that there is a god - but he does not personally know and love the true God."
Seeing Henry's puzzled look, his teacher continued, "Let me give you an example. Let's pretend that Susan's uncle is mayor of our city. You, Henry, know that there is a mayor - but you do not personally know him because you have never met him. But Susan not only realizes that there is a mayor, she also knows who he is - she knows him personally, loves him, and talks with him. That is the difference between Adam's knowledge of God and fallen man's."
Why is this difference important?
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How do the answers to Henry's questions reveal the difference between the knowledge of God in the wider and narrower sense of God's image? Which knowledge has fallen man lost entirely? Which does he yet retain in a damaged sense? |
