Dr. Henry Morris has died

http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2006/0225morris.asp ^ | February 25, 2006

[Tim Long]

Dr. Henry Morris, founder and president emeritus of the Institute for Creation Research and the “father” of the modern creationist movement (especially with The Genesis Flood, which he co-authored in the early 1960s) had in recent days suffered a series of debilitating small strokes, and passed into the presence of his Creator and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Saturday evening (February 25).

Dr. Morris, 87, had been receiving care in a San Diego area convalescent hospital. According to his son, Dr. Henry Morris III (Executive Vice President of the Institute for Creation Research), the elder Dr. Morris “remained cogent and alert up until the last few moments. My brother John (President of ICR), my sister Mary, and my sister Rebecca were with him just prior to his passing.”

In a note emailed late Saturday night to ICR board members and friends of the family, Dr. Morris III shared that “Dad has had a wonderfully full life, much blessed by our Lord, and we are rejoicing and celebrating his ‘well done’ now in the presence of his Lord.”

Ken Ham, president of Answers in Genesis–USA and co-founder of Answers in Genesis–Australia, wrote to AiG leadership that

Dr. Morris is one of my heroes of the faith. He is the man the Lord raised up as the father of the modern creationist movement. The famous book The Genesis Flood, co-authored by Dr. Morris and Dr. Whitcomb, was the book the Lord used to really launch the modern creationist movement around the world. It was the first major creation book I read, and had a special place, therefore, in the beginnings of the creationist movement in Australia. Our prayers are with the family. Please pray for the family, the staff of the Institute for Creation Research, and for all those whose lives continue to be changed by the many books and articles authored by this great man of God during his long and productive life.

Please check our home page for any updated announcements.

[Zeroisanumber]

I believe I saw him present some of his evidence for creationism on Penn & Teller's Bull@#!t a while back. I didn't agree with him, but he seemed like a nice fella. Very well-spoken and cordial.

[Star Traveler]

Hi Tim,

You asked -- "Then who did Abraham see when he received the three visitors, who I believe were revealed to be God and two angels, before the destruction of Sodom?"

It was the pre-incarnate Jesus and two angels.

"Pre-incarnate" is simply before His birth as a man. Since He has *always* been God and existed before the creation, He was easily here at the time of Abraham . He is the Creator, and so, was here before the universe and everything that has been created.


And also -- "And could you provide a verse for the fully God, fully Man statement? I have long heard that."

That's a basic and long-held doctrine of the historic Christian church. As far as a verse -- it would have to be a "study" of many verses, all related -- which would be quite involved.

If you wanted to be very simple (and not go through the complexities of it all), you can easily see, by reading the Gospels, that the Jews understood Him to be claiming to be God (hence the "blasphemy" they attributed to Him -- and also the statement "Only God can forgive sins...", which Jesus made clear He could do.). That's the God part. A study of the attributes of God, shows that Jesus had all the same attributes as God, the Father. And likewise, that pertains to the Holy Spirit. They all have the same attributes.

And then -- it's clear that he was born a man -- at a particular point in time. He didn't simply appear as a spirit, and "play out life" as a "pseudo-man -- but was born. He grew up through childhood and into being an adult. And was certainly a man who could be killed (in the flesh). He died on the cross. His death was confirmed. That's the man part.

Thus, fully God and fully Man.

If you want to get more complex -- then you could go through a much more thorough theological study. But, I don't think I'm going to do that here. There are plenty of materials available for that purpose.

Since it's an absolutely foundational aspect of the historic Christian Church -- there is going to be no shortage of materials on that subject.

You could also look into the heresies of the Christian Church, concerning who Jesus Christ is -- which would give you more insight into His character and being.

Jesus Christ is like us -- in being Man and is like God the Father, in being part of the Trinity. He is the bridge between us as humans and God as the Father.

I hope that helps -- as far as something can go on Free Republic. There are better places to find out about the Trinity and Jesus Christ -- than here.

Regards,
Star Traveler

[zeeba neighba]

It was the pre-incarnate Jesus and two angels

I don't disagree and have heard it preached, but what is the authority used, do you know?

[Tim Long]

Aren't the OT references to the Angel of the LORD considered to refer to the pre-incarnate Christ as well? And if you were fully God and fully man, wouldn't you have to be a sinner and not a sinner simultaneously? That's why I thought Christ was God in a man's body; so fully God, but not fully man.

[Star Traveler]

You said -- "The Wikipedia link led me to some interesting reading."

Yes, it is interesting reading that. I like it. But, it does have its limitations.


And then you said -- "Amazing how many variations of the Trinity theme occur among Catholicism, Protestantism, Orthodox, Mormon, etc."

Well..., considering that Mormons say that Jesus is the brother of Satan (i.e., the Devil) -- I don't think I would go down that track. Regardless of what any Mormon posters will want to say -- they have always been considered a "cult" (in the religious meaning of the word). They do *not* follow any semblance of historic Christianity and deny the basic doctrines therein. There is plenty of material on that, already -- so I won't duplicate it -- other than to state it. Go elsewhere to verify that the nature of Mormonism (i.e., the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) is a "Christian Cult". I would not take my "doctrinal teachings" from the Mormons in order to learn what the historic (and present-day) Christian Church teaches (according to the Bible).

I would stay in the "general vicinity" of Evangelical Christianity for an accurate "reading" of what Historic Christianity says -- according to what the Bible itself says.

Regards,
Star Traveler

[Star Traveler]

You said -- "Aren't the OT references to the Angel of the LORD considered to refer to the pre-incarnate Christ as well?"

I don't know about every single reference of that usage. But, I would say that most of them do apply to the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ. These are things which are studied intensely in theology courses. I don't think I'm up to a theology course.


And you also said -- "And if you were fully God and fully man, wouldn't you have to be a sinner and not a sinner simultaneously? That's why I thought Christ was God in a man's body; so fully God, but not fully man."

This fully God but not fully man discussion has been hashed out by the Christian Church a long time ago. Now it's accepted -- only because it's been a settled issue for over a thousand (and more) years. It's been hashed out and discussed thoroughly. It's still studied in theology courses, though -- and you could do the same. The historic heresies that pertain to who Christ is will give you help on that -- if you study them. Those will provide the contrast to the truth of the matter that the Christian Church (at large) accepts today as the *teaching of the Bible*.

That's the key today -- "Is it the teaching of the Bible?" -- and not -- "Is it the settled traditions of theologians?"

It's just that the theologians are the ones who have had the time to explore all the angles on it and look into the past and bring it all together in connection with the Bible. It's the Bible that is the authority on the issue -- and not the theologians. But, the theologians (at least the right ones, because there are cults out there) will give you the right references and the right reasonings from the Bible.

The Bible is pretty clear on the fact that Jesus Christ was sinless. And then -- there is the Virgin Birth -- which places Jesus Christ *outside* of the normal and traditional process for being born. But, yet -- He was born of a woman, as the scriptures tell us. Being outside of that normal and traditional process for being born -- He is outside of sinful condition of mankind. And then, in His life, He committed no sin.

He is fully Man and yet, fully God.

I hope that helps somewhat.

Regards,
Star Traveler

P.S. -- To me, it's extremely comforting to see that Jesus Christ is fully Man and fully God. As Man, He is locked into the physical world that we live in "as "mankind" -- while being fully God, He is "timeless" and "outside of the creation that we live in. Jesus Christ is locked into being a Man forever and ever -- and thus is forever linked to us (as mankind) while being forever linked to the Godhead (as in the Trinity). He is one of us. God became one of us. How comforting.

[Tim Long]

I don't like how many people throw these doctrines at you with no scriptural references. For instance, I am not aware of verses that say God is omniscient, omnisapient, omnipotent and omnipresent, as is often said. I don't doubt these things, but it would be nice if the theological backed up their statements.

[EternalVigilance]

God's richest blessings of peace and hope to his family.

[Star Traveler]

Hi Tim,

You said -- "I don't like how many people throw these doctrines at you with no scriptural references. For instance, I am not aware of verses that say God is omniscient, omnisapient, omnipotent and omnipresent, as is often said. I don't doubt these things, but it would be nice if the theological backed up their statements."

I can appreciate that. If you don't get into what the Bible says -- itself -- and only go by what a bunch of people say, you'll simply be going back and forth all over the spectrum. The Bible is definitely the one and only and final authority on all this.

The fact of the matter is that it's easier to have learned these things once -- and just remember the "shorthand" of it all. To have to go through all those studies every time a person talks to another person about it -- would be like discussing the engineering aspects of building a car, every time you asked someone to take a ride down to the grocery store.

So, you're really not going to get all the study materials (and verses) from people who repeat the "shorthand" of it all.

HOWEVER -- all is not lost. Just get a Christian "Systematic Theology" book and you'll have the "time of your life" going through these things. It will all be in there.

And, you know..., that's what church is for, too -- besides the worship services. There are the classes for study. They have them every Sunday and every Wednesday. You have ample opportunity to get all of that -- as much as you want to spend your time on.

Normally, most people build up their understanding of all these things over a period of years. You could accelerate this process and go through it in less than a year -- for sure -- if you wanted to.

It's more or less up to you, as to how much you want to put into it -- in terms of your understanding of what the Word of God says.

But -- in terms of salvation -- that does not take years and years to understand. That's simple.

The Bible says (Romans 10:9-10) --

9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

That doesn't take years to understand. If you have already done that, that's great. The rest of your life is growth in the faith, along with your increasing understanding of what God's Word says.

God-speed on your studies. There's lots there.

Regards,
Star Traveler

[Tim Long]

It was the pre-incarnate Jesus

"And the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?'" - Gen. 18:13

I believe the LORD, in all caps, refers to God the Father. So wouldn't it have to have been Him instead of the pre-incarnate Christ.

[Greg o the Navy]

I for one will be very unhappy if it doesn't play out that way. That's what brought me and millions of others into the voting booth in Nov 2000 and again in Nov 2004. If the Prez and Congress don't deliver the goods on this issue and pro-life, I'll be very much less inclined to do grass roots work for the GOP in 2008. Many in my church feel the same. We're owed for our work and we expect payment.

[Matchett-PI]

He's at peace now and knows the truth of his life's work." ~ Dr. Eckleburg

Here's an observation from another forum some of you might find interesting:

“It’s a bad way to finally discover the truth. May he rest in peace.” ~Dick Fischer ~ http://www.genesisproclaimed.org

http://www.asa3.org/ASA/topics/Evolution/PSCF12-93Fisher.html

http://www.asa3.org/ASA/topics/Evolution/PSCF3-94Fisher.html

[Star Traveler]

You said -- "I believe the LORD, in all caps, refers to God the Father. So wouldn't it have to have been Him instead of the pre-incarnate Christ."

How would that fit into no one having seen God the Father, except the Son? In other words, wouldn't that mean that Abraham saw God the Father?

And if so, then why does the Bible say -- "No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him." [John 1:18].

And Jesus said of Himself -- "Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father." [John 6:46]

"Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?" [John 14:9]

You see what I mean?

Jesus Christ is the full and complete and total revelation of God the Father.

---

You might also like to listen to David Hocking on "Hope for Today" -- as he's an extremely good teacher and preacher and does a good job on the person and character of Jesus Christ. He relates that to who Jesus is, in terms of the Trinity and God the Father. It's very interesting to have him go through the Bible showing these things from Scripture. I would recommend you go over his materials for your own benefit. Check out his web site. Get some of his studies. That's what you really need to start doing -- those "studies" and going into all these things -- and specifically into these very things you are asking. He does a much better job of it than anyone else I've heard (and certainly better than I could).

Regards,
Star Traveler

[Tim Long]

While I agree that it should be that way, it is just nearly impossible that around 50 years of precendent will be thrown out with automatically. It will be very difficult to undo what judges have wrought for half a century.

[Tim Long]

Perhaps God was covered, so that no one could have seen His face. I think that chapter fairly clearly points to God the Father.

[steve86]

The Wikipedia reference actually makes the point that Mormons do not believe in Trinity in the Christian sense. They do believe in the three aspects of God acting in concert, but in their doctrine Jesus, The Father, and The Holy Spirit are three different beings -- completely different from the dogma of my own religion, Traditional Catholicism (not "Evangelical Christianity"). My point of the original post was that wide variations in the idea of Trinity exist, as well as subtle ones. The Mormon variation is one of the more extreme and outside the realm of Christianity. In other respects, IMHO, the modern-day Mormons are quite "Christian-like", and in daily works more Christian than many who claim the title.

Besides the presumptuousness of your implying that I take my doctrinal teachings from the Mormons -- this could hardly be more wrong -- you have implied I am taking anything I read on Wikipedia to be "The Truth". My intention in reading these articles was not to find The Truth, which comes from my church, but to learn a general background and history of Christian Trinity. These articles serve very well in that capacity. The articles typically include both advocate and critical points of view on each system of beliefs if you follow the links. You also err in presupposing that the information on Mormon beliefs was necessarily contributed by Mormons (they certainly have the opportunity to do so).

[Star Traveler]

You said -- "Besides the presumptuousness of your implying that I take my doctrinal teachings from the Mormons -- this could hardly be more wrong -- you have implied I am taking anything I read on Wikipedia to be "The Truth"."

Well, sorry you took it this way. I didn't really think I was talking directly to you, but rather -- simply stating those things for anyone else who might read it -- where I might not know who could be reading it (and what their own background was or is). You can think of it this way -- I reply to one comment but answer to a crowd, not knowing exactly where everyone is at.

Don't take it personally -- unless it fits.

I could say a lot more (and I sort of want to) but, I'm getting worn out typing (been doing it for half a day now, it seems). So, I'll quit and see what happens tomorrow.

Regards,
Star Traveler

[Star Traveler]

You said -- "Perhaps God was covered, so that no one could have seen His face. I think that chapter fairly clearly points to God the Father."

Okay, let's say God, the Father's, face was covered. Then whose face was seen -- if it was not the Father?

And, if I remember right, God the Father is not "flesh" but Spirit. And if that is so -- whose "flesh" was Abraham seeing?

Let's just say that I think a lot of this will be cleared up in Systematic Theology study.

Regards,
Star Traveler

[fortheDeclaration]

He's at peace now and knows the truth of his life's work.

Amen.

[fortheDeclaration]

Thus, it makes the most sense in that he will be in the "presence" of the Son, Jesus Christ -- as Christ says He will be with us "always".

True, and to see Christ is to see God in the flesh. (1Tim.3:16)