Are People Basically Good? (Volume 25)

Crucial Questions #25

by R.C. Sproul

The philosopher Blaise Pascal called man the supreme paradox, because compared to all other creatures, he is both the most magnificent and the most miserable. What did Pascal mean? The answer goes to the heart of what the Bible says about man.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Nonfiction, Christianity, Christian Non Fiction, Audiobook, Religion

57 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2016

About the author

Dr. R.C. Sproul (1939–2017) was founder of Ligonier Ministries, an international Christian discipleship organization located near Orlando, Fla. He was founding pastor of Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Fla., first president of Reformation Bible College, and executive editor of Tabletalk magazine.

Ligonier Ministries began in 1971 as the Ligonier Valley Study Center in Ligonier, Pa. In an effort to respond more effectively to the growing demand for Dr. Sproul’s teachings and the ministry’s other educational resources, the general offices were moved to Orlando in 1984, and the ministry was renamed.

Dr. Sproul’s radio program, Renewing Your Mind, is still broadcast daily on hundreds of radio stations around the world and can also be heard online. Dr. Sproul produced hundreds of lecture series and recorded numerous video series on subjects such as the history of philosophy, theology, Bible study, apologetics, and Christian living.

He contributed dozens of articles to national evangelical publications, spoke at conferences, churches, and academic institutions around the world, and wrote more than one hundred books, including The Holiness of God, Chosen by God, and Everyone’s a Theologian. He signed the 1978 Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy and wrote a commentary on that document. He also served as general editor of the Reformation Study Bible, previously known as the New Geneva Study Bible.

Dr. Sproul had a distinguished academic teaching career at various colleges and seminaries, including Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando and Jackson, Miss. He was ordained as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America.

Reviews

[Charles van Buren · Rating 5 out of 5]

The answer, of course, is no

The answer, as anyone who studies and believes scripture knows, is no, we are not basically good. All have sinned and gone astray. One of our many problems is that because of humanity's fallen nature, we aren't basically good, can't be basically good but many of us want to be good. The only answer to the dilemma is God's grace. Unmerited, unearned grace given as a free gift of God.

For those who don't believe Scripture, there is human history to tell us that man is not basically good. Little things such as roughly 10,000 recorded wars in roughly 10,000 years of recorded history. And this does not take into account the wars lost to history and those too small for history to even notice. One of our major predilections is killing each other in mass or individually. Nothing man can do will ever stop it. Humanity's salvation is in God, not ourselves.

[Mykaël Arsenault · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dans ce court livre, Sproul expose clairement la doctrine biblique de la nature de l’homme ainsi et présente clairement son état suite à l’entrée du péché dans le monde. Il touche à la question de l’image de Dieu, du libre arbitre, ainsi que d’autres sujets importants. Comme à son habitude, Sproul est clair dans son enseignement et il s’appuie toujours sur les Écritures afin de fonder sa pensée.

[Ethan Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. Basic intro to this topic. If you are already familiar with the doctrine of Total Depravity, then this won't be helpful. But for someone who wants to learn, I'd say it's a decent recommendation, just gets off topic too much. Decent read.

Interesting statement, biology teacher.

[Alex Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

No.

[Emmett Hogendoorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d recommend it to anyone first seeking the answer. There’s a lot more to be said, and I don’t imagine many people feeling satisfied with this short answer. But it’s a fine starting place

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: When I was in high school, my biology teacher told me that my value as a person was $24.37. He was adding up the value of all the minerals in the body—zinc, copper, potassium, etc. Today, thanks to inflation, that total would be around $160. That’s still a paltry sum. But it is one way to take the measure of a man.

The question posed in this short booklet is "Are People Basically Good?" Your answer to that question says a lot about you and your worldview. I think it is in our human nature to answer, YES, people are deep-down basically good. But is human nature to be trusted in this regard? in any regard?

Sproul answers the question from a theological standpoint. What does the Bible have to say on this issue? What does it say about humanity's creation? It says quite clearly that we were created in the image of God. What does the phrase 'in the image of God' mean? What did it mean before the fall? What did it mean after the fall? How does being created in the image of God impact our view of mankind--of humanity--today in our everyday lives?

Also. What does the Bible have to say about the fall? about sin? Why is the doctrine of original sin so fundamental to a right understanding of ourselves? Can you hold a right opinion of humanity if you fail to have a right opinion of God? of God's holiness?

Lastly. What does the Bible have to say about salvation? about God's sovereignty in election? Do humans have free will? Do they have liberty? Apart from God's effectual call, would anyone ever choose to believe the gospel? Sproul argues that original sin has radically corrupted our free will, our desires. We do not desire God. We do not seek after God. We do not love God. We do not want to obey and in fact cannot obey God.

This is a very good--though brief--introduction to Total Depravity or Radical Corruption.

[Crina -Ruth Ala · Rating 5 out of 5]

« Noi suntem asemenea lui Dumnezeu, așa încât, cu cât înțelegem mai mult cine este Dumnezeu, cu atât mai ușor este pentru noi sã
înțelegem cine suntem. »

« Creatorul există prin propria putere, dar oamenii nu pot exista prin puterea lor. »

«Dumnezeu te-a creat, și te-a creat după chipul Său. Făcând asta, El ți-a dat o capacitate si o nevoie dupa reverență față de Creatorul tău. »

« Nimeni nu poate sa fie mântuit prin meritele sau faptele omului. »

« Avem nevoie de Mântuitor.
Avem nevoie de cineva care sã se ocupe de insasi miezul umanitatii noastre, de cineva care sã poata intra in conditia omeneasca si sã
obtină pentru noi ceea ce avem nevoie disperata
- neprihănirea. »

[W. Derek Atkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Brief Exploration of Human Nature

In this short book, R. C. Sproul examines what makes humans unique, as well as the question that is the title of this book, Are People Basically Good. Sproul does an excellent job of laying out biblical teaching on the nature of our humanity, including the reality of human sinfulness and our need for salvation through Jesus Christ. If you’re interested in exploring this question, think book is an excellent place to begin that exploration.

[Orchis-Italica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a feeling R. C. Sproul is going to be my new rabbit hole.

[John Yelverton · Rating 4 out of 5]

R.C. Sproul does a fantastic job answering one of theology's most difficult questions. He splits hairs over totally depravity, but that doesn't greatly detract from his concise investigation into this deep issue.

[Jared Abbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is milk, not meat, and is intended as such. This would be great for new Christians to read. Unfortunately, this milk is a lot stronger than the watered-down doctrine taught at many evangelical churches, so it would be good for many longtime churchgoers as well.

[Bill Pence · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this booklet in his Crucial Questions series, the late Dr. R.C. Sproul looks at what Scripture says about the nature of man, including such related topics as the image of God and the reality of sin. He writes that the Scriptures tell us that humans, male and female, are defined as creatures made in the imago Dei, or the image of God. Whatever happened to mankind in the fall, man still bears the image of God. What uniquely stamps us as bearing the image of God has to do with our ability to mirror and to reflect the character of God.
He tells us that two things that every human being absolutely must come to understand are the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man. Sin is not an external blemish, but something that goes to the very core of our being. “Radical Corruption”, a term the author prefers to “Total Depravity”, means that the sinful nature goes to the root or the core of human experience. The heart of the matter is that we, though made in the image of God, transgress His law.
He tells us that we are taught that man is basically good. Yes, we have imperfections and blemishes, but underneath all the surface problems, everyone is righteous. But the Bible simply does not teach that man is basically good. In his letter to the Romans, Paul writes: “As it is written, ‘None is righteous, no, not one’” (Rom. 3:10). The author tells us that this idea runs contrary to everything that our culture teaches. There are people who think they have enough goodness to satisfy the demands of God—but they have no goodness that meets the requirements God has set forth.
The author addresses the subject of original sin, which refers to our sinful condition. He tells us that we sin because we are sinners, not that we are sinners because we sin. Since the fall of mankind, it is the nature of human beings to be inclined and drawn toward sinfulness. We are born with a disposition and an inclination to sin.
The only way we can possibly be obedient to the commandments of God is if He helps us in the process by extending grace to us and enabling us to do what He calls us to do. The Bible says that the desires of man’s heart are wicked continuously (Gen. 6:5).
The author tells us that we always act according to the strongest inclination that we have at a given moment, which is the essence of making choices. That’s what freedom is: the ability to choose according to what you want.
If he is left to himself, the desires of man’s heart are only wicked continuously. His heart and soul are dead to the things of God. But, the author states that there is one thing that Christianity has that no other religion has, and that is an atonement. Christianity addresses is the problem of guilt. It takes guilt seriously, because it takes man seriously, and it provides a Savior. In His mercy, God has made a way to be reconciled to Him.

[Elijah Abanto · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The fundamental issue that Christianity addresses is not morality or liturgy; what Christianity addresses is the problem of guilt. It takes guilt seriously, because it takes man seriously, and it provides a Savior who gives us a new humanity, and who begins to clear away the fog on the image that we bear—cleaning it up, erasing the defects, reshaping it to bring us into conformity to Christ, so that in looking at us, people can begin to see a likeness of the character of God. In His mercy, God has made a way to be reconciled to Him and to have the obscured image of God restored in those who trust in Christ alone for salvation—so that we may bring Him glory and show forth His holiness to creation once more."

An insightful and beautiful book by R.C. Sproul on the human condition.

[Gavin Felgate · Rating 5 out of 5]

The question of whether people are "good" is certainly a different one, and it's the only one that I've heard other Christians have a fierce row about.

This book is full of the philosophical references that I'm used to from R.C. Sproul, and starts with the whole concept that we were created in God's image, before explaining that the reason people sin is because of the fall, in Genesis 3.

This felt like a challenging read at times, as R.C. Sproul discussed various theories from scholars about why people are predisposed to sin (he sets out that the idea that "we sin because we are finite" is wrong). Although the book's ultimate conclusion was that none of us is without sin, the book did end with a positive note by reminding me that this is why Jesus came to save us.

[Luke Schmeltzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Sproul does, as always, an excellent job at explaining the biblical, philosophical, and historical argumentation of an idea. In this booklet, he the effects of the image of God, the effects of the Fall, and the corrupted nature resulting. It was a good booklet, but it seemed hard to follow at times; Sproul went on a few tangents that made it seem a little meandering instead of attacking the issue head-on. It could have used a little more analysis of the relevant Scriptures, but that's just me. Worth the read!

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual, Dr Sproul gives a cerebral and scriptural answer to the question, "Are People Basically Good?" from a Reformed perspective. I certainly recommend this book to anyone who is pondering this question.


As usual, Dr Sproul gives a cerebral and scriptural answer to the question, "Are People Basically Good?" from a Reformed perspective. I certainly recommend this book to anyone who is pondering this question.

[David Leto · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t Mr. Sproul’s best.

Unfortunately, this short book takes on some major issues. I fully understand that this was not meant to be a thorough representation of the subject matter but the short unfair comments that are made to undermine legitimate positions of other believers makes one think that Dr. Sproul thinks St. Augustine was the Lord himself.

[Andy Febrico Bintoro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nature of Human

A quick read about who the human really are. This is a basic question in philosophy and an important one for the perspective we are in, it would conclude our actions toward ourself and others. Though i'm not agree with all the doctrines here, but this small book would help us understand more about the nature of human being biblically.

[Cassie Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

In today’s society, most of the population considers humankind to be good at the basic level. But is that what the Bible teaches? In this addition to the Crucial Questions series, R.C. Sproul looks at common misconceptions, philosophical, and theological arguments about the question: Are people basically goo? And the answer might surprise the modern man.

[Rodney A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sin is real, but it is also defeated

Listening to someone talk about the condition of man, and not fear mankind in general, is refreshing. It is better to see life as it is than to live a life of pretending, or maybe in our day, a virtual reality.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably my favorite of these tiny books so far. I enjoyed reading about the fallen nature of man and how biblical, reformed thought compares to Pelagius' view of man. I do plan on re-reading this for it all to sink in more.

[إسراء]

الكتيب بيناقش بشكل مصغر ماهية البشر، وعلاقتهم بالله وطبيعتهم الخاطئة بعيون الإنجيل.
الكتيب فيه أفكار معقولة وأدهشني قد ايه الإنسان مطلوب منه يشعر بالذنب كجزء أصيل منه في الديانة المسيحية "حسب ما وضح الكاتب طبعا".

[Sharon Hennessy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear and concise as to why we need a saviour.

Mr Sproul, explains with clarity the question asked drawing upon the word of God supported by words of Augustin etc.,. He tells us why we are not good and why every man needs a saviour.

[Zach de Walsingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a neat and short overview of original sin and depravity from a Reformed Protestant viewpoint. He also emphasized how the material world and body are created good (contra incipient gnostics) and not a “prisonhouse of the soul”.

[Steve VK · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read!!

This is a quick but vital read that everyone ...not just Christians... Need to work through. Humanities sinfulness is extremely misunderstood and this short book clears things right up.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written Well and Thorough

This short booklet was very well done, easy to understand, and filled with pertinent information backed up with scripture. If you're looking for something to read on the Christian faith, this would perhaps be a good book for you.

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb overview of the doctrine of total depravity (the "T" in TULIP).

[Douglas Gates · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't answer all my questions, but answered a few. Helpful little book.

[Michael Schmid · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good little book explaining the nature of sin.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are they?

A small book dealing with a big issue that has been debated for hundreds of years. It does so well.