The Doctrine of Man - His Original Duties and Responsibilities.

God Created man :

1) To assume headship over all nature. Gen 1:26  Then God said, "Let us make humans in our image, in our likeness. Let them rule the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the domestic animals all over the earth, and all the animals that crawl on the earth." GW

The New Testament shows us that Man eventually will assume headship over the entire Universe. Heb 2:5  He didn't put the world that will come (about which we are talking) under the angels' control.

Heb 2:6  Instead, someone has declared this somewhere in Scripture: "What is a mortal that you should remember him, or the Son of Man that you take care of him?

Heb 2:7  You made him a little lower than the angels. You crowned him with glory and honor.

Heb 2:8  You put everything under his control." When God put everything under his Son's control, nothing was left out. However, at the present time we still don't see everything under his Son's control. GW

Man to Rule the Universe

2) Man was to make his headquarters in Eden and especially to care for this beautiful Garden in paradise. Gen 2:15  Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to farm the land and to take care of it. GW

3) Man was to provide names for every living creature. Gen 2:19  The LORD God had formed all the wild animals and all the birds out of the ground. Then he brought them to the man to see what he would call them. Whatever the man called each creature became its name.

Gen 2:20  So the man named all the domestic animals, all the birds, and all the wild animals. But the man found no helper who was right for him.

4) Man was to love and protect his wife, Eve. Gen 2:23  The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She will be named woman because she was taken from man."

Gen 2:24  That is why a man will leave his father and mother and will be united with his wife, and they will become one flesh.

5) Man was to reproduce himself and populate the earth. Gen 1:28  God blessed them and said, "Be fertile, increase in number, fill the earth, and be its master.

6) Man was to enjoy all the fruits of the various trees. (except one) Gen 2:16  The LORD God commanded the man. He said, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden.

Gen 2:17  But you must never eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because when you eat from it, you will certainly die."