Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."
The HCSB lists seven truths in this verse that the rest of the Bible is based:
1. God exists. The first step in our faith is to recognize that God exists.
2. God existed before there was a universe and will exist after the universe is gone.
3. God is the main character in the Bible.
4. God has done what no human could ever do - create. He is Creator God.
5. God is mysterious. The Hebrew word for God is plural, but all the verb tenses are singular, which alludes to His triune nature.
6. God is the Creator of Heaven and Earth. Not just manipulator of existing material - He calls it into being through His Word.
7. God is not dependent on the Universe, but it is totally dependent on God.
I think that it is interesting to note that there is no attempt to prove God exists in Genesis. This was written during or close to the time when no one doubted God. Adam and his family has no reason at all to doubt God existed.
Genesis Creation Story is Unique
The Genesis creation account is unique in ancient creation in five main areas:
1. The identity of God - God has no origin and no female counterpart. Many of the other stories were based in a sexual union of the male and female counterparts to create the world. The world in these stories is also divine, but Genesis places the world where it belongs, as a non-supernatural reality brought into existence by a supernatural God.
2. No rival Gods - The other versions are generally polytheistic and have some sort of struggle between rival gods.
3. Creation out of nothing - No preexisting eternal pre-created matter that was formed into our present reality. Other versions make use of some preexisting matter in one way or another.
4. The Value of Humanity - Humans have a special place in the Genesis account and are actually created in the image of God. Other versions place no real importance on humans in the created reality.
5. The Sabbath - This sabbath is not tied to the movement of the stars or some other naturalistic pattern and is unique to the Genesis account.
The theology presented in Genesis is so unique from that of the stories from surrounding areas that it is best explained as historical or divinely inspired and not the imagination of the author.
Read Genesis 1:1-25
Gap Theory - Some biblical scholars try to reconcile the Bible with Evolution by proposing a gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. They change the word was to became and propose that this period was when Lucifer was cast down to earth. This doesn't follow the actual translation, etc...
Read Handout on old earth theory.
Question: Is there a particular issue that is giving you reason to doubt the Biblical account as literal (a day = a day, etc...)?
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Study of Genesis
Study of Genesis
Materials used for study:
The New Defender's Study Bible, by Dr. Henry Morris
The Archaeological Study Bible
I will use other relevant materials to go into more detail on some topics throughout this study, but these are the main material that I will use, besides the scriptures, of course.
Genesis is the Book of Beginnings. It is foundational to our faith and our very existence. Genesis lays out for us in simple, but profound, language how we came to be and what we are doing here. The stories in Genesis are the first ones we teach to our kids, but seem to be to stories that we first put aside the more "educated" we become. The age of the earth, evolution, the origin of humans, and other subjects in popular science are sharply contrasted by what is contained in Genesis. I believe when we look at what facts are out there, we can find confidence in what is presented in Genesis and the foundation of what we believe. The basis of our faith - creation, sin, atonement, grace, redemption, faith, justification, salvation, and many others are presented in Genesis.
I believe that Genesis is very important to the life of a Christian. This book plainly lays out the history of the origin of mankind and of all creation. It also establishes our relationship to God and what he intends for our lives. The importance of our belief in Genesis comes down to this: is Genesis and the creation account, the fall, Abraham, and the tower of Babel, Noah and the flood, etc... just a collection of old legends or are they real history? I believe that the chief way that our young people begin to lose faith in what they are taught at church is how they are presented "facts" at school and on educational programs on TV, etc... about our origin that contradicts Genesis and its account of creation. Many of us Christians try to find a way to melt evolution theories together with creationism, which is not supported by what is written in Genesis.
Jesus himself referred often to Genesis and Genesis is referred to at least 200 times in the New Testament, which is more than any other book in the Old Testament. When Jesus appeared to the disciples on the Road to Emmaus, he referred to Genesis. Luke 24:27 says "Beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself."
Question: What do you think of when you hear about Evolution? How do you reconcile what popular science tells us about the age of the Earth and our creation with what the Bible says?
Author and Organization: Moses is the author/compiler. The first 11 books are called the "primeval history", books 12-50 are "patriarchal history". Moses wrote/compiled Genesis between 1440-1400 B.C. Genesis is really a collection of histories written by those that were there, beginning with Adam. Much of the book happened before Moses was born, but is written from an eye-witness account. There is no evidence that Moses was given this knowledge from God, so it is logical that he compiled writtings of previous authors. The sections are clearly defined by the inclusion of "These are the generations of ..." throughout the book. There are also some differences in the writing style between some of the sections, which supports this viewpoint.
The New Defender's Study Bible says "In sum, we can be absolutely confident that the events described in Genesis are not merely ancient legends or religious allegories, but the actual eyewitness accounts of the places, events, and people of those early days of earth history, written by men who were there, then transcribed to Moses, who finally compiled and edited them into a permanent record of those ancient times.
Question: If Genesis isn't historical fact, then what is it? What does Genesis present itself as - allegorical or factual. If Genesis is just stories, why is it in the Bible? Do you think it is possible that all of Genesis is an eyewitness account?
Materials used for study:
The New Defender's Study Bible, by Dr. Henry Morris
The Archaeological Study Bible
I will use other relevant materials to go into more detail on some topics throughout this study, but these are the main material that I will use, besides the scriptures, of course.
Genesis is the Book of Beginnings. It is foundational to our faith and our very existence. Genesis lays out for us in simple, but profound, language how we came to be and what we are doing here. The stories in Genesis are the first ones we teach to our kids, but seem to be to stories that we first put aside the more "educated" we become. The age of the earth, evolution, the origin of humans, and other subjects in popular science are sharply contrasted by what is contained in Genesis. I believe when we look at what facts are out there, we can find confidence in what is presented in Genesis and the foundation of what we believe. The basis of our faith - creation, sin, atonement, grace, redemption, faith, justification, salvation, and many others are presented in Genesis.
I believe that Genesis is very important to the life of a Christian. This book plainly lays out the history of the origin of mankind and of all creation. It also establishes our relationship to God and what he intends for our lives. The importance of our belief in Genesis comes down to this: is Genesis and the creation account, the fall, Abraham, and the tower of Babel, Noah and the flood, etc... just a collection of old legends or are they real history? I believe that the chief way that our young people begin to lose faith in what they are taught at church is how they are presented "facts" at school and on educational programs on TV, etc... about our origin that contradicts Genesis and its account of creation. Many of us Christians try to find a way to melt evolution theories together with creationism, which is not supported by what is written in Genesis.
Jesus himself referred often to Genesis and Genesis is referred to at least 200 times in the New Testament, which is more than any other book in the Old Testament. When Jesus appeared to the disciples on the Road to Emmaus, he referred to Genesis. Luke 24:27 says "Beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself."
Question: What do you think of when you hear about Evolution? How do you reconcile what popular science tells us about the age of the Earth and our creation with what the Bible says?
Author and Organization: Moses is the author/compiler. The first 11 books are called the "primeval history", books 12-50 are "patriarchal history". Moses wrote/compiled Genesis between 1440-1400 B.C. Genesis is really a collection of histories written by those that were there, beginning with Adam. Much of the book happened before Moses was born, but is written from an eye-witness account. There is no evidence that Moses was given this knowledge from God, so it is logical that he compiled writtings of previous authors. The sections are clearly defined by the inclusion of "These are the generations of ..." throughout the book. There are also some differences in the writing style between some of the sections, which supports this viewpoint.
The New Defender's Study Bible says "In sum, we can be absolutely confident that the events described in Genesis are not merely ancient legends or religious allegories, but the actual eyewitness accounts of the places, events, and people of those early days of earth history, written by men who were there, then transcribed to Moses, who finally compiled and edited them into a permanent record of those ancient times.
Question: If Genesis isn't historical fact, then what is it? What does Genesis present itself as - allegorical or factual. If Genesis is just stories, why is it in the Bible? Do you think it is possible that all of Genesis is an eyewitness account?
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