Creation [3021]

PASSAGES: Genesis 1-2

GENEALOGY: Full Chart

PANORAMIC VIEW

Creation from a biblical perspective is the beginning of everything as we humans understand our world. You will find "heated" debates about the "when", "how", and "what." Eternity! From eternity God created. At one point there was no world as we understand and experience it. Then there was a created order. Panoramic Picture key ideas:

• All that was created was described "good".
• God's is not the creation. His power, handiwork is seen in the created order.
• Creation consists of physical things:
  • Microcosm
  • Macrocosm
• Not so physical things:
  • Family
  • Stewardship (work)
  • Love
  • Faith
  • Intellect
• Dependence is built into the created order.
• Trust, faith that things will work
• A consistency of cycling...See Ecclestices 1:3-11
  • Birth-Death
  • Seed planting-harvest
  • Work-Rest

From nothing to something. As we discover in many academic disciplines, people have some characteristics common with much of creation. HOWEVER, I believe that humans are special. In some inscrutable way we are "in the image of God."

Creation is a beginning point of many diverse opinions. In time you may be able to sort a few of them out.

End of Panoramic View

LECTURE

Among Christians you will find a GREAT DEAL of debate about the origin of the earth. Two main camps are the "young earth" and "old earth."

YOUNG EARTH

• Creation occurred in 24 hour periods
• Accepting any interpretation other than "young earth" will lead to sin and apostasy.(Slippery slope)

• Institute for Creation Research

OLD EARTH

• Creation occurred but not in six 24 hour days.

• Reason to Believe

• Topical Index
• Design and the Anthropic Principle by Hugh Ross
• Glossary of terms by RTB

Maps

Archeology references

NT References

DSM Text

Controversy:

Hard Sayings

Major Doctrines

Some Questions

What was before?

Who made God?

Why are there mesquites?

Was there death before the Fall?

Can you see God?

Since we live on a ball, sphere, where is Heaven? Up? Down? Out? Where?

Did Adam "stub" his toe before the Fall?

One of the difficulties with the "debates" about the how and when is that we lose the truth of our specialness, responsibility, and dependence which Dr. Hendricks expresses in A Theology for Aging.

"The creation account in Genesis also has some important things to say about life. According to Genesis, humankind is related to the earth, related to God, and related to others. Humans are distinguished from all other of God's creatures by the capacity for, intensity in, and quality of relationships. To be made in the image of God means to have the ability and the responsibility to relate to God, self, others, and the world around us. Life is living. But life is living because God, the source of life, has called us into being. The quality of life depends very much on how we relate to God, the self, others, and the world around us." [Hendricks, Aging, 45.]

Last Updated 24 February, 2000