Origins of the Cosmos Part 2
Understanding the Biblical (read: true) Perspective on Creation from Genesis 1
How the Bible Expands on Genesis 1
The rest of the Bible (and human history) continued to expand on many of the themes introduced in Genesis 1. Mostly, the writers presupposed the cosmology of Genesis 1 without writing much about it specifically (Lucas 2003, 137); however, at least two concepts received more direct treatment. In the introduction to his Gospel, John wrote of Jesus, “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (1:3). Although Professor Walton may have been correct that the term bārāʾ referred to the organization of existing matter rather than creation from nothing in the context of Genesis 1 (2003, 161), that was certainly not the case in the John 1 allusion to creation. John taught that God preceded and created “all things” (John 1:3). Moreover, John’s double usage of the phrase “in the beginning” indicated an allusion to the Genesis 1 account, suggesting that the discussion in Genesis 1 involved both creation from nothing and organization of the created substance into something functional (John 1:1, 2).
Other parts of the Bible also offered commentary on the nature of the yôm (translated “day” in most English Bibles) mentioned in Genesis 1. Moses rooted his theology of the Sabbath in the Genesis 1 narrative. He wrote, “In six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy” (Exod. 20:11). This usage may suggest that the yôm in Genesis 1 were normal twenty-four-hour days.
The concept of humans being made in the image of God also received more direct treatment. Oswalt posited, “Humans are made in the image of God. Although the Pentateuch nowhere specifies exactly what that means, it seems plain that at the least in includes the personal nature of god and a capacity for relationship with him” (2003, 856). God explained the process by which humans would maintain the relationship in terms of the covenant. Jeremiah described the association between covenant and relationship when he wrote, “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me” (31:33–34).
Jesus exemplified Jeremiah’s description. Jesus knew God intimately, and He reflected God’s image perfectly. Hence, Paul called Christ “the image of God” and “the form of God” (2 Cor. 4:4; Phil. 2:6). The writer of Hebrews called Him “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (1:3). Jesus modeled what it meant for a human to exist in the image of God.
Jesus also taught his followers how to live up to their position as image-bearers. Jesus explained that there were two commandments which summarized everything God desired of those made in His image (Matt. 22:37–40). According to Schnittjer, “The two great commandments—love God and love others—are direct implications from and applications of humanity’s being created in the image of God” (2006, 65). All humans share the same image with God. Hence, humans should love God, as their prototype and Creator, and they should love other humans who were created in the same manner by the same God.
Genesis 1 was also programmatic for the rest of the Bible. Laurence Turner suggested, “The main issues that will dominate the plot of the primeval history are summarized in Genesis 1:28, with the divine blessings/commands concerning human multiplication, subjugation of the earth and dominion over the animals” (2003, 353). The Fall happened when humans refused to do their job (Gen. 3:11). Rather than subduing Creation, they listened to the serpent, a created being. They allowed Creation to influence them into disobeying God, which resulted in a curse upon the earth (Gen. 3:14–24). Then, what happened? Keller rightly explained, “Human beings are so integral to the fabric of things that when human beings turned from God the entire warp and woof of the world unraveled. Disease, genetic disorders, famine, natural disasters, aging, and death itself are as much the result of sin as are oppression, war, crime, and violence” (2018, 177). The earth became something less than very good. Yet, God the Planner would redeem Adam’s failure with His Incarnation. According to Schnittjer, “The biblical teaching on transformation into the image of Christ is a return or restoration of humanity to the way it is supposed to be” (2006, 68). It is a restoration of humans to their pre-Fall state.
Thus, Genesis 1 related to the rest of the Bible in two ways. First, Genesis 1 included a program for the rest of the Bible. It explained the goal toward which God was working—humans fully in His image. Second, the rest of the Bible clarified some of the concepts introduced in Genesis 1, such as what the act of Creation entailed, the meaning of the image of God, and the length of the Creation days. Genesis 1 also relates to modern scientific research on origins, which will be discussed in the final installment of this series, so stay tuned!