Genesis One

Genesis One

This theological summary of Genesis one is taken from D.A. Carson. I am addicted to his book(s) titled “For the Love of God.” These books follow M’Cheyne’s reading plan. I am also addicted to M’Cheyne’s reading plan. I assure you that both of these addictions are healthy.

Genesis 1 portrays the beginning of everything in this created universe.

On the face of it, this chapter, and the lines of thought it develops, establish that God is different from the universe he creates, and therefore pantheism is ruled out; that the original creation was entirely good, and therefore dualism is ruled out ; that human beings, male and female together are alone declared to be made in the image of God, and therefore forms of reductionism that claim we are part of the animal kingdom and no more must be ruled out; that God is a talking God, and therefore all notions of an impersonal God are ruled out; that this God has sovereignly made all things, including all people, therefore conceptions of merely tribal deities must be ruled out.

Some of these other matters are put positively by later writers of scripture who, reflecting on the doctrine of creation, offer a host of invaluable conclusions. The sheer glory of the created order bears telling witness to the glory of its maker (Ps. 19). The universe came into being by the will of God, and for this, God is incessantly worshiped (Rev. 4:11). That God has made everything speaks of his transcendence i.e. he is above the created order, above time and space, and therefore cannot be domesticated by anything in it (Acts 17:24-25). That he made all things and continues to rule over all, means both racism and tribalism are to be rejected (Acts 17:26). Further, if we ourselves have been made in his image, it is preposterous to think that god can properly be pictured by some image that we can concoct (Acts 17:29). These notions and more are teased by later Scriptures.