Through the years, a large body of knowledge has been attained on what the Bible and other naturalistic and scientific disciplines teach about creation. Although many people, especially Christians, do not want to engage in the often heated debate about creation, it is imperative that such a topic is discussed since it not only enlighten the faithful about the purpose of God in creation, but it also serves to separate the true theological doctrine from science and other dogmas.
It is imperative to note at this early stage that creation theology is undoubtedly evident in the Holy Bible, but the doctrine of creation was nurtured in the early centuries of the church (Russell para. 1). It is the purpose of this paper to evaluate creation theology as expounded in the book of Genesis, with a view of understanding what God meant for us.
The theology of creation as reflected in Genesis presents the Church’s thinking and views about the relationship between the almighty God and the physical world as it is informed by our own comprehension of the Holy Bible coupled with the observations of nature (Lienhard 23).
According to the author, Genesis 1 teaches that one omnipresent God summoned the world into existence, and that all of creation, created by the all-powerful God, responds to His call. Of fundamental importance is the fact that God’s creation as seen in the Book of Genesis has order and structure, and is inarguably transfigured to reveal God’s presence. However, the creation is natural, not divine, and Adam and Eve’s sinful nature at the Garden of Eden reveals just that.
According to House, it is in Genesis “…that the fact that God is the only creator, indeed the only deity, begins its key role in biblical theology” (6). In more than one way, other successive doctrines flow from the truths in this Book, and all are founded on the principle and understanding that God is the creator.
Christians must therefore receive and process the knowledge through the art of human reason, but ultimately, they must accept the knowledge as true by faith. The fact that the church of Christ has long confessed creation as a key ingredient of faith is undeniable. Indeed, Genesis 1-2 bears one of the guiding principle of all Biblical Theology – that the true “living God of the Bible is the maker of heaven and earth, of all things whether seen or unseen” (House 6).
It therefore follows that the creation, according to Genesis 1, is inarguably dependent upon the Creator for all of the authority and capacities under its possession, and for its continuous existence in the universe (Lienhard 27). The creation must honour and pay tribute to the Sabbath, the almighty God’s chosen day of celebration and rest since this very special and holy day is anchored in the act of creation, that is, after God created all creations in this universe, He chose to rest on this particular day.
The said days of creation are well documented in Genesis 1:3-5. During these days, God is depicted as intelligent, powerful, authoritative, and orderly as He just orders creations into existence (House 8). The creation phenomenon further implies that God is entirely capable, responsible, and copiously knowledgeable about every single creature in the universe since “all that occurs God does” (House 8).
Creation theology as accounted for in the Book of Genesis can never be exhausted. However, Genesis 2:1-3 shows God’s satisfaction with His own creation since all what He needed to accomplish in creation has already been accomplished perfectly (House 8). In Genesis 2:4-25, God ceases to create and turns his focus on developing a rapport with human creation at the Garden of Eden.
The book of Genesis therefore enlightens us of the fact that God alone is the Creator; He is the uncaused cause of all creatures in the universe. The Book also teaches that the omnipresent Creator is divine, but also has a personal nature, and as such, He entrusts man with the care of all living creatures in the universe. Lastly, the book illuminates God’s principles of intelligence, power, goodness, and kindness (House 15).
Works Cited
House, P.R. Creation in Old Testament Theology. (n.d.). Web.
Lienhard, J.T. The Bible, the Church, and Authority. Minnesota: The Liturgical Press. 1995. Web.
Russell, R. The Theology of Creation. (n.d.). Web.