{"id":33040,"date":"2024-10-03T19:39:46","date_gmt":"2024-10-04T02:39:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/gospel-express\/2024-satan-copy\/"},"modified":"2024-10-03T19:59:55","modified_gmt":"2024-10-04T02:59:55","slug":"2024-gen1","status":"publish","type":"portfolio","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/gospel-express\/2024-gen1\/","title":{"rendered":"What did God Do on Gen 1:1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr. Nicholas Schaser<\/p>\n

Big Bang vs. Genesis<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Harmonizers of the “big bang theory” claim Genesis describes creation similarly, as ex nihilo, or “out of nothing.” They argue God created the cosmos from nothing, citing Genesis 1:1. However, a closer translation reveals Genesis does not depict a big-bang-like event. The more precise translation and contextual reading show that a big-bang-style beginning is not part of the biblical narrative! So… What does Gen 1:1 say?<\/p>\n

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Translation Matters<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Most English translations of Genesis 1:1 say, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” However, the Hebrew word \u05d1\u05bc\u05b0\u05e8\u05b5\u05d0\u05e9\u05c1\u05b4\u05d9\u05ea (be’reshit) lacks a definite article, and the prefix (\u05d1; bet) often indicates a temporal sense. A more accurate translation could be: “When at first.”<\/p>\n

Genesis 1:1 is often translated as “the heavens and the earth,” but the more contextually accurate translation is “the skies and the land,” refer to the sky and terrain of our world throughout the chapter. Therefore, the English version of Scripture\u2019s first sentence should probably read, \u201cWhen at first God created the skies and the land\u2026.\u201d Rather than referring to the\u00a0ex-nihilo\u00a0<\/i>\u201cbig bang\u201d of the entire universe,\u00a0Genesis 1:1 describes God beginning to organize the earthly environment that humans will inhabit.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The second verse supports this earth-focused creation: \u201cWhen at first God created the skies and the land, the land was chaotic and vacant, with darkness over the deep,\u201d and God hovered over the waters (Gen 1:1-2). Several elements\u2014land, darkness, deep, and waters\u2014already exist, indicating God works with preexisting materials.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t misunderstand\u2014Genesis does not deny God\u2019s creation of the universe. Ancient readers, like us, assumed God created everything. The book of Jubilees, for instance, claims God made “the heavens, the earth, the waters, and spirits” on the first day.<\/p>\n

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A Spiritual Story<\/strong><\/h3>\n

But what are the opening passages of Genesis really saying? For the biblical writers, God\u2019s creation of everything was a given, but they tell a deeper story. Genesis 1 reveals how the Most High\u00a0organized a world where humans could live in relationship with the Creator.\u00a0<\/strong>God sets things in order, preparing a place for humanity. Doesn\u2019t that resonate with us? Our world often feels chaotic and overwhelming, yet God is the one who brings order and peace to our lives. Genesis doesn\u2019t offer a scientific account but a spiritual one, revealing a profound human purpose: with God, we are called to participate in His work through our creative labor, respecting the world and its gifts as His creation.<\/p>\n

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