- The document discusses different perspectives on interpreting the creation story in Genesis, including viewing it as describing the functional origins of the cosmos rather than the material origins. - It suggests Genesis 1 should be understood in the context of how the ancient Israelites would have understood it, such as describing the cosmos in terms of their ancient Near East cosmology. - The creation acts are proposed to have established order like time, weather systems, food supply, cosmic space, inhabitants, humanity, and God's temple presence, rather than scientific processes.

2. - Help our minds stay focused
- Can literally change our brain chemistry
(for better or worse)
- Impact our feelings and actions
in ways basic facts simply can’t
STORIES CAN…

3. THE BIBLE IS THE STORY OF:
- God and Creation
- God and Humanity
- God and Israel
- God and Jesus (and The Church)
- God and New Creation

4. QUESTIONS WE SHOULD ASK:
- WHO was this text written TO? Us or ancient Israel?
- HOW did THEY understand it? Scientific origins?
- WHERE were THEY when it was WRITTEN? Babylon?
- WHAT was going on a the time? Pre/mid/post-exile?
- WHAT was the point THEN? Science/theology/politics?

5. TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE
DEPTH OF THE CREATION STORY:
FUNCTIONAL origin MATERIAL origin>

7. JOHN WALTON
“Viewing Genesis 1 as an account of
functional origins of the cosmos as temple
does not in any way suggest or imply
that God was uninvolved in material
origins – it only contends that Genesis 1
is not that story…”

8. In the beginning when God created the
heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless
void and darkness covered the face of the deep,
while a wind from God swept over the face
of the waters. Then God said,
“Let there be light”; and there was light.
And God saw that the light was good;
and God separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light Day, and the darkness
he called Night. And there was evening
and there was morning, the first day.
GENESIS1:1-5

9. - Day 1 Establishing/ordering TIME
- Day 2 Establishing/” “ WEATHER SYSTEMS
- Day 3 Establishing/” “ FOOD SUPPLY
- Day 4 Establishing/” “ COSMIC SPACE
- Day 5 Establishing/” “ INHABITANTS of various spaces
- Day 6 Establishing/” “ HUMANITY
- Day 7 Establishing/” “ the TEMPLE of GOD’s presence
FUNCTIONS of CREATION

10. God saw everything that he had made,
and indeed, it was very good. And there
was evening and there was morning,
the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the
earth were finished, and all their multitude.
And on the seventh day God finished
the work that he had done, and he rested
on the seventh day from all the work that
he had done. So God blessed the seventh
day and hallowed it, because on it God rested
from all the work that he had done in creation.
GENESIS1:31–2:3

11. And God said, “Let there be a dome in the
midst of the waters, and let it separate
the waters from the waters.”
So God made the dome and separated
the waters that were under the dome
from the waters that were above the dome.
And it was so. God called the dome Sky.
And there was evening and there was
morning, the second day.
GENESIS1:6-8

12. ANCIENTNEAREAST
COSMOLOGY

13. Then God said, “Let us make humankind
in our image, according to our likeness;
and let them have dominion over the
fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air,
and over the cattle, and over all the
wild animals of the earth, and over every
creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”
So God created humankind in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
GENESIS1:26-27

15. QUESTION THAT HELP US
MAKE SENSE OF THINGS…
• Who are we? The WHO?
• Where are we? The WHERE?
• What is wrong? The WHAT?
• What is the solution? The HOW?
• What time is it? The WHEN?
• What is the point? The WHY?

16. A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW of
CREATION ROOTED in CONTEXT
• Who are we? Humanity as image bearers & priests
• Where are we? The Garden as localized Temple
• What is wrong? Creation has yet to be filled…
• What is the solution? Humanity as priests
• What time is it? The start of the creation project
• What is the point? God is worthy of worship

18. One of the scribes…asked him,
“Which commandment is the first of all?”
Jesus answered, “The first is: ‘Hear, O Israel:
the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall
love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, and with all your mind,
and with all your strength.’
The second is this: ‘You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment
greater than these.”
MARK12