Have YOU considered where Bible doctrine comes from??? Of course some will say that is comes from God and that is correct. Some will say it comes through the church and that of course is correct also.
Now, if we think objectively I think that we all can agree that obviously not everything that God took 66 books of the Bible to tell us over some 15 centuries, by 40 different men is contained in just the first book. There is a progression of doctrine throughout the Bible. From the first verse of Genesis to the last verse of Revelation, we learn more about God, ourselves, sin, redemption, etc. with each successive book. All the major doctrines of the Bible are like rivers that become deeper and broader as they flow from the initial watershed of Genesis.
I thought that it would be a good source of conversation and learning about the Bible if we considered those Doctrines found in Genesis one by one.
#1.........GOD.
Genesis 1:1........."In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."
The doctrine of creation states that God, who alone is uncreated and eternal, has formed and given existence to everything outside of himself. He did this from nothing by the word of his power, and all of it was very good. The Apostles’ Creed and The Nicene Creed state that God is the creator of the universe.
The question of whether or not God created everything in the universe is a line in the sand, so to speak, that immediately divides everyone in the world into two camps:
1. those who believe in creation and
2. those who don’t.
This question has also divided Christians on the question of when did God create the earth. My response is simple, IT DOES NOT MATTER! You see, most of us ague just to argue. Some people will argue with the mirror. It is not worth arguing over whether the earth is Old or Young. The fact is....IT IS!
The point here is that The first four words of the Bible place immediate emphasis upon God. They tell us from the very beginning that before anything else in the universe existed, God already was. Nothing brought him into being. Nothing gave him existence. He was around long before anything else was. He was around long before there was even such a thing as time itself.
Lets think about it, talk about it but lets not argue! After a time to respond I will go onto another doctrine in Genesis.
Now, if we think objectively I think that we all can agree that obviously not everything that God took 66 books of the Bible to tell us over some 15 centuries, by 40 different men is contained in just the first book. There is a progression of doctrine throughout the Bible. From the first verse of Genesis to the last verse of Revelation, we learn more about God, ourselves, sin, redemption, etc. with each successive book. All the major doctrines of the Bible are like rivers that become deeper and broader as they flow from the initial watershed of Genesis.
I thought that it would be a good source of conversation and learning about the Bible if we considered those Doctrines found in Genesis one by one.
#1.........GOD.
Genesis 1:1........."In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."
The doctrine of creation states that God, who alone is uncreated and eternal, has formed and given existence to everything outside of himself. He did this from nothing by the word of his power, and all of it was very good. The Apostles’ Creed and The Nicene Creed state that God is the creator of the universe.
The question of whether or not God created everything in the universe is a line in the sand, so to speak, that immediately divides everyone in the world into two camps:
1. those who believe in creation and
2. those who don’t.
This question has also divided Christians on the question of when did God create the earth. My response is simple, IT DOES NOT MATTER! You see, most of us ague just to argue. Some people will argue with the mirror. It is not worth arguing over whether the earth is Old or Young. The fact is....IT IS!
The point here is that The first four words of the Bible place immediate emphasis upon God. They tell us from the very beginning that before anything else in the universe existed, God already was. Nothing brought him into being. Nothing gave him existence. He was around long before anything else was. He was around long before there was even such a thing as time itself.
Lets think about it, talk about it but lets not argue! After a time to respond I will go onto another doctrine in Genesis.