[Seve]

Briefly, here's how I read Genesis 1:1~5 based on my humble biblical understanding ....

Genesis 1:1 is just a preface - the story of the "Beginning"
Genesis 1:2 narrates us the condition of the deep (dark -null & void) before the world was.
Genesis !:3 documents us the bringing forth of the Light before anything is made; before the world was.
Genesis 1:4 the division / separation of Light from darkness - the first work of old.
Genesis 1:5 The evening & the morning, the first day.

Also, notice that the first firmament of heaven were made only on the 2nd day (Genesis 1:6~8) not on the 1st day, correct? The making of our world (earth) started only on the 3rd day (Genesis 1:9~10) not Genesis 1:1, is that right?

Your own perpective is appreciated...

God Bless

As I have said before, I believe Genisis 1 is meant to teach one thing and one thing only:

That God created everything out of nothing, that he created man in his own image, that man seperated himself from God through disobedience, and that God immediately set about the long - or at least it seems long to us - process of healing that rift, a process which culminated with the death and resurrection of Christ. That is ALL it teaches.

Everything in Genesis is meant to convey that truth, but it is done in the ancient Semitic style of writing, using allegories, fantastic imagery, and all based on traditions that were handed down for centuries. I do not believe there was a serpent, or a tree, or a garden, etc. These are all images & allegories, in a certain style of writing, meant to convey the fundamental truth I stated above.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by CatholicCrusader

...it is done in the ancient Semitic style of writing, using allegories, fantastic imagery, and all based on traditions that were handed down for centuries. I do not believe there was a serpent, or a tree, or a garden, etc. These are all images & allegories, in a certain style of writing, meant to convey the fundamental truth I stated above.

I’d pretty much agree with what CC said - at least the portion that I've copied above. I don’t think that anyone should look at Genesis as a sort of cosmological blueprint that is meant to describe exactly how everything came to be. Treating the bible as a scientific text book can end up with you questioning some pretty solid science in an attempt to resolve some obvious discrepancies.

Welcome to the forum, by the way.

[Seve]

Originally Posted by Brad

I’d pretty much agree with what CC said - at least the portion that I've copied above. I don’t think that anyone should look at Genesis as a sort of cosmological blueprint that is meant to describe exactly how everything came to be. Treating the bible as a scientific text book can end up with you questioning some pretty solid science in an attempt to resolve some obvious discrepancies.

Welcome to the forum, by the way.

Thanks for your biblical opinion and warm welcome.

Yes, I agree with you. I don't think anyone here on earth could describe "EXACTLY" how the creation process of everything came to be, as you stated in your post. No arguement here.

However, based on my OP, I am just stating my understanding of Genesis (creation process) based on the Scripture -- in chronological order of events before the world was.

IOW, either you agree with my understanding of the events as I have posted in my OP or you disagree with it -- and that should be the basis of discussion to start with.

God Bless

Originally Posted by Brad

I’d pretty much agree with what CC said - at least the portion that I've copied above. I don’t think that anyone should look at Genesis as a sort of cosmological blueprint that is meant to describe exactly how everything came to be. Treating the bible as a scientific text book can end up with you questioning some pretty solid science in an attempt to resolve some obvious discrepancies.

Welcome to the forum, by the way.

I think its fair to say that "literal" Bible history begins with Abraham

[Seve]

Originally Posted by CatholicCrusader

As I have said before, I believe Genisis 1 is meant to teach one thing and one thing only:

That God created everything out of nothing, that he created man in his own image, that man seperated himself from God through disobedience, and that God immediately set about the long - or at least it seems long to us - process of healing that rift, a process which culminated with the death and resurrection of Christ. That is ALL it teaches.

Everything in Genesis is meant to convey that truth, but it is done in the ancient Semitic style of writing, using allegories, fantastic imagery, and all based on traditions that were handed down for centuries. I do not believe there was a serpent, or a tree, or a garden, etc. These are all images & allegories, in a certain style of writing, meant to convey the fundamental truth I stated above.

Well, based on my understanding of the Scripture, Adam & Eve were natural living souls to begin with; committed their original sin; bare Cain then Abel...etc... etc... and were only created in the image and likeness of God after they started calling upon the name of the Lord. IOW, they were forgiven of their sin/s and became the first couple to be born again spiritually in Christ. Just my humble biblical opinion, of course.

God Bless

Originally Posted by Seve

Well, based on my understanding of the Scripture, Adam & Eve were natural living souls to begin with; committed their original sin; bare Cain then Abel...etc... etc... and were only created in the image and likeness of God after they started calling upon the name of the Lord. IOW, they were forgiven of their sin/s and became the first couple to be born again spiritually in Christ. Just my humble biblical opinion, of course.

God Bless

Hmmmm.

Genesis 2:7 says "Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being."

I do not deny science, and I believe the world is millions of years old. It is entirely possible that there are millions of years between "God formed man of dust from the ground" and "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life".

The word for breath in Hebrew means "spirit". So at some point in the process, man became aware and was endowed by God with a spirit. He probably lived in harmony with God for a while ("paradise") and then at some point he went awry.

I don't know about the whole Cain and Able bit. Those may well be allegories meant to describe good and evil, or those people who were good and those who were evil. Of course I'm not sure about that.

[Seve]

Originally Posted by CatholicCrusader

Hmmmm.

Genesis 2:7 says "Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being."

I do not deny science, and I believe the world is millions of years old. It is entirely possible that there are millions of years between "God formed man of dust from the ground" and "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life".

The word for breath in Hebrew means "spirit". So at some point in the process, man became aware and was endowed by God with a spirit. He probably lived in harmony with God for a while ("paradise") and then at some point he went awry.

I don't know about the whole Cain and Able bit. Those may well be allegories meant to describe good and evil, or those people who were good and those who were evil. Of course I'm not sure about that.

It's simple to know if one's interpretation is correct. If it agrees with God's Holy Word, true Science, and History, it's as close to the One Truth as is Humanly possible. The fault is Not with God's Truth, but with man's ability to understand it, for His thoughts are far above man's thoughts. Therefore, I also agree with true science that indicates this earth (our world) is about some 4.5 billions years of age.

As far as Genesis 2:7 is concerned, I believe, Man was given the Breath of Life (not "spirit") becoming a natural living soul. However, I don't think God made a mistake by creating spiritually man in their image and likeness to begin with, but, only to "fall" (sinned) or separated from God -- as the popular belief continues to suggest.

1 Corinthians 15
v45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
v46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is NATURAL; and afterward that which is spiritual.

To be created in the image and likeness of God spiritually, is to be born Eternally. It takes the agreement of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for one to be born of the Spirit (image and likeness of God). To say that one can then die Spiritually ("fall theory") would mean that God made a mistake creating a Spiritual Being. This, of course, is impossible, since God sees the end from the beginning, and would Never make one Spiritually, and then lose them.

I happen to believe Genesis to be literal. But that's just my own biblical understanding / opinion.

God Bless

Originally Posted by Seve

It's simple to know if one's interpretation is correct. If it agrees with God's Holy Word......

Ahhh, well, there's the rub, isn't it. In my experience, when people say "The word of God says (fill in the blank)", what they are really saying whether they realize it or not is, "My personal interpretation of the word of God says (fill in the blank)".

That, by the way, is why I am a Catholic. Put a hundred protestants in a room with a hundred Bibles and you'll get a hundred intepretations of scripture, but they are all sure that their intepretation is the correct one. But I digress.

[Seve]

Originally Posted by CatholicCrusader

Ahhh, well, there's the rub, isn't it. In my experience, when people say "The word of God says (fill in the blank)", what they are really saying whether they realize it or not is, "My personal interpretation of the word of God says (fill in the blank)".

That, by the way, is why I am a Catholic. Put a hundred protestants in a room with a hundred Bibles and you'll get a hundred intepretations of scripture, but they are all sure that their intepretation is the correct one. But I digress.

That's how God has chosen to reveal His Truth. Look at all the denominations. If you look at Christianity as a big Pie, and see all the denominations as slices in the pie, you will find that God's Truth is in the whole pie, and that each slice teaches only part of God's Truth. Why? Because ONLY those who have Faith, not knowledge, can enter the Kingdom of God. The complexity of views of the various denominations assure that we must come to God by Faith alone, no matter the denomination.

God Bless