S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." Later, in Genesis 2:4, it seems that a second, different story of creation begins. The idea of two differing creation ac...

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July 01 2013 • 5 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Fernando Castillo Supporter

As I have read through the Bible a few times, I noticed that God many times gives us the story, then follows it with same story but with more details. For example, the book of Daniel chapter 2 gives us a picture of world history before it happens, then it follows up with the same story in the following chapters but gives the details. In the creation story, I find that chapter 1 is given for the introduction excluding many details, then followed by the same story but with the details.

September 07 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Samuel Asamoah Supporter

Hebrews 11:3  states that through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God..... 
Faith sees the result in the realm of the Spirit before the physical manifestation. In Genesis 1 you need to identify the things which were already present but in disorderly array which God then begins to command into order ( that is the earth, water, darkness etc). The next thing to identify is what was spoken into being. The things spoken into being by God are seen immediately in the spirit, and that is what part of Genesis 1 describes. And that is why God is so concerned about the words we speak- and He says in Scripture that we will be held accountable for every idle word spoken. Jesus says that the words He speaks are spirit and life. Genesis 2 then describes the physical manifestation of those things spoken into being by going into more detail looking at it from the physical point of view.

September 12 2013 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

D W Supporter

Read Genesis Chapter One right on through Genesis 2:3, as if there were no break. That is, in reality, all one chapter. Genesis 2:4 begins an expansion on the first chapter, not a separate creation event. When one realizes that the chapters, passages and verses had no numbers when the Bible was written, one realizes that their later addition is not inspired.

September 12 2013 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Thomas K M Supporter A retired Defence Scientist from Indian Defence R&D Orgn.

One should understand that the author has different purpose in one than in the other. The chapter 1 presents a three-level hierarchy of God's creative prowess, memorably associated with days of the week. The chapter 2 focuses on the crowning jewels of God's creation (man and woman) who are designed to being in right relationship with both creation and the creator. 

One thing we must remember that the language of Scripture is a heavenly condescension so that we the finite human beings are able to know something of the nature and purpose of our infinite God.

It is not uncommon that skeptics will always find faults with anything. One thing you must understand that we cannot comprehend what our infinite God has in His mind to the finite man of this world.

October 31 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Shantkumar S. Kunjam Supporter An Indian, Mennonite Church, Pastor, Administrator, Bishop,

The Form-critics believe that those two different creation stories are the work of two different authors having lived in different times. I believe that those two creation stories are God's work through human agency, and we evangelical must accept them as coming from one Author.

My personal interprtation is quite different from others. I take Gen. 1:1-2:3 as God's outline of His eternal plan for the new humanity in Jesus Christ. In this passage word creation is used in three vs. 1, 21 and 27. In whole of the Bible God is the subject of the verb creation (with one exception in 1 Pet. 2:13), and which means making something out of nothing. The verse one creation provided God with some raw materials for other creation that followed. Verse 21 creation included the making of water, flying and earthly creatures.

In verse 27 the word creation for humans is used three times. And as Far as I know its significance has not been emphasized by any one. I have come to realize that this three uses of word creation signifiys three creation of humans. First creation is used for the fallen humanity in Adam-Eve. The second creation is used for the New humanity in Jesus Christ out of the fallen humanity. And the third creation, I do not have any suggestion for it, though I have some options.

Now, the rest of the Bible story from Gen. 2:4 to the end of the book of Revelation is actually the story of the creation of new humanity in Jesus Christ out of the fallen humanity. The history of this world, as for as God is concerned, is not the history of worldly celebrities and famous peoples, as Luke 1 & 2 illustrate, but of ordinary godly people like Mary and Joseph. This new humanity is destined to enter God's rest of the seventh day.

Thus whole of our human history is condensed in the second creation of humanity of v. 27. Have you ever realized how the humanity of first creation was made in the likeness of God? They became like God because they had eaten the forbidden fruit in defiance of God's command (Gen. 3:22), after the tempter's suggestion "you will be like God" (3:5). Thus the fallen humanity's likeness of God is a stolen likeness. By the way, this is the same temptation that caused the fall of Satan (Is. 14:14) and the same temptation that had plagued our Lord (Phil. 2:6), but our Lord was triumphant. By His obedience unto death on the cross He earned the justified likeness of God for us the believers.

So the making of Adam and Eve in Genesis two should not be read comparing it with the creation in Genesis one. Please note, the making of Adam and Eve is not mentioned as creation here. The story in Genesis one is an outline and the story, our human story, from Genesis two four onwards is the story of the creation of the new humanity in Jesus Christ. In this story God is not so much concrned in mentioning the creation of the material world or non-human creatures. In fact the whole concern here is to haste (see how more than two thousand history is condensed in just eleven chapters of Genesis and how the inter-testament history is left out) to preparation for the coming of the Savior in O. T. and to the one century history and explanation of the message of the Savior which is spelled out in detail in twenty seven books of N. T. Here again our present two thousand history is bypassed, referred only in a prophetic way.

I will be very happy to respond any query.

January 10 2014 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Alpha Sprout Supporter

After much research in the original Hebrew renderings of the key words, I have much more information to lend far greater accuracy to my understanding of Genesis 1 - 3.

In Genesis 1, the Hebrew rendering of the noun 'God' or ' Us' is 'Elohiym' and is plural, meaning 'Gods'. For example; the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit as One in mind and Spirit. One God but more than one entity.

This appears to be a joint enterprise of creation by the Gods as One God.

In Genesis 2, the Hebrew rendering of the noun God or Lord is 'Adonay' and is singular and meaning 'God' which is actually referring to Jesus Himself.

This indicates to me that it is the Gods as One God that made the creation of male and female in Genesis 1

Whereas Jesus by Himself created the man a living soul in the Garden in Genesis 2. 

When Jesus created the woman in the Garden, He called them Adam.

2 separate accounts of 2 separate creations.

Which event occurred first is unclear

April 22 2018 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report