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2013 January 4


Creation (1534)
Lucas Cranach the Elder (c. 1472-1553)
German Renaissance Style
Location of Original Woodcut Unknown; Available in Various Commercial Reproductions
Image Credit: Epistole.Wordpress.com


     Explanation: The painting above by Lucas Cranach the Elder has a special relationship to the Confessional Series below since the Westminster Confession came from Reformation teachings and since Cranach was a friend of Luther and the Reformers and did various paintings for them, including this one which appeared in Luther's Bible.
     Great debate rages today about creation, particularly about chronological questions and about the role of God, if any, in creation. The confessions, and more importantly the Scriptures, are clear about the answers to these questions; however, the Scripture was not written to answer modern scientific concerns. Nevertheless, a diligent study of Scripture yields a number of useful and convincing insights into modern inquiries.
     Even the first verse of the Bible answers questions which many modern and ancient thinkers consider basic in information gathering - - commonly referred to as the 5 Ws and an H (or the 6 Ws). These are Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How (or by What Means). Looking at Genesis 1:1 in this light, we derive the following information: When: In the beginning (an unspecified time in the past); Who: God (Elohim, the Almighty); How / by What Means: created (bara 'create,' elsewhere asah 'make,' virtually synonymous); What and Where the heavens and the earth. The question of "Why?" is not answered in this verse, although it is implicit within the account where Moses repeatedly uses the formula "and God saw that it was good." This is made explicit in Revelation 4:11 - - "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for you have created all things, and for your pleasure they are and were created."
     Two basic opinions on the age of the heavens and the earth have arisen among those who take the Bible to be inspired, true, and accurate. One is the young earth view. The other is the old earth view. The links provided will give useful material for thought for those who are trying to understand the Bible and its implications for scientific theorizing. Diligent and thoughtful investigation is recommended.

This Series Quotes from Various Christian Creeds
The Sections Follow the Order in the Westminster Confession of Faith
Chapter 4: Of Creation

     Westminster Confession of Faith. Chapter 4.

     1. It pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,1 for the manifestation of the glory of His eternal power, wisdom, and goodness,2 in the beginning, to create, or make of nothing, the world, and all things therein whether visible or invisible, in the space of six days; and all very good.3

     2. After God had made all other creatures, He created man, male and female,4 with reasonable and immortal souls,5 endued with knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, after His own image;6 having the law of God written in their hearts,7 and power to fulfill it;8 and yet under a possibility of transgressing, being left to the liberty of their own will, which was subject unto change.9 Beside this law written in their hearts, they received a command, not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil;10 which while they kept, they were happy in their communion with God, and had dominion over the creatures.11

     Scripture References:

     [1]

1

     Hebrews 1:2. Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.
     John 1:2. The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
     Genesis 1:2. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
     Job 26:13. By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.
     Job 33:4. The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.

2

     Romans 1:20. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.
     Jeremiah 10:12. He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.
     Psalms 104:24. O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
     Psalms 33:5-6. 5 He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. 6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

3

     Genesis 1:1 - 2:3.

     1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

     1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

     1:6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
1:7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
1:8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

     1:9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
1:10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
1:12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
1:13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

     1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
1:15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
1:16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
1:17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
1:18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
1:19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

     1:20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
1:21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
1:22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
1:23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

     1:24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
1:25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
1:30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

     2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

     Hebrews 11:3. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
     Colossians 1:16. For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.
     Acts 17:24. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands.

     [2]

4

     Genesis 1:27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

5

     Genesis 2:7. And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
     Ecclesiastes 12:7. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
     Luke 23:43. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
     Matthew 10:28. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

6

     Genesis 1:26. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
     Colossians 3:10. And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.
     Ephesians 4:24. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

7

     Romans 2:14-15. 14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another.

8

     Ecclesiastes 7:29. Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

9

     Genesis 3:6. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
     Ecclesiastes 7:29. Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

10

     Genesis 2:17. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
     Genesis 3:8-11, 23. 8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. 9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 23 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

11

     Genesis 1:26, 28. 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.



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