Interestingly enough, the second Hebrew word of this book of Genesis, in the very first verse, explains that everything was made or created, בָּרָ֣א (bara). Everything was made, ἐποίησεν (epoinasen), or created in the Septuagint Greek translation also. Somebody or something made us or created us and our world. We and our world were created, shaped, or formed. We humans did not make ourselves. Something bigger than us, more important than me, a higher power, was involved in this creation. I and my fellow humans must admit to something outside ourselves that made, created, shaped, or formed us. Just like in our human lives, other humans made me, shaped me, created me, or formed me. We usually call them parents. They had an important role to play in our lives. However, I am not my parents. We are different. Whoever made everything, including me, is different, bigger, and more important than me. We must admit that we were created by something other than ourselves. Thus, the sense of creation is another real belief that is shared with many other religions. I did not create myself and my world. However, there are some people who think that they created themselves. They think that they are at the center of all things. Everything must revolve around them. Do you believe that you and the things around you are created?
creation
Possible and impossible things (Lk 18:27-18:27)
“But Jesus replied.
‘What is impossible
For mortals
Is possible
With God.’”
ὁ δὲ εἶπεν Τὰ ἀδύνατα παρὰ ἀνθρώποις δυνατὰ παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ ἐστιν.
Luke indicated that Jesus said or replied (ὁ δὲ εἶπεν) that what was impossible for mortal men (Τὰ ἀδύνατα παρὰ ἀνθρώποις) was possible with God (δυνατὰ παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ ἐστιν). This saying about the power of God and the impotence of humans can be found in Mark, chapter 10:27, and Matthew, chapter 19:26, but slightly different, although Mark and Matthew were similar. Mark said that Jesus looked at them (ἐμβλέψας αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς). Then he told them (λέγει) that this would be impossible for mortal men (Παρὰ ἀνθρώποις ἀδύνατον), but not with God (ἀλλ’ οὐ παρὰ Θεῷ). All things are possible with God (πάντα γὰρ δυνατὰ παρὰ τῷ θεῷ), since he could do everything. In Matthew, Jesus looked at them (ἐμβλέψας δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς) and told them (εἶπεν αὐτοῖς) that this would be impossible for mortal men (Παρὰ ἀνθρώποις τοῦτο ἀδύνατόν ἐστιν), but with God, all things were possible (παρὰ δὲ Θεῷ πάντα δυνατά), since he could do everything. This could be an allusion to Genesis, chapter 18:14, when Sarah laughed when she was told she was going to have a son or the prophet Jeremiah, chapter 32:17, when he was talking about creation. What humans are not able to do, God is able to do. Does God save wealthy people?
Great tribulation (Mk 13:19-13:19)
“In those days,
There will be suffering,
Such as has not been
From the beginning
Of the creation
That God created
Until now,
And never will be.”
ἔσονται γὰρ αἱ ἡμέραι ἐκεῖναι θλῖψις, οἵα οὐ γέγονεν τοιαύτη ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς κτίσεως ἣν ἔκτισεν ὁ Θεὸς ἕως τοῦ νῦν καὶ οὐ μὴ γένηται.
There is something similar, almost word for word, in Matthew, chapter 24:21, but not in Luke. This wording has a hint of Daniel, chapter 12:1 and Joel, chapter 2:2, who talked about the Day of Yahweh. Mark indicated that Jesus said that at the end times, in those days (ἔσονται γὰρ αἱ ἡμέραι), there will be such suffering or tribulation (ἐκεῖναι θλῖψις) that no one has ever seen anything like it since the beginning of the world that God created until now (οἵα οὐ γέγονεν τοιαύτη ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς κτίσεως ἣν ἔκτισεν ὁ Θεὸς ἕως τοῦ νῦν). In fact, there never will be any kind of suffering like this at any time (καὶ οὐ μὴ γένηται). This was going to be bad, nothing like it had ever happened before. This would be the unique end times.
With God all things are possible (Mk 10:27-10:27)
“Jesus looked at them.
He said.
‘For mortals,
It is impossible,
But not for God.
All things are possible
For God.’”
ἐμβλέψας αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγει Παρὰ ἀνθρώποις ἀδύνατον, ἀλλ’ οὐ παρὰ θεῷ· πάντα γὰρ δυνατὰ παρὰ τῷ θεῷ.
This saying about the power of God and the impotence of humans can be found in Matthew, chapter 19:26, and Luke, chapter 18:27, but slightly different. Mark said that Jesus looked at them (ἐμβλέψας αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς). Then he told them (λέγει) that this would be impossible for mortal men (Παρὰ ἀνθρώποις ἀδύνατον), but not with God (ἀλλ’ οὐ παρὰ Θεῷ). All things were possible with God (πάντα γὰρ δυνατὰ παρὰ τῷ θεῷ), since he could do everything. This could be an allusion to Genesis, chapter 18:14, when Sarah laughed when she was told she was going to have a son or the prophet Jeremiah, chapter 32:17, when he was talking about creation. What humans were not able to do, God was able to do because he was an all-powerful God.
Male and female become one flesh (Mk 10:6-10:8)
“But from the beginning
Of creation,
‘God made them
Male
And female.
For this reason,
A man shall leave
His father
And his mother.
He shall be joined
To his wife.
The two shall become
One flesh.’
Thus,
They are no longer two,
But one flesh.”
ἀπὸ δὲ ἀρχῆς κτίσεως ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησεν αὐτούς·
ἕνεκεν τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα,
καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν· ὥστε οὐκέτι εἰσὶν δύο ἀλλὰ μία σάρξ.
This saying of Jesus that points to the importance and indissolubility of marriage can also be found in Matthew, chapter 19:4-6. Mark indicates that Jesus used the creation story of Genesis, chapters 1:27 and 2:24, to emphasize his point. He noted that from the beginning of creation (ἀπὸ δὲ ἀρχῆς κτίσεως) God had made humans male and female (ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησεν αὐτοὺς). At the pinnacle of creation, God created humans in his image, as both men and women were created equal in God’s image. Jesus continued that a man leaves his father and mother (ἕνεκεν τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα). Some Orthodox texts have the phrase about being joined to his wife (καὶ προσκολληθήσεται πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ). The two of them then will become one flesh (καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν), so that they are no longer two but one flesh (ὥστε οὐκέτι εἰσὶν δύο ἀλλὰ μία σὰρξ). Obviously, this has become part of many marriage ceremonial rituals.
All things are possible with God (Mt 19:26-19:26)
“But Jesus looked
At them.
He said to them.
‘For men,
This is impossible.
But with God,
All things are possible.’”
ἐμβλέψας δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Παρὰ ἀνθρώποις τοῦτο ἀδύνατόν ἐστιν, παρὰ δὲ Θεῷ πάντα δυνατά.
This saying about the power of God and the impotence of humans can be found in Mark, chapter 10:27, word for word, and Luke, chapter 18:27, but slightly different. Jesus looked at them (ἐμβλέψας δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς) and told them (εἶπεν αὐτοῖς) that this would be impossible for mortal men (Παρὰ ἀνθρώποις τοῦτο ἀδύνατόν ἐστιν), but with God, all things were possible (παρὰ δὲ Θεῷ πάντα δυνατά), since he could do everything. This could be an allusion to Genesis, chapter 18:14, when Sarah laughed when she was told she was going to have a son or Jeremiah, chapter 32:17, when he was talking about creation. What humans were not able to do, God was able to do.
The Redemption Context
African Christians put emphasis on creation and deliverance from hardship, while European Christians put emphasis on sin and salvation. These differences show up in death rituals and funerals. The early Church suffered political persecution. Freedom from slavery saw redemption as the main form of freedom. The early Medieval Church (4th-11th centuries) was more concerned about freedom from the power of the devil after Augustine had emphasized the concept of original sin. The early Scholastic theologians like Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109) put less emphasis on the ransom from the devil. Adam had disobeyed and dishonored God. Christ has saved us by being the second Adam, the so-called satisfaction theory. Order and honor were more important. The Third world today sees redemption as something else. Christian redemption is the same reality, but there are different interpretations of what it means to be redeemed.
The Christian Code of Love
The gospel code of love and the beatitudes are prevalent. The Jewish Hebrew Ten Commandments remain as the basic tenets of most Christian Churches. However, nearly every Christian Church has laws or directives that are specific to their denomination or to their particular local Church. Creation is good, and man is responsible for the earth, so that there is a need for justice and love.
Different Gospel Beginnings
Do you know how many of the gospels contain the Christmas story? The answer is that only two, since only Matthew and Luke relate the birth of Jesus. The other two gospels, Mark, the earliest, and John, the latest, start with the Baptism of Jesus. The Gospel of Mark is the shortest and the most direct gospel story, as it starts with the public life of Jesus. The Gospel of John is more spiritual and opens with the beautiful theological prologue about the “Word” (Λόγος) with echoes of the Genesis story of creation.
The precious stones in the Garden of Eden (Ezek 28:13-28:13)
“You were in Eden,
The garden of God.
Every precious stone
Was your covering.
This included
Carnelian,
Chrysolite,
Moonstone,
Beryl,
Onyx,
Jasper,
Sapphire,
Turquoise,
Emerald.
They were worked
In gold
As your settings
With your engravings.
On the day
That you were created
They were prepared.”
Somehow, this king of Tyre was in the Garden of Eden, where it is called God’s garden, with precious stones, like the Jewish ephod. This seems to be a variant of the Garden of Eden story in Genesis, chapters 2-3. Instead of a wonderful garden, this king was covered with precious stones in this great garden. These precious stones included carnelian, chrysolite, moonstone, beryl, onyx, jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emeralds. They were worked into gold as settings and engravings. These precious stones were there the day that he was created, so that this allusion to creation and God’s garden of Eden was explicit. Many assumed that this garden was in the north on some mountain.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 