Putting Genesis in Perspective

Reading the New Testament without reading the Old Testament is like reading the seventh Harry Potter book without reading the first six: it's a good story, but you miss a lot! Genesis in particular is basic or foundational to the rest of the Bible. Genesis (which means beginnings) is the first book of the five books that make up the Jewish Torah or Law. Genesis is critical to Bible reading and study because it purports to give the origins of the topics (such as creation, life on earth, human sin, and redemption) that make up the ongoing narrative of the Bible throughout its entirety. Underlying Genesis are the working and plans of God. God, of course, permeates the Bible as a whole.

The Genesis Controversy. Genesis, especially its first 11 chapters, has been a lightning rod attracting controversy throughout the centuries. Many consider Genesis 1-11 to be myth, simply stories to "explain" the existence of everything, but not to be taken literally. Others see the chapters as fact, explaining literally how everything came into existence and how the world got to be the way it is as a result of human sin. Many claim that the book of Genesis contains nothing factual. Much of the creation versus evolution debate hinges on whether or not Genesis is a factual account of the universe's origin.

The Consequences of What You Believe about Genesis. What you believe about Genesis will determine what you believe about the nature of human beings (are they special or just animals, the result of a long process of evolution?) What you believe about God (real or the product of human imagination) will determine what you believe about morality and history: Is there such a thing as sin? Are there absolutes that are always true? Is human history heading toward a purposeful conclusion or is everything simply randomness that didn't have to occur but accidentally did?