By Richard M. Davidson

1. The Biblical Account of OriginsJournal of the Adventist Theological Society14/1 (Spring 2003) 4-43 By Richard M. Davidson

2. basic elements in the biblical account • “In the beginning—the “when” of origins • “God”—the “Who” of origins • “created”—the “how” of origins • “the heavens and the earth”—the “what” of origins

3. When who how what

4. When who how what Absolute or Relative Beginning?

5. Two major translations Independent Clause Dependent Clause “When God began to create the heavens and the earth….” • NJPS , NAB, NRSV, NEB ”In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” • KJV, NIV, NJB, NLT, NASB, NKJV, REB, RSV WHEN--Absolute or Relative Beginning?

6. Two major translations Independent Clause Dependent Clause • No creatio ex nihilo is mentioned. • Matter is already in existence when God begins to create. • No absolute beginning is indicated. • Creatio ex nihilo is explicitly affirmed. • God exists before matter. • There is an absolute beginning of time for the cosmos. WHEN--Absolute or Relative Beginning?

7. Evidence for independent clause • Hebrew grammar and syntax • Short, stylistic structure matches rest of chapter • Theological thrust matches rest of chapter • All ancient versions use the independent clause • Allusion of John 1:1 to Genesis 1:1 (In the beginning) WHEN--Absolute or Relative Beginning?

8. Conclusion—absolute beginning • “I find the weight of evidence within Scripture decisive in pointing toward the traditional translation of Genesis 1:1 as an independent clause: ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.’” WHEN--Absolute or Relative Beginning?

9. When who how what

10. When who how what Literal or Non-Literal Beginning?

11. Evidence for literal beginning • Literary genre of Genesis 1-11 (historical narrative prose) • Literary structure of the book of Genesis (“generations”) • Specific temporal terms (evening and morning) • Interpretation by biblical writers and Jesus WHEN—Literal or Non-Literal Beginning?

12. Conclusion—literal • Based upon the testimony of the Genesis account and later intertextual allusions to this account, I must join the host of scholars, ancient and modern—both critical and evangelical—who affirm the literal, historical nature of Genesis 1 and 2, with a literal creation week consisting of six historical, contiguous, creative, natural twenty-four-hour days, followed immediately by a literal twenty-four-hour seventh day, during which God rested, blessing and sanctifying the Sabbath as a memorial of creation. WHEN—Literal or Non-Literal Beginning?

13. When who how what

14. When who how what Multiple of Single Beginnings?

15. Active gap theory • Gap between Gen 1:1 and 1:2 • Satan ruled an originally perfect creation some unknown time ago, before his rebellion • Earth became chaotic because of • Satan’s experimentation • God’s judgment WHEN—Multiple or Single Beginning?

16. Active gap theory • Theory flounders on grammatical grounds • “The earth was without form and void” • Hebrew grammar leaves no room for this interpretation WHEN—Multiple or Single Beginning?

17. Conclusion--initial unformed unfilled • God is before all creation (v 1) • There is an absolute beginning of time (v 1) • When God creates the heavens and earth (v 1), at least the earth is at first unformed and unfilled (v 2) • God forms and fills the earth in six successive, literal, 24-hour days (v 3ff) • God rests on the 7th day, blessing and sanctifying it as a memorial of creation (2:1-4) WHEN—Multiple or Single Beginning?

18. when was the absolute beginning? No Gap Passive Gap • Genesis 1:1-2 go together • Gap • Genesis 1:3 • Raw materials of the earth were created before—perhaps long before—the seven days of creation week • Genesis 1:1-2 are on day one • Raw materials are included in the first day of the seven-day creation week WHEN—Multiple or Single Beginning?

19. Evidencefor passive gap 1. Beginning and ending pattern of each creation day: “And God said… …and there was evening and there was morning” WHEN—Multiple or Single Beginning?

20. Evidencefor passive gap 2. Difference between: • The dyad “heavens and earth” • (entire universe) • The triad “heaven, earth, and sea” • (earth’s three habitats) WHEN—Multiple or Single Beginning?

21. Evidence for passive gap 3. The Hebrew word for “beginning” in 1:1, which refers to a period or duration of time which falls before a series of events. WHEN—Multiple or Single Beginning?

22. Evidence for passive gap 4. God’s creation by differentiating or separating previously-created materials 5. Two-stage creation process from raw material: Forming Adam from clay Forming Eve from Adam’s rib WHEN—Multiple or Single Beginning?

23. either option possible No Gap Passive Gap • Genesis 1:1-2 go together but are separated from verse 3 by a gap • Raw materials of the earth in their unformed-unfilled state were created before—perhaps long before—the seven days of creation week • Genesis 1:1-2 are on day one • Raw materials are included in the first day of the seven-day creation week WHEN—Multiple or Single Beginning?

24. When who how what

25. When who how what Recent or Remote Beginning? (thousands or millions of years)

26. Evidence for recent beginning • Chronogenealogies Genesis 5 and 11 give a continuous record from Adam to Abraham • In the OT, “begat” is the special causative form that always refers to actual direct physical offspring. • From Abraham to the present is clear from Scripture, and the total is only some 4000 (+/- 200 years) • Creation week unambiguously occurred recently WHEN—Recent or Remote?

27. Evidence for recent beginning Character of God • It is totally out of character with the God of the Bible to allow a history of cruelty and pain to go on for long periods of time—millions of years—when it would serve no purpose in the cosmic controversy against Satan • The genealogies, pointing to a recent creation, are a window into the heart of a loving, compassionate God WHEN—Recent or Remote?

28. When who how what

29. two names for god • Two names for God appear in the Creation accounts: • Elohim • Generic, all-powerful One • Emphasizes transcendence • Yahweh • Covenant name • Emphasizes immanence WHO

30. notice • No proof of God is provided, but the assertion of His existence is bold. • God is the ultimate foundation of reality. • The portrayal of God in the creation account provides a polemic against the ANE gods: • Polytheism • Moral decadence • Rivalry • Mortality • Pantheism WHO

31. notice 4. There are intimations of the plurality of the Godhead: • “Spirit of God” in Genesis 1:2 • The creative Word (ten times in Genesis 1) • “Let us” of Genesis 1:26 5. It would be natural for the plurality of persons within the deity, whose character is one of covenant love, to wish to create other beings with whom He could share fellowship. WHO

32. When who how what

33. divinely • By Divine bara • Exclusively God’s action • Creating something totally new and effortlessly produced HOW

34. divinely • By Divine bara • Exclusively God’s action • Creating something totally new and effortlessly produced • By Divine Fiat • By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth…For He spoke and it was done; He commanded and it stood fast (Psalm 33:6, 9) HOW

35. As a polemic • As a polemic against ideas in Mesopotamian creation texts: • Struggle between dieties • Struggle with forces of chaos • Sexual activity between the gods • Worship of sun and moon HOW

36. dramatically and aesthetically Forming the unformed Filling the unfilled • Luminaries • Birds and fish • Animals and man • Light • Sky and waters separated • Dry land and vegetation HOW

37. dramatically and aesthetically Forming the unformed Filling the unfilled • Luminaries • Birds and fish • Animals and man • Light • Sky and waters separated • Dry land and vegetation HOW

38. dramatically and aesthetically Forming the unformed Filling the unfilled • Luminaries • Birds and fish • Animals and man • Light • Sky and waters separated • Dry land and vegetation HOW

39. dramatically and aesthetically Forming the unformed Filling the unfilled • Luminaries • Birds and fish • Animals and man • Light • Sky and waters separated • Dry land and vegetation HOW

40. dramatically and aesthetically Forming the unformed Filling the unfilled • Luminaries • Birds and fish • Animals and man • Light • Sky and waters separated • Dry land and vegetation HOW

41. dramatically and aesthetically Forming the unformed Filling the unfilled • Luminaries • Birds and fish • Animals and man • Light • Sky and waters separated • Dry land and vegetation HOW

42. dramatically and aesthetically Forming the unformed Filling the unfilled • Luminaries • Birds and fish • Animals and man • Light • Sky and waters separated • Dry land and vegetation HOW

43. When who how what

44. lights • One option: Sun not present till 4th day--God’s presence was the source of light the first 3 days • 1:4 God divided the light from the darkness • 1:18 luminaries divide the light from the darkness • Psalm 104—God described as covering Himself with light • Another option: Sun present but unused before 4th day • Became visible, given purpose, or became fully functional on day 4 • Stars • Syntax does not require the creation of stars on day 4 (could be parenthetical) WHAT

45. Other issues

46. two different accounts? • Beginning in 2:7, more detailed description of day 6 • Focusing attention on humanity’s personal needs

47. Death/predation before sin? • Not only is there no death on this world before creation week, there is no life! • Genesis 1:1-2 make no room for living organisms to be present upon planet earth before creation week, let alone death and predation.

48. The Biblical Account of OriginsJournal of the Adventist Theological Society14/1 (Spring 2003) 4-43 By Richard M. Davidson Summary and Narration: Carol Raney