Week 2: Creation
to a more global fulfillment (Jer. 23:3). This call is transformed by the coming of Jesus Christ with a focus on spiritual progeny birthed by the power of the word of God. As a result, the word of God increases (“increase” = “to bear fruit”; the same Greek word is used in Gen. 1:28 in the Greek Old Testament translation used by the apostles) and multiplies in Jerusalem (Acts 6:7), Judea and Samaria (12:24) and to the end of the earth (19:20). These are the key markers of the gospel’s progress in the book of Acts (1:8). In Colossians, similarly, Paul celebrates how “the word of truth, the gospel . . . has come to you, as indeed in the whole world [and] is bearing fruit and increasing” (Col. 1:5–6), so that they might walk, “bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (v. 10). Through Christ, Christians fill the earth as images and representatives of God by the power of the gospel.
Theological Soundings TRINITY. God the Father is the Creator (Gen. 1:1) who works with the Spirit (v. 2) by the power of his Word (v. 3) to create the heavens and the earth. All three persons of the Trinity are at work in this opening chapter of Scripture. A glimpse of the Trinity can perhaps also be seen in the plural of Genesis 1:26: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” While some see this plural referring to God speaking to his heavenly court of angels (as in, e.g., Job 1:6), humanity is not made in the image of angels, and we have no indication that angels participated in the creation of human beings. This glimpse of the Trinity is filled out with more detail through the progressive revelation of Scripture. CREATION. God surveys his creation and calls it “good” (Gen. 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25) and “very good” (v. 31). God’s good creation calls for humanity’s wise stewardship (vv. 26–28). We can worship God not only by looking at his Word but also by appreciating his works demonstrated throughout all creation. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Ps. 19:1). HUMANITY. The climax of this chapter is found in the creation of humanity. The largest number of verses is devoted to this day of creation. Only humanity is created by God in community (Gen. 1:26), in the image of God (vv. 26–27), and is given dominion over the animals (v. 28) and the fruits of the earth for food (v. 29). No wonder the psalmist celebrates, “you have made him [humanity, a collective noun] a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas” (Ps. 8:5–8). 16
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