Christian beliefs about creation

What you must know

 Christian beliefs about creation
• Read through the handout and answer the
following questions:
1. Why is God called the Father? What does the
Nicene Creed say about the Father?
2. Explain how Biblical quotes suggest that the
three Persons of the Trinity were all part of the
creation.
 Question 1
• God is called the Father to reflect his life-
giving, creative nature.
• The Nicene Creed says that the Father is ‘the
maker of heaven and earth’ and is ‘almighty’.
 Question 2
• The Nicene Creed tells us that God the Father
is ‘the maker of heaven and earth’.
• So, when it says ‘In the beginning, God created
the heaven and the earth’ in Genesis 1:1, it
must be referring to God the Father.
 Question 2
• St John’s Gospel says ‘In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God , and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning. Through Him, all
things were made; without Him nothing was made
that has been made.’ (John 1:1-3)
• Later in the Gospel, it says: ‘The Word became flesh
and lived for a while among us. We have seen his
glory, the glory of the one and only [Son]’ (John 1:14)
• This suggests that God the Son was also involved in
the creation.
 Question 2
• The Genesis account of creation also says:
• ‘Now the earth was formless and empty,
darkness was over the face of the deep, and the
Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the
waters.’ (Genesis 1:2)
• Some Christians see this as a reference to the
third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.
• So this quote suggests that he too was involved
in the creation.
 The importance of beliefs about Genesis 1
for Christians
• Read through this section of the handout and
write three short paragraphs explaining how the
messages of Genesis 1 influence the lives of
Christians.
• Example paragraph:
– One message of Genesis 1 is that we live in an ordered
world, created and sustained by God. This message
encourages Christians to take a positive approach to
life and to trust that things will work out for the best if
they do what God wants.
 The importance of beliefs about Genesis 1
for Christians
• Another message of Genesis 1 is that human beings
are made in the image of God. This message
encourages Christians to think that all human lives is
of great value, regardless of their physical, mental or
intellectual capacity.
• A third message of Genesis 1 is that human beings
are given authority over the rest of the created
world. This message encourages Christians to be
good stewards – i.e. to look after the world, and
show love and respect to all created beings.
 Three interpretations of the Genesis
creation story
• The fundamentalist interpretation says that it is was
dictated word-for-word by God, and so must all be literally
true. According to this account, God created the world in
seven days, just as described.
• The non-literal interpretation says that it was inspired, but
not dictated by God. This means that, while there must be
important truths in it, it need not be literally true.
• The mythic interpretation says that the story was never
intended to be a description of how the world was created.
Instead it is a myth – a fictional story with a profound
message, delivered through symbolism.
 Homework
• Read through the three interpretations on the
handout and make a judgement about which of
them Christians should believe.
• Write a paragraph in your book that explains your
view and your reasons for it – e.g.
– ‘I think that Christians ought to believe the mythic
interpretation, because….Some might disagree with me
as…But I think they are wrong, since…’
• Come to next Monday’s lesson ready to defend the
view you have described.